katqanna
Well-known member
Yesterday I attended the 1st day of the Brucellosis in Yellowstone Bison, Science Review and Workshop, held at the Chico resort. This was sponsored by the YNP. The panelists involve 8 scientists, in various specialties involving brucellosis. Yesterday, there were "stakeholders" who presented their perspective and pitch for how to deal with brucellosis in bison, which also brought up elk.
Three of the presenters should concern hunters. Dr. Marty Zaluski presented the MTDOL position, "Brucellosis has been the handcuffs that have limited the conservation efforts of bison." Actually, the rabid anti bison stance and legislation against bison has been the handcuffs to restoring wild bison on Montana lands so that we can have a sustainable and huntable population here. In the last 5 years, there have only been 9 cases of brucellosis in cattle and one domestic bison, in 4 herds. In that time, 2009 bison were killed exiting the YNP. There are so few cases here in MT, that the MTDOL does not even have a web page dedicated to it, because it would show what a small issue it really is. You have to sift through their news releases section to find them. Marty kept hammering the IBMP Record of Decision stating that brucellosis, seroprevalence had to be managed, likened brucellosis to an invasive species that the YNP was mandated to destroy and remove (he forgot to mention that the European cattle invasive species brought brucellosis to the wild here in the first place).
The next presenter was Jack Rhyan of APHIS. He pushed GonaCon as the best way to erradicate brucellosis from the wild. GonaCon is a "vaccine" that suppresses fertility for 3-4 years, but often makes them permanently sterile, "the vaccine indirectly blocks the production of sex hormones (e.g., estrogen and testosterone)". Cited that it has been used in wild deer populations in the eastern US. He wants to sterilize a whole generation to wipe out brucellosis. APHIS papers are not limited to bison, they want the elk cleared of this as well. Which means drastically reducing their population by test, slaughter or sterilizing them.
The next presenter, David Pascual, was presenting on a regular brucellosis vaccine that would be administered to the general elk/bison population at large.
This is managing our wildlife like livestock, except they want to encourage the reproduction of their livestock, while slaughtering or sterilizing our wildlife.
Dont make the mistake of thinking this is limited to bison and what are your chances of ever getting to hunt one. This is the first meeting that I know of, where the brucellosis issue was dealing with both bison and elk as the targets, mentioning some deer and moose. While this was from the scientific aspect, our legislators are attacking on the political front.
This article cites 10 anti-bison bills, some of which also cover other wildlife, such as elk. One presenter at the conference mentioned there were 16. I did not have a chance to follow up on that yet, but 10 is an enormous amount for one species. 8 of those 10 sponsors are farmer/ranchers. This is clearly an ag/livestock industry attack.
I eat primarily wild game and the other is what I raise myself. I dont want our wild game population reduced, limiting who can get tags for game. I would love to see wild bison meat in my freezer as well and look forward to the day that wild bison are restored to the landscape of Montana.
The ag/livestock industry is attacking our public lands, our wildlife, in an effort to control both land, the hunt and what we eat.
Three of the presenters should concern hunters. Dr. Marty Zaluski presented the MTDOL position, "Brucellosis has been the handcuffs that have limited the conservation efforts of bison." Actually, the rabid anti bison stance and legislation against bison has been the handcuffs to restoring wild bison on Montana lands so that we can have a sustainable and huntable population here. In the last 5 years, there have only been 9 cases of brucellosis in cattle and one domestic bison, in 4 herds. In that time, 2009 bison were killed exiting the YNP. There are so few cases here in MT, that the MTDOL does not even have a web page dedicated to it, because it would show what a small issue it really is. You have to sift through their news releases section to find them. Marty kept hammering the IBMP Record of Decision stating that brucellosis, seroprevalence had to be managed, likened brucellosis to an invasive species that the YNP was mandated to destroy and remove (he forgot to mention that the European cattle invasive species brought brucellosis to the wild here in the first place).
The next presenter was Jack Rhyan of APHIS. He pushed GonaCon as the best way to erradicate brucellosis from the wild. GonaCon is a "vaccine" that suppresses fertility for 3-4 years, but often makes them permanently sterile, "the vaccine indirectly blocks the production of sex hormones (e.g., estrogen and testosterone)". Cited that it has been used in wild deer populations in the eastern US. He wants to sterilize a whole generation to wipe out brucellosis. APHIS papers are not limited to bison, they want the elk cleared of this as well. Which means drastically reducing their population by test, slaughter or sterilizing them.
The next presenter, David Pascual, was presenting on a regular brucellosis vaccine that would be administered to the general elk/bison population at large.
This is managing our wildlife like livestock, except they want to encourage the reproduction of their livestock, while slaughtering or sterilizing our wildlife.
Dont make the mistake of thinking this is limited to bison and what are your chances of ever getting to hunt one. This is the first meeting that I know of, where the brucellosis issue was dealing with both bison and elk as the targets, mentioning some deer and moose. While this was from the scientific aspect, our legislators are attacking on the political front.
This article cites 10 anti-bison bills, some of which also cover other wildlife, such as elk. One presenter at the conference mentioned there were 16. I did not have a chance to follow up on that yet, but 10 is an enormous amount for one species. 8 of those 10 sponsors are farmer/ranchers. This is clearly an ag/livestock industry attack.
I eat primarily wild game and the other is what I raise myself. I dont want our wild game population reduced, limiting who can get tags for game. I would love to see wild bison meat in my freezer as well and look forward to the day that wild bison are restored to the landscape of Montana.
The ag/livestock industry is attacking our public lands, our wildlife, in an effort to control both land, the hunt and what we eat.
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