| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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| News
Article 4/08/05 |
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| Alleged
paint ball assault under investigation
By Marlo Pronovost, West Yellowstone News
4/08/05 |
Authorities
are investigating an alleged assault involving paint balls
being fired at a Buffalo Field Campaign volunteer on Highway
191 last week.
The West Yellowstone Police Department received a disorderly
conduct complaint on March 28 alleging two people in a
new dark-blue pick-up truck had shot paint balls at a
BFC volunteer near Duck Creek, according to an incident
report at the WYPD.
The volunteer was hit three times in the back by paint
balls, but was not injured, said BFC member Josh Osher.
The volunteer thought a total of five shots had been fired.
Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Murphy was dispatched
to handle the call and by the following day, had contacted
one suspect and was tracking down a second one, Gallatin
County Undersheriff Jim Oberhofer said this week.
The case is still under investigation and charges could
be filed.
According to Osher, this marked the second time in two
weeks such an incident has occurred. Two weeks ago, a
truck matching the same description drove past volunteers
and two people shot paint balls at a BFC vehicle.
Osher commended Murphy for his professionalism in handling
the incident, noting that the deputy "responded to
the highway incident with a high level of concern."
Osher also said that Murphy has been helpful in assisting
BFC in roadside efforts to get traffic slowed down when
bison are near or crossing the road.
Between five to seven bison have been hit by vehicles
and subsequently killed since the beginning of March,
(according to the BFC and Fish, Wildlife and Park's Warden
Jim Smolcynski.)
The accidents occurred on Highway 191, between the junctions
of Highway 191 and Highway 287. That is up from just three
bison deaths in 2002 and one bison death in 2003 and 2004.
A herd of about 300 migrate from the border of Yellowstone
National Park to the Horse Butte area this time of year,
seeking grass.
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