Gardiner Sheep/Wolf/BH/Hoppe Drama

[RobG]

Some of you might know what's happening better than me, but there has been some drama at the border of Yellowstone Park near Gardiner.

This rancher named Hoppe, who has been causing all sorts of trouble for bison (shoot on site guy), decided he was going to bring domestic sheep onto his ranch a week or so ago. The whole idea of sheep next to the Park is incredible: domestic sheep carry diseases and are a serious threat to bighorn sheep so this action endangered the whole Yellowstone bighorn herd.

Anyway, God apparently objected because he sent wolves to decimate his sheep herd! I normally would feel sorry for a rancher with wolf kill but what could be sweeter justice for a guy who'd endanger Yellowstone's wildlife.

Hoppe is apparently now moving his herd away. That SOB ought to be fined for endangering the Yellowstone herd; instead he'll get about $2000 from the government for his dead sheep.

Story is here: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/article_07a14488-ae25-11e2-b758-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[MThuntr]

Kind of seems like a Darwin approach to ranching by leading sheep to slaughter.

 

[Dinkshooter]

$2000 is a bargain.

How fitting he is a rancher and outfitter. Fits the D-bag profile to a T.

 

[katqanna]

Hoppe runs a small herd of cattle and had just purchased that 40 head of domestic sheep and intentionally put them on that leased land next to the Park. Now, whether he did it to chum for wolves, as some have suspected based on his comments and history, or to spite our Bighorn Sheep population, we may never know. But those domestic sheep, that close to the Bighorns is a death sentence to the Bighorns. There have been a number of die offs in our Bighorn populations. We need to protect them, not subject them to this type of insensitive, intentional "bioterrorism".

Then just after a number of sheep get attacked, which may have been the intention, he is rewarded with 2 wolf kill permits and $2000. Then he wises up and moves those sheep to his ranch? I dont think so. He intentionally subjected those domestic sheep to life threatening danger, like sacrificing pawns in chess, for political and economic gain. And in the process jeopardized our Bighorn Sheep.

Believing that predators are a part of a healthy ecosystem and have a place on the landscape, I dont appreciate any predator, whether wolf, feral dogs, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, etc., just killing and not consuming (kind of like the DOL Christian McKay, just killing that lone bull bison on the Dome Mountain last week and leaving it to rot), but I really dont appreciate the political and economic predator that kills for sport. Hoppe is such a predator.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I guess God does have a sense of humor.

There's also speculation that Hoppe placed those sheep there in order to transmit disease to buffalo (yep, it happens). The buffalo then would wander back into the Park, infecting other buffalo, causing slow, painful death.

It's a little ironic that a guy who made his living off of the wildlife and wild places of Yellowstone holds that wildlife in such contempt. Hoppe testified in favor of HB 312, the Test & Slaughter bill, as well as almost every bad Buffalo bill during the last session.

 

[katqanna]

And Hoppe purjured himself in that testimony. In a quote from the New York Times, " He testified before the house committee (SB 143) that metal pens were built at bus stops so children could be safe from bison. 'Buffalo are running free, and we’re corralling our kids in a country where we’re supposed to be free,' Mr. Hoppe testified." The Times journalist Nate Schweber noted, "(The superintendent for Gardiner’s public schools said there were no such pens, however.)" I looked further into the pens. They do exist, they were provided by a non-government organization, due to some of the Gardiner resident concerns, but they have never needed to be used and have been stored with the Forest Service. Hoppe also testified over in room 472, at HB 312, with what sounded like the same speech he read at the SB 143 hearing.

 

[jryoung]

Are there any provisions that prevent placement of sheep because of possible transmission? Meaning would he have to have them tested before placement? It seems that there could (or at least should) be a case for endangering wildlife.

It'd be awesome if he hung himself out to dry with this.

 

[theat]

And landowner and outfitter organizations keep saying sportsmen are to blame for the bad blood between us? They just keep up their crusade to destroy all wildlife they don't like, and attempt to "own" and commercialize any they can make a buck off of. I guess we are just supposed to sit back and take it...otherwise we become "not real sportsmen" or even the dreaded "environmentalists".

 

[katqanna]

The Gallatin Wildlife Association and GYC are looking into whether or not his sheep were tested before putting them on the land and any land restrictions. "There is no language or limitations regarding domestic sheep on the Eagle Creek tracts.", but there are stipulations protecting bison. Domestic sheep are carriers of Malignant Catarrhal Fever, which is fatal to bison.

Malignant Catarrhal Fever

"All sheep should be presumed to be carriers of the OHV-2 virus. It does not cause any disease in sheep. Generally lambs are born virus-free, but by five to six months, almost all of the lambs are carriers. This implies that lambs are infected through contact with the adult members of the flock.

The virus is shed primarily in the sheep's nasal and eye secretions and transmitted through either direct or indirect contact. The significance of mechanical transmission (spread of the virus on boots, clothing, vehicles, etc.) is unknown.

When OHV-2 is spread from sheep to a susceptible ruminant species, MCF disease occurs. Bison tend to be very susceptible, and deaths are frequent in exposed animals. "

 

[Dinkshooter]

And landowner and outfitter organizations keep saying sportsmen are to blame for the bad blood between us? They just keep up their crusade to destroy all wildlife they don't like, and attempt to "own" and commercialize any they can make a buck off of. I guess we are just supposed to sit back and take it...otherwise we become "not real sportsmen" or even the dreaded "environmentalists".

^
This!

You commie theat.

 

[ID_deerslayer]

Wow, this is horrible! Hopefully this guy will get caught for his dishonest gain and pay dearly for his manipulative ways, taking advantage of wildlife, and endangering wildlife. He is a disgrace to the hunting community and should not be allowed to outfit or hunt IMO.

 

[1_pointer]

Are there any provisions that prevent placement of sheep because of possible transmission? Meaning would he have to have them tested before placement? It seems that there could (or at least should) be a case for endangering wildlife.

It'd be awesome if he hung himself out to dry with this.

Not sure about that, but I wish there was for placement of house cats. Damn things are hard on lots of wildlife. The bunny under my yard barn 'disappeared' once I started seeing someone's cat wondering the neighborhood and my yard. I hate cats.

 

[shoots-straight]

Not sure about that, but I wish there was for placement of house cats. Damn things are hard on lots of wildlife. The bunny under my yard barn 'disappeared' once I started seeing someone's cat wondering the neighborhood and my yard. I hate cats.

SSS! What I always say. I know for a fact that these cats running around here are not the native ones seen by Lewis and Clark. Tape worms comes out their butts too!

Oh, sorry, different channel.

 

[Jwill]

There has to be a sheep joke here somewhere....

So he feeds sheep to the wolves, gets paid and gets free wolf tags, maybe kills some of those mangy bighorn and bison in the process. Probably a win, win, win in his eyes... Really working the system. Why haven't you guys run his ass out of Montana yet? Please don't send him this way though.

 

[mtmiller]

I know for a fact that these cats running around here are not the native ones seen by Lewis and Clark.

I agree, these cats are not native to the United States. These are a much larger and more aggressive Canadian species. Now we are stuck with them.

You really want to know what is wrong with our sage chicken numbers? It ain't the land conversion, energy development or livestock grazing....it's them damned non-native cats. No one wants to talk about it, but me and all my neighbors know better. We see it all the time.

 

[jryoung]

Tape worms comes out their butts too!

Why are you inspecting......wait, nevermind I don't want to know.

 

[shoots-straight]

Why are you inspecting......wait, nevermind I don't want to know.

There's a website called feline watch, ran by a dude named Scoby Midges, and on that site I saw where they said to be wary of these non native cats, because these worms crawl out thier butts. I think Scoby was the dude looking at the cats behinds.

 

[Dave N]

Sure, blame it on the OTHER guy...

 

[Ben Lamb]

There's a website called feline watch, ran by a dude named Scoby Midges, and on that site I saw where they said to be wary of these non native cats, because these worms crawl out thier butts. I think Scoby was the dude looking at the cats behinds.

I heard he moved here from Ohio & is here to tell us how to grow elk because he went elk hunting once!

 

[The Hedgehog]

Hoppe is a crybaby little bitch for sure.