Home » Plants & Animals » Wildlife » Buffalo Hunt Cancelled

Buffalo Hunt Cancelled

© Connie Troutman

In December, The Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission approved a bison hunt which would have begun on Jan. 15 2005.

The 4-1 vote authorized the issuing of 10 licenses for hunting bison between Jan. 15 and Feb. 15 in an area north of the park where migration is most likely as snowfall increases in the park. Another hunt would begin in November and last for three months.

On January 10, which would have been the first hunt in over a decade, the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission voted 4-1 to cancel the highly controversal hunt. Below you can read an update from Buffalo Field Campaign.

Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 597
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070 / fax 406-646-0071
bfc-media@wildrockies.org
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

Buffalo Field Campaign Applauds Decision to Stop Bison Hunt

For Immediate Release, January 10, 2005 Contact Stephany Seay 406-646-0070

This morning(Jan 10) in Helena, Montana's Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission voted 4-1 to cancel a proposed and highly controversial buffalo hunt that would have begun on January 15.

Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) applauded the Commission's decision. BFC has been vocally opposed to the proposed hunt, and had encouraged their supporters to apply for permits with the intention of not using them. A few members of BFC were present at today's meeting, and spoke to the Commission, encouraging them to take Governor Schweitzer's lead, listen to the public, listen to reason and logic, and cancel the hunt.

Part of the reason for the Buffalo Field Campaign's opposition to the hunt as proposed is on the grounds that buffalo aren't afforded any habitat within Montana's borders, not even on publicly owned lands. Once they step foot outside the borders of Yellowstone National Park and into Montana, they are harassed and treated like a nuisance animal. The only exception being the Eagle Creek Special Management Area located within Gallatin National Forest, adjacent to Yellowstone National Park, and this is precisely where buffalo would have been gunned down.

"What we are saying is simple: no habitat, no hunt," said Josh Osher of the Buffalo Field Campaign. "We're not against hunting, we're against this hunt. Once buffalo have been allowed to establish a viable population within Montana, and once they are respected and valued as a wildlife species, then we can talk about a hunt."

Another serious concern the BFC had regarding this hunt was that Montana's Department of Livestock (DOL), rather than Fish, Wildlife and Parks, would have been the agency authorizing the hunt.

"The DOL has clearly demonstrated over the past decade that they are ill-equipped to manage buffalo or any wildlife species in any capacity," said Dan Brister, eight-year veteran of BFC. "Allowing this hunt to happen under their authority would set a horrible precedent for buffalo and all wildlife. The DOL should stick to managing and inspecting livestock, while buffalo management authority should be returned to Fish, Wildlife and Parks."

The copyright of the article Buffalo Hunt Cancelled in Wildlife is owned by . Permission to republish Buffalo Hunt Cancelled in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.