So they carp about pioneers murdering off the huge Bison herds in the 19th century and now they're going to revisit it again in order to keep the park tidy for visitors and hikers? Why not just allow hunting for all species?
Did you read anything on that notice?
It has little or nothing whatsoever to do with visitors or hikers. It's in an area of the North Rim that gets very little visitation. Sure, they mentioned "visitor experience", but if you have knowledge of the area, you know there are very few folks going to that part of the park. They don't run tour buses of folks from Las Vegas to that part of the Park. There are no amenities there, it's basically "wilderness:" such as it exists in the US nowadays. Folks that get picked are going to have to carry that bison meat out on foot.
The herd there has moved from an area where hunting is allowed, and they stayed because conditions are likely better there than where they were introduced. This hunt has more to do with protecting habitat for other critters in the park and protecting other resources.
Hunting of other species in that Park? Ha, not going to happen any time soon, no matter how much sense it might make to us hunters.
I commend the Park for trying to come up with a method the PETA folks can't stop easily. It's not "hunting" for recreational purposes, it's not Gooberment hunters going in to slaughter animals, it's associated with some Tribal entities, and if it works it's helping the other critters in the Park and the general habitat.
If I was 45 and not of "Medicare" age with a bad back, two repaired shoulders, a replaced knee, and arthritis in a few other places, I've got a nice rifle that fits their criteria and I'd be putting in for this chance. Just in case I got lucky.
