Bison anyone?

[twodot]

noharley, ha, I just noticed that reply. You made this over 50 geezer's day. Not quite like having college girls holler as they drive by, but I'll take it!
Ever scrap of meat on that buffalo was choice eatin for sure.

 

[Bivy]

I just saw a report of over 30 killed the first week of season! I assume the cow roster is finally being applied this year to harvest that surplus!

Of course, the majority of these bison likely trekked back to the security of the park.

I have fingers crossed for feet of snow to get those big bulls on the move come Jan. 15!

I will be down wolf hunting a couple weekends prior to Big Fin's opener, and I will spend a little time scouting some old bison haunts.

 

[noharleyyet]

noharley, ha, I just noticed that reply. You made this over 50 geezer's day. Not quite like having college girls holler as they drive by, but I'll take it!
Ever scrap of meat on that buffalo was choice eatin for sure.

...man I sure hope not!

I'd like to have two freezers full...one with elk, the other with buffalo.

 

[BOWKILL]

Any word of any bison moving yet?

 

[Gerald Martin]

I just saw a report of over 30 killed the first week of season! I assume the cow roster is finally being applied this year to harvest that surplus.

. You might be happy to realize that according to all I've been able to find out a white hunter has not killed a cow/calf bison since 2007. We now have eight Indian tribes who have first rights to harvest their quota of buffalo before any cow/calf hunters are called.

The way this opportunity for Montana sportsmen is being portrayed by the Dept of FWP is one of the biggest crocks of stink I've heard about in a long time.
I don't know what the current quota of bison allotted to native hunters is this year, but you can be sure that no white hunters are going to be contacted, no cow hunters have had an opportunity since 2007.

A good friend of mine is number 5 on the call roster. Even though there are bison out of the Park at this time he will not get the call until all the native hunters have filled their quota.

Native hunters killed 186 either sex bison in 2010

 

[BuzzH]

Gerald,

I agree with you, but where did you find the regulation stating that the tribal quota MUST be filled before the state hunters get a chance?

I cant find it.

Plus, I dont know how they could fill a quota when it states in the document you provided that "Harvest success by tribal treaty
hunters cannot be determined because the number of licenses issued by the tribes is unknown

Unless I'm off in left field, it doesnt sound like the MTFWP even tries to control the number of bison killed by the tribal hunters, have no idea how many licenses they issue, and would have no way of setting a "quota"?

I think an even bigger issue is all the bison that the Dept. of Livestock has killed in the last 10-15 years, robbing all hunters of opportunity.

 

[zfountaine55]

Congrads Fin, should make for some great footage!

 

[Gerald Martin]

I agree with you, but where did you find the regulation stating that the tribal quota MUST be filled before the state hunters get a chance?

BuzzH- I didn't find a regulation, admittedly its assumption on my part based on that up to 100 cow/calf licenses could be allotted to state hunters but there have been zero cow/calf licenses issued since 2008.

Harvest success by tribal treaty
hunters cannot be determined because the number of licenses issued by the tribes is unknown

Unless I'm off in left field, it doesnt sound like the MTFWP even tries to control the number of bison killed by the tribal hunters, have no idea how many licenses they issue, and would have no way of setting a "quota"?

I haven't been able to verify actual numbers from FWP, but it sounds like the tribal hunters may kill up to 400 bison this year. I will be checking to see if these numbers are indeed accurate.

I think an even bigger issue is all the bison that the Dept. of Livestock has killed in the last 10-15 years, robbing all hunters of opportunity

I won't disagree with you Buzz, but that was then, this is now. We can't change the past but hopefully we can do something about the present.


One other thing for Big Fin to consider. Even though he has an either sex tag that guarrentees him the ability to hunt,it is a highly likely that he will have direct competition from native hunters at the same time he hunts. That should make for some interesting drama to add to the brucillosis debate.

 

[BuzzH]

Gerald,

I was pretty sure I had either read or seen a regulation about a native quota as well, just cant find it. I agree if its there, its crap.

I honestly think the reason the state hasnt issued any cow tags is that not many have left the park the last couple of years???

The reason I bring up the DOL issue, is the fact that there would have been a few thousand MT hunters and a bunch of NR hunters that would have taken a bison already if not for the DOL killing them left and right.

I had a low number on the cow/calf permit a few years ago, and have a pretty good number again this year.

IMO, when Gov. Stan Stephens (R) sold hunters down the river in the late 80's regarding bison...its been a complete mess ever since.

It needs to be squared away.

 

[Gerald Martin]

It needs to be squared away

I'm in total agreement there.

I honestly think the reason the state hasnt issued any cow tags is that not many have left the park the last couple of years

I don't know statistics for 2011 and 2012 but native hunters killed 186 bison in 2010. State hunters killed 26 with the either sex permits. No cow/calf licenses were issued to state hunters.


Why are the Confederated Tribe of the Umatilla and the Shoshone Bannock tribes included in the native allotments? Pardon my ignorance but aren't these tribes located outside of Montana? Who next, Cherokees from North Carolina?

 

[Gerald Martin]

I had a low number on the cow/calf permit a few years ago, and have a pretty good number again this year

Do you or anyone else know of anyone who has gotten a call since 2008?

 

[BuzzH]

They dont have to be from Montana...Hellgate treaty of 1855, upheld as "high law" by the courts.

No, I dont know anyone that has gotten a call.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The reason I bring up the DOL issue, is the fact that there would have been a few thousand MT hunters and a bunch of NR hunters that would have taken a bison already if not for the DOL killing them left and right.
.

As agreed to by FWP, YNP and all other IBMP partners.

 

[Brandenbowhunter]

Talked to my Brother, he ran into you the other day and you told him about this...not sure how I missed it on here...I had the tag the same year Critters wife did...hope you have better luck than us.

 

[theat]

My buddies wife drew the Nov 15 - Dec 15 West Yellowstone tag this year. They had some locals keeping an eye out for any bison out of the park. There were about 40 head hanging out near a development on some land that is closed to hunting. My friends couldn't make it down there until the second day of the season. As they were heading out the door they got a call from one of the WYellowstone locals with some bad news. Apparently on the opener some tribal members some how got the bison herd to leave the closed property and they killed almost the whole herd. The few that survived made a dash back to the park.

After hearing that, he made some phone calls and found out that the FWP takes 8 tags out of the drawing to give to the tribes. According to his sources this is an effort to get the tribes to follow the FWP management plan and only fill these tags. This obviously is not working as the tribes use these tags as well as kill as many bison as they possibly can with the unknown number of tags the tribes issue to their members.

This is just another of the very frustrating issues surrounding the yellowstone bison boondogle. I will admit that I am a little mad at FWP for taking my application fee for cow/calf bison every year when they haven't issued a tag in five years. Of course they don't make it very easy to find this out and in their hunt packet they recommend being ready to get to the hunt area within 24 hours. I know the same guy as Gerald that is number 5 on the list. He gave up his annual christmas trip so that he would be available if he got called. Needless to say, once he found out about all this he is pretty "mad" himself.

 

[DHaffner]

Sounds like it should make for a very interesting hunt!

 

[Moose Whisperer]

Congrats, Fin, from a fellow Finn. I'm in Helena, my kids go to college in Bozeman, and I can usually get away on short notice if you need an extra packer. I have a couple of big Jet Sleds and lots of experience toting meat. Poz and I could commute together. Cell 439-0508. Good luck!

 

[Moose Whisperer]

Teddy's gun

Just had another thought, Fin. I have an original "Centenial Model" 1876 Winchester, .45-75 caliber, made in 1878. It was the first large bore repeater, developed by O. Winchester for large game out west. It shoots black powder handloads, 350 gr. bullets. Excellent bore, great shooter. This rifle was TR's favorite -- you've seen photos of him posing with his. John (Liver Eatin') Johnston's favorite as well. Why not think about doing the hunt with this rifle?

 

[twodot]

Big Fin, that is the coolest offer yet for a bison shooter. It just ain't right shootin a bull like that with a scoped bolt gun. A "76" is also probably the most beautiful rifle that Winchester ever built.
Take him up on it, you won't regret it!

 

[Big Fin]

I think it would be cool to hunt them with a traditional weapon. Thanks for the offer Moose Whisperer.

I have a custom made 1874 Sharps Buffalo Rifle - Quigley that a client had special made for me, fully engraved with my name and the finest walnut wood you could ever imagine. It is a .45-70 that I had always hoped to use in a bison hunt.

But, this hunt will be with a bow as first choice and a Howa 1500 as back up. I fully understand that idea of using something traditional. If not for TV, I would do that, for the nostalgia and to fulfill my personal dream to do it that way.

Such is the life of doing a TV show. It is what I signed up for. When companies pay as much as they do to help fund the costs it takes to bring the self-guided public land hunting message to TV, I am going to use their products at every opportunity. Might sound stupid, but when you get into this business, you need to do it the way you promised, and not just in this instance, but in many other situations. Or, at least that is how I do it.