| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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Article 2/01/05 |
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bison for wolf control
Letter to the Editor, Casper Star Tribune
2/01/05 |
In
the latest edition of "The Canadian Field-Naturalist,"
L. David Mech, Rick T. McIntyre and Douglas W. Smith published
their observations of bison aggressiveness toward wolves
in Yellowstone National Park. I am bringing their report
to the attention of Governor Dave Freudenthal, Attorney
General Pat Crank, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department,
the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, and the Sportsmen
for Fish and Wildlife to suggest a solution to their problems
with wolves.
The authors report several occasions where bison drove
wolves off elk carcasses and even one occasion where bison
chased sleeping wolves out of a succession of day beds.
In confrontations near carcasses, bison, either individually
or collectively, repeatedly harassed wolves and prevented
or delayed them from feeding.
To date, the State of Wyoming, as well as agricultural
and hunter groups, has shown no tolerance for bison outside
Yellowstone National Park. Indeed, they protest the presence
of bison in Grand Teton National Park and the National
Elk Refuge.
Yet here is an aggressive animal that shows every capability
of making life miserable for wolves wherever they roam,
with the potential of doing it 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. Surely, given concerns about wolves in Wyoming,
we would all greatly benefit from a wide distribution
of bison throughout the state to keep wolves off balance
from lack of sleep and general irritation with the predator's
life.
Therefore, I would be more than happy to appear before
the Animal Damage Management Board with a proposal to
secure funding to implement a pilot project for bison-based
wolf control throughout Wyoming.
ROBERT HOSKINS, Crowheart
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