Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Free range buff in MT?

Put me down for a "NO".

Yes.

I'd like one to free range onto my place. I like to eat buffalo.

Any time you introduce or re-intorduce anything it then becomes the locals problem. No affect on the folks that make decisions and not related to their day to day lives.

In a word NO.

Little, the landowners up there DO have their act together. They were never invited to the table in the first place, because the bison proponents don't care.
The habitat is the direct result of good management in a really hard and unforgiving part of the world. That's why the Greens want it now.
As for tension -- there are too many Montana "hunters and anglers" who had it too darn good for too long and took their rancher friends for granted for too long. They weren't there for the ranchers, either politically or culturally.
I've made it a point to be about more than just hunting. Somehow, I have NO access problems. Is is because I speak "farm" or "cow?" Might it be because I see these folks in Helena from time to time? Could be -- and it works. I have paid "bribes" of produce from town, but that's about the extent of it.

Are these the same "friends" blocking access to public lands?

Free range buffalo in Montana will never happen because of the Brucellosis disease that they carry and can be transferred to cattle. With the potential of Montana's Brucellosis free Status being pulled, Buffalo are very unpopular with all concerned. Especially ranchers. Not many people would risk having Montana's cattle industry completely shut down because of a few stupid Buffalo. No free range Buffalo.

what's ironic is that brucellosis CAME from cattle. the bison were infected by exposure to cattle, but now the "stupid Buffalo" are 'bad'?

my family has a ranch here in MT, but i'd still vote yes.

Thanks for all of the replies.

Those of you who think it's a good idea, how you do propose to control herd movements? Natural winter migrations, drought conditions, etc..

Or I guess I'll come right out and ask, if they are free range wildlife shouldn't they be allowed to roam wherever they want?

The Yellowstone deal appears to be a bit of a mess, what's to prevent that from happening somewhere else?

I highly doubt a buff knows private from public ground.

Another question, how far can a (healthy/adult)buff travel in one day?

buffalo are not real difficult to manage. even Turner does it. trick is just don't piss 'em off.

Feel free to explain.

guessing when drought conditions hit, Ted feeds his buffalo just like Sam does his cows.....

And I also did not realize Turner's herd was free range?

The yukon variety seems to be pretty cagey and can dissapear into the mountains. They have been trying to knock the herd down to a few hundred and now are approaching 1000 animals. Not bad for a glorified cow.

Why are they trying to reduce numbers?

ever been around Brahama cattle?

No.


Little too chilly for them around here.

The hard part of this is that we really dont know what they'll do for migration or drought conditions. Im sure we have a pretty good idea, but the current test sample (Yellowstone) isnt the best of examples.

I'd love to be able to hunt buffalo, but surely there is a cost to letting them range again. I'd be great if a compromise could happen, but it seems to be unlikely.

been around brahma crosses.....point being though they are domestic cattle and not a wild critter....

know a couple guys that kept bison and all say the same, you can only keep them fenced as long as you keep them happy, soon as they decide they are gonna be happier on the other side of the fence thy just go through it....your not gonna be able to mix wild bison with ranching cause bison go through fences, not over them like deer and elk.....which is why all the ranchers that are butted up to the tribal land that has bison hate the [bleep] cause no matter what kinda fence the ranchers put up trying to keep the bison out they just go through it and scatter their cattle....

they have much the same attitude. and i've been around both.

reality is, there will never be 'free range' buffalo like you are discussing. they may be given more range, but if so, they will be managed.

These are the wood bison varety. A small herd was moved from NWT in order to save the only other herd if something wiped it out. They needed some seed I guess. Anyways only needed a few hundred but now need to get the numbers down so they don't compete too much with moose I guess. Its funny how they lived on the alaska highway untill the hunting was finally allowed and they now seem to be better at hiding than squirrels. Laying on the ground they are about 3 ft through the chest. If my sled was running I'd get out myself but kids/work keeping me too busy this winter.