All buffalo shot and killed

Albany Times-Union ^ | 4/24/2015 | Bob Gardinier, Madeline St. Amour, and Skip Dickstein

[Kenny500c]

BETHLEHEM – All 15 bison that roamed across a section of town for the past several hours were shot and killed by family members who owned the animals Friday.

The center of attention was at a creek off of Willowbrook Avenue as authorities tried to round up the herd that escaped from a farm in Rensselaer County, crossed the Hudson River and bolted across the state Thruway.

One of the hunters — "hired guns" — appeared to have a heated exchange with Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple after the gunfire started and was taken into custody. Apple said he was concerned about possible harm to people in the crowded area from the rifle shots. The man was later released.

Apple said the scene was turning into "the Wild West" and he put a stop to it.

A State Police helicopter was hovering over the location where the herd believed to be. Several of the buffalo ran down the creek after the shooting started.

George Mesick, a Schodack farmer who owned the herd, said they got out Thursday night and crossed the Hudson River. Earlier he said he had little hope they could be captured unharmed.

"There is a zero percent chance of getting them back right now, I think," he said. "I just want to get this done with as fast as possible so that no one gets hurt."

[Kenny500c]

Sad, I hope they used the meat for food.

[cripplecreek]

Township cookout.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I’m sure they will. Freshly killed and easily picked up by butchers. We have a butcher in town with a truck that does this quite often. The shooting part is what disturbs the townies.

BTW, buffalo is great eating. Lean and sweet.

[monkeyshine]

Wow what a headline. And from Albany, no less. Interstate rivalry?

[ClearCase_guy]

All your bison are belong to us.