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Horse
Butte Resident, Ann Stovall 01/28/07
Governor Schweitzer January
28, 2007
My name is Ann Stovall, I live on the Horse Butte, my grandfather
homesteaded what is now Hebgan Lake Estates and Yellowstone Village.
I still live in his Homestead cabin.
Just a little background for you.
I am really upset with this whole Bison Hunt that is being allowed
near a residential neighborhood. It's bad enough that you are allowing
these so-called hunters to hunt these magnificent animals in the
first place, but what is really bad is that the hunters and the
Department of Livestock are given priority above the safety of the
people and animals that live out here.
First complaint: These hunters have NO respect for anyone or
anything when they are out here. They call us names Trespass on
private property, & travel on Private roads. Ignoring the fact
that it IS posted.
I've lived here all my life, I'm 51 now, and I love the fact that
we are still able to co-exist with the wildlife. I have horses that
are here year around as well as my dogs and my Mother is 81 years
old and lost her sight to Macular Degeneration. We are now AFRAID
to step foot out of the house because these so-called hunters are
shooting in close proximity of the subdivision with NO regard to
what direction they are shooting or what might be behind the object
they are shooting at, let alone that the object is on PRIVATE property.
They use the excuse that the 'sun was in their eyes' WELL if that's
the case what are they doing pulling the TRIGGER! Then they leave
the animal to suffer for almost two hours before it is put out of
it's misery.
When Fish and Game try to rectify the action we have a Judge that
refuses to even look at the evidence. I understand that the hunters
have rights BUT what about OUR rights and OUR safety. That particular
Bull was pretty much adopted by the residents out here as a mascot
and now because of blatant disregard of any one or anything a disrespectful
hunter has destroyed him and the Judge let him go.
Second: The Department of Livestock has been a real hazard
as well. When they come out to haze these animals, they don't let
anyone know and we have elderly people that are out walking and
enjoying what we have here, as well as little kids playing. Stampeding
buffalo are dangerous to humans and property. They don't stampede
or pose a problem till the Agents start it. They have run these
animals through the Fences on the Munns property and NOT ONCE have
they come back to repair the fences; that, because of the Agents,
are now torn apart. They leave it to the Munns family, and try to
say the buffalo did it. Well DUH only because the Agents brought
them from over the back of the Butte and THEN onto the Munns ranch
and through the fences. They have even left the gates open. I've
tried talking to them about it but to no avail. They pull their
trucks and trailers out into the pasture on the Munns property and
tear up the ground. You being a cattle rancher should understand
that hampers the growth of the grass, and with the Munns family
having lost their grazing allotments up here, need all the grass
they can grow.
Just so you know the buffalo that do come out here in the spring
ALWAYS go back to the park well before the cattle arrive. So these
Agents are wasting our tax-payer dollars BIG time . The money spent
on the hazing operations could be better spent in the research lab,
NOT wasted away on these Agents terrorizing the neighbor hood and
destroying fence lines.
I personally feel you should be more concerned with Mad Cow disease
and quit worrying about a minuscule chance of these bison transmitting
to the cattle that are vaccinated in the first place.
Most people should know that even if a cow aborts because of Brucellosis,
it won't happen again. More calves are lost due to distemper diphtheria
scours, or hoof rot.
PLEASE PUT A STOP TO THIS BLATANT DISREGARD TO THE PEOPLE
AND OUR ANIMALS THAT LOVE HAVING THE WILDLIFE AROUND
Thank you for your time,
Ann Stovall
P.O. Box 863
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
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