WDNR wants hearing on killing cougars
MADISON: The Department of Natural Resources' board is set to approve public hearings on a rule that would allow landowners to kill problem cougars.
Cougars are a protected species in Wisconsin. No one can shoot or trap one without first getting permission from the DNR.
The closest known cougar population to Wisconsin is in South Dakota, but the Wisconsin DNR has confirmed the presence of four cougars in the state over the last three years.
Under the rule, landowners, their family members and their employees would be allowed to shoot cougars in the act of attacking a domestic animal without advance permission.
The board is expected to vote on authorizing hearings on the rule at a meeting Wednesday in Madison.