Posted on 11/15/2005 12:16:35 PM PST by Flavius
GARDINER, Mont. - Montana's first bison hunt in 15 years opened at sunrise Tuesday, with a 17-year-old boy bagging the first buffalo within 90 minutes.
The hunt, aimed at thinning out the bison population near Yellowstone National Park, came after years of protests from animal rights activists.
State and federal officials say the hunt will help manage a population that has grown to an estimated 4,900 animals, more than some fear the area can support. Some ranchers are also worried some diseased bison could spread illness to cattle.
George Clement, a teenager who took the day off from school, killed the first bison near Gardiner.
Montana's last bison hunt was in 1990. Other hunts since then were canceled because of protests over the way wardens would lead each hunter to an animal, which was then shot at close range, often while peacefully grazing.
This year, there are new limits. For example, wildlife officials cannot tell hunters where bison have wandered outside the park, and no more than 50 bison overall can be killed during the three-month season.
Fifty hunting licenses — entitling hunters to kill one bison each — were made available.
"Harvest" - yup. It's not a cull, as someone else suggested, because they aren't targeting a specific group, like the diseased animals.
The mighty wolf was supposed to help solve the bison over population, but of course the wolves took after easier prey the elk. So its up to hunters to take up the slack of thinning the herd in what amounts to second rate buffalo habitat anyway.
Suggestion : Stop being so quick to assume things about people and resorting to name calling.
Have a nice day.
You obviously didn't read what I said or your comprehension ability is very low. I am definitely not a tree hugger but I am also not impressed with your macho man attitude. Get your merit badge and go join an Indian tribe. Then go harvest a tree stump.
You hold a rather mythologized and hollywoodized view of the buffalo. The plains indians were rather sloppy with how they killed buffalo. They would run them over cliffs (called pishkins), slaughtering far more than their tribe could ever use that year, leaving injured buffalo to suffer. They were not the noble hunters you perceive them to be.
I don't say they were noble hunters nor do I mythologize them IMHO.
They killed the buffalo the best way they knew how--just as the white buffalo hunters did--and the same way I hunt for deer or any wild game. But If my family depended on my hunting for survival I'd use headlights for deer and dynamite for fish if necessary.
I just think the Indian should have more claim to the few permits available than whites because of the historic and religious connection. If none of them stepped forward to take up the permits, then I have no objection to an all-comers lottery.
I guess we disagree. Let's let it go.
Those are special nights or days out.
I will be making sure our crock pot is still working and will be firing it up probably next week. I sear the pot roast or chicken on the Weber before, it goes into the crockpot with the vegies.
My wife has this great decades old recipe for chuck roast, called Silver Plated Pot Roast. You sear it on both sides in a frying pan or on a charcoaler. Then, you put it on a pan lined with aluminum foil and do a quick olive oil sear of some potatoes, onions, carrots and some garlic in the frying pan.
Then, you put the veggies around the pot roast while heating a 16 oz can of Italian seasoned tomatoes and 4 oz of your favorite barbeque sauce in a glass bowl in a micro wave for about 3-4 minutes. When hot and steaming, stir this and pour on top of the roast and vegies. Then enclose all of the roast, veggies and sauce in an aluminum pouch/packet that will hold all of the goodies in side, and it is leak proof. We wrap it several times.
Put the packet in a preheated Oven for 1 hour at 350. Then set the oven to just over 200 degrees for 3-4 hours. Then remove and fend off the dinner guests until you set it on the table to serve. Be careful of the steam when you open the packet.
We have used this with venison, elk and bear meat, and even tough venison roasts are great. The elk and bear silver plated pot roasts are to kill for.
Our sons and younger relatives after the packet's first hour in the oven will put the packet on their engine block and drive to a tailgate party, to the beach, skiing or whatever.
Just secure so it doesn't end up as road kill.
When you are finished at home or out someplace else, there is no pot to clean up. Just wad up the aluminum foil packet and put in a garbage can. Leftovers are never a problem as we have never seen left overs.
I do see the shame in the mass extermination of buffalo in the 1800s.
It really is sad that happened.
Remember seeing a picture once of tons of carcasses wasting, after those of European descent shot them from moving trains, just for fun.
Also once saw some cave drawings some Indians made, illustrating how they just ran whole herds over a canyon cliff.
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