The buffalo held at Stephens Creek capture facility have been released and are heading back into the park on their own.
Bison heading back to summer ranges
On the west side of the park, buffalo are being hazed deep into the park using helicopters, ATVs, and horses from the Horse Butte Peninsula.
Comments
“http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/385992.html”
More killing for the sake of the ranching industry.
INTERESTING,, KILL THE BIGHORN TO KEEP FROM PASING THE DIEASE FROM DOMESTIC TO WILD,,, WHO CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA,,
I am very interested in knowing how much acreage is actually publicly owned emmeiately outside the YNP borders? How much land would be available to benefit the welfare of bison if it were not being used by cattle?
Anyone know?
Kim, What would have happened if they wouldnt have killed that ram? He could have gone back to the herd disease free and no big deal or go back and wipe out a whole population? Huh, Id rather have one less bighorn than risk a whole population.
Pathetic and sad.
Ranch Hand,
The problem may not be with this particular incident but the policy as a whole. What happens when this happens on PUBLIC land with domestic sheep? Should we kill bighorn sheep so that the welfare sheepherders can continue to graze there? I say hell no! Is there any responsibility for the livestock owner? Not in this state. Should there be? I think so.
This is another subsidy to public lands ranchers and it is not acceptable.
The argument about wolves is often framed as that they get into trouble but when this occurs on public lands I say that the livestock caused the trouble because they are incurring on the wolves habitat. With the bighorn sheep it should be framed this way too. It is not the bighorn sheep causing the trouble but the domestic sheep invading their habitat and giving them disease. There would be far more bighorn sheep if domestic sheep were not allowed to invade the public lands and eliminate them from their habitat. That is why the new policy is wrong and will not stand up to scrutiny.
As a member of the Idaho Bighorn-Domestic Sheep Working Group, I have to agree with Buffaloed. The plan to kill wandering bighorns was promoted by the Idaho woolgrowers in our meetings and agreed to by the IDFG. The lobbyist for the woolgrowers, Stan Boyd, was the chairman of the commitee that developed the Idaho Wolf Plan as well. Wolves and Bighorns both get the shaft, courtesy of the Idaho woolgrowers and their hired lobbyist and the spineless IDFG.
The same organizations that promote killing wolves and bighorns also promote killing any Bison that wander into Idaho from Yellowstone. They have been very successful. There are no wild Bison on Idaho Public lands.
Larry, nobody in Idaho sees a problem with making a lobbyist for a particular group chairman of a committee? Holy crap?! Helicopters, ground troops, vehicles, all for some wild animals—are we at war? The wild animals don’t cause destruction to the environment. There were once millions of bison. It only takes a few cattle and an idiot human to ruin thousands of acres….
ranchhand.,,, the point is why kill the bighorn at all, sure the solution is easier to kil the bighorn,,but why not run the domestics off the wild lands,,,,keep them away from the wild populations so the bighorn doesnt have to be killed,, seems the domestics get the right of way.
the meetings to develop lasting bighorn policy appear to be abandoned for the time being.
As I’m sure Larry knows, we (public) were assured greater input in the working group’s lasting policy (this policy is claimed to be an “interim” policy for this season) which was set to begin a couple of months ago. I got one phone call and an email saying that the meeting would be postponed for a couple of weeks – IDFG was looking for another moderator – I suggested Jon Marvel. Regardless, there’s been no word since, that was a couple of months ago.
The Department ran out the clock on Stan Boyd’s threat of legislative remedy. it appears as if that’s all they wanted to accomplish with this working group.
Since the working group, only one region has completed the mapping and designation of slaughter zones – that’s the conflict with the Big Cottonwood Creek herd. though it appears they’re enforcing the policy in other areas – as this article suggests – without designated slaughter zones. The Big Cottonwood Creek herd of bighorn were being exposed to the politically powerful sheep-man’s flock who sent the original letter to the governor accusing the Department of being in cahoots with Western Watersheds Project.
Kill bighorn to save bighorn – or your political career.
jimbob,
are we at war? no, but we are in battle.