Unfortunately, the last story on the killing of a bison bull in Idaho got diverted by an incorrect, unfortunate discussion of the Nature Conservancy who was blameless in the matter.
Today, however, the Island Park News reports a second bull bison was shot Idaho by agents in the Island Park area. It was wandering near cattle, but to hear Idaho tell it there was some great threat of brucellosis getting passed to the cattle or maybe even people. This is flat out impossible from bison bulls in this kind of situation,
From the Island Park News, “On Friday, Bill Barton, State Veterinarian, Division of Animal Industries, Idaho Department of Agriculture, issued this statement about Idaho’s bison policy: “The Idaho State Department of Agriculture is responsible for administering Title 25 Chapter 6 of Idaho Code. As stated in that statute, a significant potential exists for the spread of contagious disease to persons, livestock and other animals in Idaho, in particular, the spread of brucellosis to livestock, elk, moose and other susceptible animals from bison emigrating into Idaho from Yellowstone National Park and its environs. The statute requires that wild bison be removed from the state by one of two options: the live bison may be physically removed or hazed from within the state or, if removal/hazing is not feasible, the bison may be destroyed. To prevent potential property damage and mitigate public safety risks, this bison was humanely destroyed.” [Emphasis ours]. Please read the read of the story in the Island Park News. Idaho Kills a Second Bison.
This kind of statue is what you get when ignorant ideologues make law. In a similar vein several coastal states have recent considered or passed legislation that in essence says that the level of the ocean cannot rise (whether it be from global warming or anything else).
Comments
Sad. I’ve always thought it would be a great thing to have a herd of buffalo roaming the Snake River Plain again. The Snake River Plain deserves more restoration and the Bison deserves a spot in National Widlife Refuges, and areas in Idaho. Sad that the knuckledraggers always get their way in the states political game.
Again man kills another wild animal, where does this end ?
Probably only after massive human population decline.
Where did this guy get his vet education,from the back of
a matchbook cover?
Timz – Bill is obviously adhearing to the guidelines, his employer – the Division of Animal Industries, Idaho Department of Agriculture set down for him and others to follow.
But who the hell is Division of Animal Industries?
Oops, should of googled. A fine line of DAI folks here.
He’s stating something that as an educated vet he knows is untrue. Call it what you like.
It is hard to read the comments and see people who care about wildlife so utterly disempowered. Yes – it is sad, tragic, and absurd that our state agencies and USDA use every excuse to give killers our wildlife for destruction. ORGANIZE to replace killing licenses as the main internal funding mechanism of state agencies – STATE BY STATE, with GENERAL PUBLIC FUNDING. You do not need a new tax. Surveys from 2006 show that wildlife WATCHERS bring 10-40 times the revenue of hunters to state tax coffers. ORGANIZE LOCALLY – set up web sites and get the MAJORITY together and educated for POLITICAL POWER to change the funding. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife is due to come out with new surveys in NOvember 2012 comparing state by state hunter revenues to wildlife watching. Even if you add in Killing License revenue, wildlife watchers bring in 4-10 times the revenue HELPING our wildlife. ORGANIZE TO SAVE OUR WILDLIFE NOW. If you do not kill wildlife, you have never had a say. Killers control state agencies with funding and long term entrenchment.
Patricia,
You are correct that non-hunters are disenfranchised in current wildlife mgmt. Much has been written about this including in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Unfortunately change is slow and it seems that many wildlife agencies directors are old school good-old boys. Hopefully as they retire and are replaced they are replaced by new folks with a more modern source of thought. But until some of that 4-10 X more money from wildlife watching (which I do know is true) reaches their hands, change is unlikely. That is why so many public ballots are about non-hunting issues – to go against the establishment.
These bulls were not killed by the state game agency, but the agriculture division.
And there are those that say Fish/game/forestry departments have been compromised by the hiring of women and minorities. Is it really that much of a “good old boy” club?
Nothing meaningful on a global scale will happen politically when it comes to climate change until something truly catastrophic happens.
Kind of when Indiana tried to define pi. If you can’t understand science, try to legislate it to be simpler!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Pi_Bill