| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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| News
Article 1/17/05 |
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| Bison
hunt
David
Mead, President, Portneuf Valley Audubon Society, Pocatello
Idaho State Journal, Letter to the Editor
1/17/05
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Thumbs
up to ISJ ... for your "Journal Views" column
on Jan. 7 opposing Montana's bison "hunt." It
was in response to articles like yours, and public outcry,
that the slaughter was called off. But the persecution
of Yellowstone bison will continue as long as Montana
allows the livestock industry to control wildlife management
policies. They will continue to haze and kill bison, and
attempt to reinstate the hunt next year.
Montana refuses to acknowledge that the bison are native
wildlife, and should be allowed to roam freely on public
land. The majority of U.S. taxpayers, who share ownership
of public lands with the extractive industries, would
rather have bison on their property than cattle.
I realize that cowboys and free-range cattle are Western
icons, but so are roaming buffalo. Montana's policy of
allowing its Department of Livestock to "manage"
bison is a thinly-veiled attempt to eliminate competition
for forage on public land.
Taxpayers would be appalled if they knew how much of their
money is spent trying to keep bison in the park. They
would also be appalled if they saw how bison are being
treated. Although wild bison have never transmitted brucellosis
to cattle, hundreds are being hazed, trapped and killed,
purportedly to prevent spread of disease.
It seems patently unfair to open a hunting season on bison.
I am not opposed to hunting; I enjoy hunting deer and
elk. I believe that hunting is a viable wildlife management
technique, but killing 10 bison that wander out of the
park is absurd!
Bison should be allowed to expand their range naturally
and establish a free-roaming population. If overpopulation
becomes a problem, then perhaps hunting would be a viable
option. Bison are indigenous to this region and should
have "equal rights" with deer, elk, moose and
other big game species. And with cattle...
David Mead, President, Portneuf Valley Audubon Society,
Pocatello
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