...bison bison bison...

[pete]

gmartin,
You make some good points. I brought up the prairie dog episode 'cause I was feeling a little hypocritical criticizing the buffalo policy at Yellowstone when in a small way I was guilty of the same thing. I know there's really no comparison with a prairie dog and buffalo, it's the symbolic thing I'm talking about. I guess my gripe is with the government wanting the buffalo to be shot while allowing the elk to go because of the trophy value the elk have. Brucellosis is brucellosis no matter the carrier and if they were truly worried about it they wouldn't allow the elk out either.
Your point about buffalo on natl grasslands not being wild is technically true I suppose but they sure would be better than nothing at all. I've killed two buffalo on Ted Turner's ranch in Nebraska and while they weren't wild in the sense of being unfenced they were on large tracts of land and definately not tame. They give them minimal human contact and these animals get spooked easier than you would think and when they move out they don't stop for awhile.
Reading the old time buffalo hunter's accounts it obvious buffalo never were the most skittish animals as compared to antelope let's say. Probably because of their size they think they don't have to fear much. But if the ones in Nebraska are an indication they can be pretty "wild" in the behaverial sense.
I would think that hunting licences could be issued for these animals and with the revenue derived they might even be semi self supporting after awile and we could have buffalo back on their historic range.
In todays day and age buffalo can't range unfenced like they used to but we could do the next best thing and reintroduce them where we can.

[gmartin]

Pete,
I do know of Ted Turner's ranch and I understand indeed that they are, as you say, behaviorly wild. Good for you and your kills, ( some anti's would love that statement!) Maybe bison could still run unfettered on Indian land. Even if unavailable to me I would applaud this. Other than in National Parks I wonder if Canada has buffalo wild in my sense of the word. Several citizens could enlighten me I'm sure. Seems that in any case a BP traditional "buff cartridge would be illegal.
Thanks Pete, Gregg

[Todd Birch]

Hey Gregg

If buffalo were re-introduced on native land, the rules go by the board and become what they say they are. In other words, traditional buffalo calibres would most likely be eligible.

If there weren't the established herds of Wood Buffalo in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, we would be stuck with the pen raised, ranch bred animals of the prairie variety. I don't believe that there are any free range animals of that genus still extant.
I'm not sure which are the animals we can draw for in northern BC.

Buffalo being the free spirits that they are, I don't think it would take long for them to revert to their natural state in all respects. They are a symbol of our pioneer heritage and of a greater significance to the plains Indians.

Todd