Bison in MT

[Ben Lamb]

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_7e1190e4-18ce-11e0-898b-001cc4c002e0.html

FWP is considering relocating some bison in-state. The Commission meets on the 13th to discuss moving forward with a plan to take a look at areas that would make good bison habitat.

Here's a link to the FWP agenda: http://fwp.mt.gov/doingBusiness/insideFwp/commission/meetings/agenda.html?meetingId=15616374

Here's the cover sheet: http://fwp.mt.gov/doingBusiness/ins...ngs/agenda.html?si&coversheet&itemId=16587692

If you want the opportunity to hunt bison at some point in the futre, in Montana, now is the time to let your voice be heard!

 

[----]

The Bob Marshall seems kind of odd.
Someone that's spent more time there, does the South Fork have good habitat for them?
I've only been in from the Blackfoot side, and there definitely isn't any bison areas in that country.

 

[Goldtip]

I can't think of much, if any country, up the South Fork that would be considered good Bison habitat. What about the east side of the Bob over towards the Sun river game range area? Seems that would be pretty decent for Bison.

 

[montanadogs]

Sun river would work but I think that they would just head out onto the prairie were they came from. I think the bob is out of the question. What about the CRM?

 

[Drake4]

I can see the headlines now...."Environmental Groups File Lawsuits Over Bison Reintroduction

They have an agenda for everything. They will probably argue that the intial introdution didn't include all of the historical range. Ranchers will file lawsuits because 100 head of bison just tore down 3 miles of fence.

I would like to hunt one some day too, but I don't see much good coming out of this.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I can see the headlines now...."Environmental Groups File Lawsuits Over Bison Reintroduction

They have an agenda for everything. They will probably argue that the intial introdution didn't include all of the historical range. Ranchers will file lawsuits because 100 head of bison just tore down 3 miles of fence.

I would like to hunt one some day too, but I don't see much good coming out of this.

I'm sure some groups (on both sides) would be doing something similar, and certainly both the Ag groups and the enviros have filed suit against both FWP and DOL over their management of bison, but that's just a part of the public process.

The commission meeting is about whether or not FWP should go ahead at looking for places where bison would be socially acceptable, as well as places where bison fit in both ecologically and monetarily.

As for the Bob, I think that FWP has put out a few places that spring to mind. I'm not sure that the Bob is the best place, or is the Sun River WMA, There are many other places to look at putting conservation herds of bison, and unless the Commission allows the discussion to move forward, the issue becomes dead in the water. It would be a shame to not have the conversation.

As for CMR - there are no current efforts to place bison on the CMR. CMR staff has indicated that while they wouldn't be opposed to bison, they will not actively engage in putting them on the ground.

 

[cowboy]

I can see the headlines now - HUNTING BUFFALO IN HIGH FENCE AREA. Sounds like a good employment stimulus to me. It'll take a couple million sportman's dollars to build the fence along with keeping a dozen government employees fully employed for I don't know how many years and in the mean time the lawyers will drag it out for how many more years. Yep - that's how the process works.

 

[Ben Lamb]

If you never take a chance, nothing ever gets done.

 

[thecrittergitter]

The CMR would be a great place for those wooly bastages to be put. There is a lot of ground out there and some great habitat.

I was wondering about the Bob, but i must say, I have found a bison skull in the mountains before at about 10,000 feet here in MT. So unless he parachuted from a plane, im guessing he was living there before he died

 

[----]

I have found a bison skull in the mountains before at about 10,000 feet here in MT. So unless he parachuted from a plane, im guessing he was living there before he died

That's crazy. Mind sharing what range?

 

[shoots-straight]

I found a Bison skull in the AP wilderness area. I don't get the negative responses from our hunting community brothers. Sounds as if we're afraid of our own shadow. There's many drainage's in the Bob that have winter range, and decent habitat for Bison. Will they stay? No, but who gives a chit. They deserve to be out in Montana's wild places. Way more than cattle do. Drake, do you really think that they've had much luck stopping Bison hunts around Yellowstone. This wouldn't be the Federal Government recovering an endangered species. This would be a transplant just like dropping Big Horns off in the West Fork. We hunt them today without any lawsuits. It's ridiculous to think it would happen.

I'm sure glad that my forefathers had the guts to relocate game all over Montana, and the rest of the nation to give us the great big game herds we have today.

 

[Drake4]

I didn't say they would have any luck stopping hunts. I said they would file lawsuits..and they will. So will the ranchers.

I just think there are a lot more important issues to be spending time and money on. Lets get our deer, elk and moose herds figured out. Lets figure out how to effectively manage wolves and grizzly bears. Lets figure out how to manage bison in and around the Park.

I'm all for open range bison hunting, I think it would be fantastic..but I think it would get very messy on both sides before any sort of free range hunt is established.

 

[thecrittergitter]

I found a Bison skull in the AP wilderness area. I don't get the negative responses from our hunting community brothers. Sounds as if we're afraid of our own shadow. There's many drainage's in the Bob that have winter range, and decent habitat for Bison. Will they stay? No, but who gives a chit. They deserve to be out in Montana's wild places. Way more than cattle do. Drake, do you really think that they've had much luck stopping Bison hunts around Yellowstone. This wouldn't be the Federal Government recovering an endangered species. This would be a transplant just like dropping Big Horns off in the West Fork. We hunt them today without any lawsuits. It's ridiculous to think it would happen.

I'm sure glad that my forefathers had the guts to relocate game all over Montana, and the rest of the nation to give us the great big game herds we have today.

Maybe i don't remember right but the minute Gov Switzer was in office, the first thing he did was closed the buff hunt Didn't he? Yep, we got it back, but just sayin its not so ridiculous.

I hope they transplant a gazillion of those brown bastages all over MT!! Im gonna go kill one with a spear off a horse. Actually, im guessing i would try that and impail myself on the spear far before i hit something with one

 

[thecrittergitter]

That's crazy. Mind sharing what range?

Madison Range........

 

[shoots-straight]

No guts, no glory! I can see lawsuits coming from the livestock community. Lets get the ball rolling. I don't know if you hunted this year, but by the looks of the game killed, I'd say our big game herds, (as a whole) are in pretty good shape. Certainly better than they were 20 years ago. If Bison are a big game animal, we''ll manage them the same way we manage all other big game. It's a no brainer. Time to get after it.

 

[Drake4]

Maybe i don't remember right but the minute Gov Switzer was in office, the first thing he did was closed the buff hunt Didn't he?

I hope they transplant a gazillion of those brown bastages all over MT!! Im gonna go kill one with a spear off a horse.

Nope..you are remembering right.

Maybe the bison transplant goes hand in hand with the new spear chucking season that is being proposed??

 

[The Hedgehog]

Where in the hell in the Madison Range did you pick up a bison skull at 10000ft?

 

[shoots-straight]

I can see the headlines now...."Environmental Groups File Lawsuits Over Bison Reintroduction

They have an agenda for everything. They will probably argue that the intial introdution didn't include all of the historical range. Ranchers will file lawsuits because 100 head of bison just tore down 3 miles of fence.

I would like to hunt one some day too, but I don't see much good coming out of this.

You did say that didn't you? Explain how having Bison running all over available habitat in Montana wouldn't be any good for us?

 

[Drake4]

Yep, I said that.
I also said this:

I'm all for open range bison hunting, I think it would be fantastic...

I'll say it again...I think a free range bison hunt would be great. I don't see it happening though. Just because they are transplanted doesn't mean we will get to hunt them. I see a pile of lawsuits, money mis-spent and bad publicity. People are filing lawsuits because they stuck a few bison on Turners place this year. If they stick them on the Spotted Dog like they are talking about doing, they will have to fence the place. They admitted that. No different hunting them there then on Turners, except for $$.

I'll be the first to admit if I am wrong though. I hope I am.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Nope..you are remembering right.

Maybe the bison transplant goes hand in hand with the new spear chucking season that is being proposed??

If you can take a buff w/ a spear, you're a better man than I am.

The hunt has been influenced by all kinds of problems, weather being the biggest one. By the time the big shaggys are outside of the park, the cows are carrying some fairly developed fetuses. The season ends before they get out, so what we'd be left with is strictly a bull hunt, late season, in some tough, tough conditions. Add in other factors such as tribal treaty rights and land use conflict and it's clear that administering a hunt will be an ongoing learning experience.

As for focusing on YNP bison, those are the bison that would be used to transplant. There's the Turner bunch, and then a new cohort coming out of quarantine that need a place to go. Tribes are getting things in place to accommodate these bison.

FWP has one person assigned to this issue, only one. That is taking nothing away from other game species. As far as Bears - FWP is actively engaged in collecting data and managing the big bear to get the off the list, and keep them off the list. I think we'll get a sustainable delisting rule here in 2011. Yes it will be litigated, but the key to all delistings is to make sure that there is no merit to those lawsuits.