There is no hunt. It's SLAUGHTER!

I saw a short video the other day that did a scan of dead bison in a meadow, I counted 14 but would suspect there were more. It wasn’t a great look IMO.
 
Lots of "wow" moments for me while reading this article about the "slaughter" of the Yellowstone Bison.

Basically right in the description, but there is no benefit to arguing semantics. Even the NPS calls it slaughter. It is necessary and the park and state allows hunters to participate instead of hiring out the shooting of the bison in the park when numbers get too high. I think the NPS would prefer transfer/relocation and expansion, but the legislature isn't a fan of bison. As long as hunters take ethical shots and are effective, I don't see the problem. I'm not sure how many are wounded and wander back into the parks. I also think FWP has to clean up all the gut piles because they are guaranteed to draw bears in the spring. There isn't a lot of room outside the park for these buffalo to winter. I wish there was habitat but I don't think there is. I do agree that those who want to keep this season have to think about the optics.
 
I saw a short video the other day that did a scan of dead bison in a meadow, I counted 14 but would suspect there were more. It wasn’t a great look IMO.
14 dead, non harvested animals? I thought this was a highly regulated hunt. If that is true hunters are just shooting themselves in the foot.
 
"How ironic to have tribes doing their bidding. How sad that the tribes can not see that their treaties are being manipulated to facilitate the destruction of the last wild buffalo."

Am I correct that this isn't the MFWP hunt but rather tribes exercising their treaty right hunts.
 
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"How ironic to have tribes doing their bidding. How sad that the tribes can not see that their treaties are being manipulated to facilitate the destruction of the last wild buffalo."

Am I correct that this isn't the MFWP hunt but rather tribes exercising there treaty right hunts.
I believe the tribal hunt accounts for something like 90% of the killed bison.

On March 3 they had to move bison carcasses and the count was...75 by licensed hunters of about 900 killed (some were killed by NPS)
 
14 dead, non harvested animals? I thought this was a highly regulated hunt. If that is true hunters are just shooting themselves in the foot.
People were around most of them; I can’t say for certain but I would guess all were tribal harvest as the person posting the video was tribal. I won’t comment on my thoughts on amount salvaged
 
I was there in late-December and was able to watch the "hunt".

I shot two different clips with my phone December 20, about 2 minutes each, from the highway. It is not a pretty thing to watch IMO, so I won't share it on here.

Watching dumb animals stand and get shot or walk over to dying animals to be added to the pile isn't my thing.

I understand the herd needs to be managed, but it was pretty ugly.

That being said, I thought all the tribal participants did a great job of collecting all of the meat. What happened later in the season, I can't speak to .
 
Now it is different tribes doing the shooting, it isn't hunting, we went for a ride to Gardiner last weekend and watched from the old Game Check station and 1 of the Wardens stopped in and I was able to chat with him a bit, he said it is tribes doing it now, the tribes set their own parameters for each tribe and what the can shoot, we did see 5 get shot, 2 bulls 1 cow and 2 calves, they cruise the road east of the river and letr rip when the Buffalo get on Forest Service, he said they have been pretty good. He said they are there to pretty much make sure that they aren't shooting from the roads or trespassing, 1 thing I thought was interesting was that they weren't supposed leave any carcasses less than 200yrd from the road and that was not being followed by the shooters, the tribes are from all over not just Montana, warden was great to talk to answered all my dumb questions. It was something to go and see first hand. From my understanding they bring there own law enforcement as well, we did see a couple of tribal police vehicles as well as Park officials.
 
Now it is different tribes doing the shooting, it isn't hunting, we went for a ride to Gardiner last weekend and watched from the old Game Check station and 1 of the Wardens stopped in and I was able to chat with him a bit, he said it is tribes doing it now, the tribes set their own parameters for each tribe and what the can shoot, we did see 5 get shot, 2 bulls 1 cow and 2 calves, they cruise the road east of the river and letr rip when the Buffalo get on Forest Service, he said they have been pretty good. He said they are there to pretty much make sure that they aren't shooting from the roads or trespassing, 1 thing I thought was interesting was that they weren't supposed leave any carcasses less than 200yrd from the road and that was not being followed by the shooters, the tribes are from all over not just Montana, warden was great to talk to answered all my dumb questions. It was something to go and see first hand. From my understanding they bring there own law enforcement as well, we did see a couple of tribal police vehicles as well as Park officials.
What would the wardens do if they saw a violation? I can’t imagine they write tickets to the tribal members do they?
 
The more bison the tribal hunters kill the better. I’m a bit worried about the elk, considering they’ve killed hundreds of them this year too.
There’s plenty of Bison and it’s been a few years since they’ve been out of the park in the numbers needed to give the tribes a good hunt.

Imagine writing a letter whining about Indians killing bison.
 
Culling is not hunting, but this is better option than trapping and shipping to slaughter.

@wllm these are not the last wild bison. Several states, provinces and tribes have wild herds.

And yes I saw Bless The Beast and Children as child and cried! Thankfully my family took me hunting to get over it! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068286/
Agreed. You gotta look at what the options are and be pragmatic.
 
Culling is not hunting, but this is better option than trapping and shipping to slaughter.

@wllm these are not the last wild bison. Several states, provinces and tribes have wild herds.

And yes I saw Bless The Beast and Children as child and cried! Thankfully my family took me hunting to get over it! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068286/
Well given I’ve been applying in 3 other states I hope not ;)
 

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