BuzzH
Well-known member
No, they wont. AP has some of the best land management in Montana.
I would worry more about the BLM and State lands.
American prairie. What's the issue?
- Thread starter hossblur
- Start date
I would worry more about the BLM and State lands.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Prove they are. mtmuley
But it crosses over. Correct? mtmuley
BuzzH
Well-known member
I'm done trying to convince you. Show me some places on AP where bison are overgrazing their property, riparian damage on their property from bison grazing, etc.
Find me another land owner with any better public access, management plans, or concern for wildlife.
You're looking for a reason to hate on AP, thats fine, others do as well.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Attachments
James Willard Schultz, a white dude who came to Fort Benton and married a Blackfoot woman in the early 1880s, wrote about wolves in the Breaks and central Montana. He has one about the wolf hunters of that area - The Wolfers: Woodhawking upon the Upper Missouri.
Anyone who is interested in some of the most fascinating books about the liquidation of the bison herds, the Blackfeet getting pushed to the reservations and dying from small pox, battles among tribes fighting for the last of the bison, and other great stories of hunting adventure in central Montana, should read Schultz's books.
If you read those, you will find many recounts of wolves, wolf hunters, even him taming a wolf. You can get his books at Amazon. I have one of them on Audible and I've listened to it many times while spending a night in a tent as the central Montana winds were blowing.
Link here - https://amzn.to/4jOCmEc
Anyone who is interested in some of the most fascinating books about the liquidation of the bison herds, the Blackfeet getting pushed to the reservations and dying from small pox, battles among tribes fighting for the last of the bison, and other great stories of hunting adventure in central Montana, should read Schultz's books.
If you read those, you will find many recounts of wolves, wolf hunters, even him taming a wolf. You can get his books at Amazon. I have one of them on Audible and I've listened to it many times while spending a night in a tent as the central Montana winds were blowing.
Link here - https://amzn.to/4jOCmEc
cgasner1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2016
- Messages
- 5,030
I heard rumor long time ago a wolf wondered in during the winter and a chopper got put in the air and it don’t last to long. Few years ago I got sent a trial cam pic of a giant grizzle bear that was very close to Winnet if that’s breaks enough
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
It should not be overlooked that currently American Prairie is collaborating in a partnership with the Smithsonian Institute to research, collect data, analyze and determine best management practices on the AP for optimum health of flora as well as fauna. It is joint research between AP land managers and Smithsonian scientists. 'Very impressive.
Noteworthy is that it involves bison and other wildlife, but also study of all animals, birds, and plants on the AP lands.
BuzzH
Well-known member
That's awesome. I really appreciate ANY landowner that even allows research to happen let alone conducting their own.
I looked pretty close at the habitat, shrub utilization, species diversity, native grasses etc. the times I've hunted AP.
It was pretty obvious the over-all health was improving and native grasses were increasing, in particular blue stem.
I also talked with their land/wildlife managers quite a bit regarding wildlife plans, access, etc. In my opinion they're doing a lot of good things.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Looking back on 2025: a remarkable year for American Prairie
Our incredible supporters made 2025 one for the books! We can't wait to see what we can accomplish together in 2026.
americanprairie.org
Hey. A guy is allowed to have questions. Even if you don’t like them. mtmuley
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
It is an informative process to ask questions, even hard questions and questions others may not like. However, it reflects poorly on the questioner who obviously is unfamiliar with the topic and has not done due diligence in researching easily available information regarding the topic.
An interesting perspective is that two hundred years ago there were literally millions of bison on this same landscape, with a vibrant healthy ecosystem including a vast arrary of flora and fauna ... with abundant deer, elk, and big horn sheep. Yet today there are unsubstantiated illogical untruths and unreasonable paranoia and even expressed hatred for less than a thousand bison on six hundred thousand acres.
I guess it's my problem that I will never understand why avid hunters, sportsmen, and wildlife advocates of Montana listen to the myths and disinformation without considering the openly available facts and positive aspects of the American Prairie endeavor.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Hey, I asked you some questions that you didn't answer, even if you don't like them.
Where is your evidence that bison are harming or doing any damage to the habitat, having negative impacts on elk, deer, pronghorn, and any other wildlife?
What land management practices are AP implementing that you feel aren't appropriate?
I'm still looking at any info I can find. I'll admit I haven't dug that deep after a negative experience. I'm also finding out stating anything negative about APR or positive about ranchers riles a few folks up around here. mtmuley
BuzzH
Well-known member
Be sure to report back when you find your evidence of 900 bison over grazing 600,000 acres of tall grass prairie to the detriment of the Missouri Breaks elk herds the next time you're hunting for free on AP property.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Seventeen years on HT and that's your take!
Again, there's so much positive for Montana and it's open space landscape of flora and fauna nurtured by AP, the illogical untruths and misinformation are justifiably refuted.
Consider that AP managers are ranchers, as are all the cattle producing lessees on the AP leased out grazing lands.
Yes, there may be a few disgruntled HT naysayers ... however, I am only positive about ranchers and the critical stock growing industry in Montana. Having monitored this over thousand post thread, there does not seem to be evidence of the false assertion of anyone riled up about positive statements regarding ranchers. Just because UPOM is primarily a group of disgruntled ranchers and negative opinions have been expressed about the hypocracy of UPOM, it is not logical to conclude those opining are negative about ranchers in general. Please rein in the skewed logic.
SAJ-99
Well-known member
This comment from Buzz's link is good, no?
- Wild Sky is a program which we use to partner with neighboring ranches to incentivize wildlife-friendly management practices (like carnivore compatibility and wildlife-friendly fence conversion). In 2025, we expanded enrollment in the Wild Sky program to 21 landowners and 70,000 acres!
If I just Google private bison ranches in Montana I get over 2 dozen results, and it excludes APR and any of the reservations (and a lot of ranches that I know of and I'm not sure why they were excluded from the list). Here is one in your area https://www.bentonbison.com/. Not sure if you know much about them. I think most of the problem is that Gianforte has for years clearly targeted APR for apparently political reason. Private ranches raising bison are all over Montana and I don't hear much about them, only Turner, APR and reservations.
BuzzH
Well-known member
I really think its great that reservations are establishing their own bison herds. I listened to a talk given by a tribal member from the Wind River Reservation a few years back. They have a nice robust herd of bison now and are using bison from the reservation in their school lunch program. Field to table type of thing with a lot of educational value in between.
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
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- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 9,465
Am I correct in understanding that your negative experience is connected to seeking hunting access on one of their properties and they did not allow access to that particular property at that time?
