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

Rancho and PG, great points.


Dave Skinner, I want to buy you a beer brotherman...grin

Good post Dave.

Yes.

I don't have part nor lot in this deal but if I did my experience of trying,operative word try, to keep a cow buffalo that belonged to a neighbor where it was supposed to be would induce me to vote not only no but hell no.

IME there ain't nothing in the known world that will stop a buffalo from going anywhere it wants to go if it wants to go bad enoungh.

There's a romantic notion to a buffalo hunt... It's how the West was won!

That said, these are times for logical, well-thought action not romantic notions. Let the tribes have their buff, and if I want one I can pay them to let me shoot it. The elk and my cows are hard enough on my fence, I can't imagine living over there and dealing with those fence busters.

Count me as a no, sir.

Thanks for all comments.


Curious to see what everyone has to say.

Sammo...put me down for a 'no'..

Lots of buffalo raised around where I live. Seems they are able to keep them on their own land but honestly don't know how much effort is put into containing them. I'm yes on free ranging buffalo on public land IF it can be demonstrated they can be contained on public land - Custer park has a large herd as do other parks. Frankly I would rather see public animals on public land verses some rancher's cattle, especially ranchers that won't allow me to cross their property to hunt the public land where they range their cattle.

Buffalo ranching is increasing in our area as the demand for buffalo meat goes up.

Carole King comes to mind when I see this topic. She purchased a ranch on the north end of Idaho's White Cloud mountains and proceeded to shutdown a historic access. I believe 'reasonable access' should be provide to public land - much like they have set up South Dakota's Black Hills.

Yes.

put me down as a no aswell....leaving out ofcourse the current hunts north of the park...

nope....free range is when they escape then go shoot them.

They are a native species. They should not just be regulated to just the park and the National Bison Range. They should be treated like the wildlife that they are instead of the livestock that they are not. That being said I also come from a family of ranchers in rural Wyoming, so I can understand their side of the issue. And I feel like most hunters can understand that the needs of ranchers must also be taken into consideration, even after the bighorn sheep transplant bill, the corner crossing bill and the like that have happened this legislative session.

I would argue that the ranchers up there need to get their act together and come to the discussion table. It is going to eventually happen. But do they want it to happen with consideration of their needs taken into account? If they do then they need to start talking with biologists, with sportsmen and sportsmen groups, and with the FWP to establish a situation that everybody can live with and profit from.

However, I don't think that is going to happen. I fear that they won't, and then a herd will be established without their say. The lunatic Tea Party Republicans aren't always going to be in power in Helena, and the muddling in the wildlife issues hopefully won't happen to the extent that it has. The world is a changing place. I hope the ranchers up there make it a change they can live with.

Yukon brough in a few free range bison a decade ago and today their is OTC tags all winter so yes its a good thing, especially if you dont put a moose in the freezer in the fall.

difference between elk/deer and bison.....elk and deer jump a ranchers fence, no cows get out......bison tear down the fence and the ranchers cows get out.....

I understand the whole concept pretty well, it isn't too hard to get. One of my favorite stories my dad tells involves my dad and my grandpa looking all over the southern Bighorns for a couple weekends because one of their bulls got loose.

But I also don't think that our civilization can't come up to a solution to that problem. I am sure that we can come up with a solution. But it is going to require ranchers coming to the table to do so.

if you have been around the buffalo on the reservations up here you would realize its not the ranchers that are the bad neighbors and unwilling to work things out, its the ones in charge of the buffalo.....there were even native ranchers speaking out against moving the YP buffalo up here....

From what I can tell there is a lot of tension between landowners and hunters in MT. Its a shame they cant find some common ground and unite against these out of state, tree hugger interests. Long term the APF isnt a good thing for hunters or ranchers.

Not sure on the Bison deal. It would be nice to hunt free range bison in their natural habitat but at what cost. The corner crossing bill seems like something bought and paid for by the few rich land owners. I'm far from Montana but we have our fair share of azzholes that buy land and gate off the road that goes through their acreage cutting off access to CFR, state and federal land on the other side. Much the same as what your dealing with and the jack holes are out of state foreigners. That type of behavior is bad for everyone and leads to confrontation and people getting their land/property burned down and shots being fired. The Bison issue should be looked into with input from everyone not just forced down folks throats much like the wolves or they will just get shot off and be a waste of tax payer money.

No not enough open range! But get many more Movie Stars, in Mt. and they will do what they want, look what happaned to the white House!

Those things would be hell for ranchers. My vote is a no