I would like to respond to Patricia Koelzer's letter of Oct. 6.

Ms. Koelzer seems to think that all the members of Buffalo Field Campaign fit a single stereotype. She is incorrect. I, myself, am quite different from the picture she paints. I have supported myself since my senior year of high school. While trying to graduate, I worked an array of jobs to pay rent and feed myself. I have worked at everything from babysitting to teaching preschool, carpentry to welding, movie concessions to waitressing.

Beyond most things I understand and appreciate a hard day's work. My family is in no way capable of giving me a trust fund, and we talk two or three times a week (we are very close). As with any group of people, it is impossible to give an accurate representation or stereotype.

The group (Buffalo Field Campaign) ranges in people from almost every walk of life. Volunteers come and go through the BFC, and no two of them are the same. Old and young, poor, not so poor, and rich, from all over the country and world, all are here because we believe in a common goal, to defend the rights of buffalo.

As to Ms. Koelzer's problem of buffalo being run through her father's land, I would suggest discontinuing all relations with the Department of Livestock. Mr. Koelzer leases his land to the DOL -- the DOL baits his land with hay. They operate a capture facility on his land to capture buffalo. Without hay on Koelzer property, buffalo would have little reason to stop there, the DOL would have no reason to haze buffalo through the area; this is how Mr. Koelzer can live with buffalo and bear.

Ms. Koelzer suggests shipping buffalo to California and New York with us "hippie" kids. My response to that is, if she does not like buffalo, then she and her family can leave. These animals are native to this land. We settlers almost decimated this species last century.

Before the first Europeans came to this land, up to 68 million buffalo roamed the west. Ms. Koelzer thinks her family is special because they have lived in Montana for "more than 100 years."

Well, the buffalo family have a much stronger claim to the land, for they have been here longer.

I live here in Montana because I love the land and the wildlife. Living here, I have respect for my surroundings. I know that on any random hike I could be attacked by a grizzly, moose or buffalo. These animals are our neighbors and were here first. We should remember this, although I am NOT against hunting for food or protecting yourself.

Greater respect for animals and our environment is needed; anyone who cannot recognize that should not live in Montana.

Andy Radmacher

P.O. Box 2123 West Yellowstone

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