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Patagonia Clothing funding Montana Bison Hunt Sabotage

5K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  Griz 
#1 ·
Bison hunt opponents seek license
By MIKE STARK
Of The Gazette Staff

More than 8,000 people have applied to hunt for bison that wander out of Yellowstone National Park this winter.

Some of those who applied, though, don't actually want to shoot.

Members and supporters of the Buffalo Field Campaign, a group that has advocated for protection of Yellowstone bison, have applied for some of the 10 tags. If their application is among those drawn in Friday's lottery, they have agreed not to fill the tag - and clothing company Patagonia has agreed to reimburse their application fee.

Buffalo Field Campaign's Mike Mease said 25 to 30 people in his office applied for a bison tag and other supporters of the organization may have done the same.

"Our e-mail list reaches over 10,000 people so it's hard to judge how many people were motivated to go out and purchase it," Mease said.

Last month, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission approved a bison hunt, allowing 10 animals to be killed between Jan. 15 and Feb. 15. The hunt will happen outside Yellowstone's borders in areas used by bison in the winter.

The bison hunt is the first in Montana since 1990.

About 3,500 applied for the last bison hunt. State officials expected more of the same this time around.

"We knew there was an awful lot of interest," said Ron Aasheim of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

After the application deadline passed earlier this week, state officials counted about 8,200 applicants for the bison hunt, including 305 from out-of-state residents.

Aasheim said there's nothing to prevent anyone - including members of the Buffalo Field Campaign who won't use the license - from applying as long as they meet the basic requirements.

"If they choose not to use it, that's their prerogative," Aasheim said.

Mease said his group doesn't oppose hunting but said a bison hunt in Montana shouldn't happen until there's an established wild herd outside of the park, one that's managed not as livestock but as wildlife.

"It has to be done properly," said Mease, who added that his group probably will document the hunt and seek media attention.

Lisa Pike, director of Patagonia's environmental programs, said the company has supported the Buffalo Field Campaign through small grants and clothing donations since 1997.

Patagonia will reimburse the cost of the bison license - $75 for residents and $750 for non-residents - for anyone who is awarded a tag but doesn't use it, Pike said. The company has not taken a stance against hunting overall but objects to the bison hunt near Yellowstone because it won't be a "fair chase hunt or ethical," Pike said.

"It's not a real hunt in the true sense of the word," she said.

The hunt is not intended to cull the bison herd. Recent estimates indicate there are more than 4,000 bison in Yellowstone.

The bison have been at the center of controversy for years. Some are worried that bison that leave the park could spread brucellosis, a disease that can cause abortions and other problems, to neighboring cattle. Others dispute that claim and say bison should be allowed to migrate outside the park.

Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
 
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#2 ·
Please be aware that Lee Enterprises and the Billings Gazette is extremely biassed towards the liberals.

This hunt has nothing to do with brucellosis or culling the herd, its to prepare MT hunters for a future of bison hunting, the herd is growing by leaps and bounds. The sooner this state wakes up and starts regarding the animals as wildlife, the sooner we can manage that population. Currently a person can drive up and just take a bison, legally. They are considered livestock by the state.
 
#5 ·
the problem with a free ranging herd of buffalo outside the park is that much of the area in question is private property. you can imagine what would happen to this property when a herd of buffalo comes tromping through. deer, elk, and even moose usually jump fences and leave them intact, while antelope squirm through. but a herd of buffalo will just level anything in their path. another huge problem would be car vs. buffalo accidents. imagine hitting one at 75mph. people would die. and, yes the brucellosis is a big concern. it is a serious disease and could wipe out many ranches with one infected cow.
don't get me wrong, i like the buffalo. i like their attitude. and i wish it were realistic that they roam free across the state. but it cannot happen. maybe the Patigonia people would like to adopt a herd and let them roam their company's properties unchecked. that's exactly what it would be like here around YNP.

monty
 
#6 ·
The most important thing is to get the hunt established. If it goes off well, then the nut cases will crawl back into the woodwork, under rocks, etc.

They might get a tag or two, no big deal. Next year it'll happen quietly and all will be forgotten....
 
#7 ·
I think they should just sell a few more then 10 tags and then close the hunt once 10 were killed, each hunter would have to call into a special phone number each day before hunting to make sure it was still open that day.

Maybe issue each hunter a special radio or cell phone or something like that, where once the 10th one was killed they could notify all the others that the hunt was over.

This way the Anti's would still be paying but having no real effect.

Michael Grace
 
#9 ·
I wonder how far Patagonia has gone to define not filling the tag, I would imagine that all 10 Liscense holders would be able to take a bison, but in the event that you don't will Patagonia still pay you?
 
#10 ·
Patagonia

My wife just sent back a fairly large order to Patagonia after i let her know about Patagonia's stance on the Bison hunt here in Montana.

This is especially true when you look at the antis' website (http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/) and there is a link called Boycott the Beef Cattle Industry. On this page there are a number of anti beef links including fundamentalist vegetarian / anti beef books and pages.

Somewhere I saw that Patagonia was supporting this effort as well.

Regardless, Patagonia's interest in supporting Buffalo Field Campaign has completely turned me off.

D*mn shame too because their long underwear is really good but I have to support that which supports me, the beef industry.

Just my personal feelings.
 
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