Eligibility of Calibres For Bison

[A.Bruiser]

We bombed the bearing plants in Switzerland, it's a known fact, even if it's not admitted. The Swiss also put money from the Germans in their banks, and it wasn't the Germans money, stolen mean anything.

A.Bruiser

[Todd Birch]

Hey Bruiser

Whether or not the Allies bombed bearing plants in Switzerland or not doesn't alter the fact that it is an armed nation in every sense of the word.

It has little to no violent crime of any kind and gun crimes are punishable by LIFE at hard labour, no parole.

I think they mean it.

In Canada, there was the mistaken belief that gun crime would be reduced or eliminated by registering the guns of non-criminals - and making them pay for the privilege!
That didn't work in New Zealand, Australia or Great Britain either.

Non-gun owning taxpayers got fed up with the smoke and mirrors of funding a black hole with no visible benefits.

We have our issues amongst gun owners with several organizations representing various viewpoints. Attempts to gather under one umbrella have failed with sometimes damaging internecine fighting.

One central lobby group like the American NRA would have been a more effective voice in our House of Commons.

Todd

[A.Bruiser]

You get no arguement from me on the other point's. I was talking Switzerland and it's involement in WWII..

A.Bruiser

[gmartin]

Iterested parties,
I gave a concise compilation of calibers we may hunt big game with in Idaho, both modern and Black Powder. To Idaho's credit it seems quite balanced as we all struggle with the various inovations occurring in our sport. Yet, the initial question remains unanswered. For those of you lawfully able to hunt bison, what may be you laws regarding calibers/cartridges allowed? It seems Mr. Birch is SOL towards using a certainly lethal historical Black Powder Cartridge Rifle in his land of British Columbia.
Gregg

[JackInZoar]

I've a question here ,, is there any place where you might actually "hunt" a bison (searching,stalking,etc), as opposed to just shooting a tasty target ?

[gmartin]

ZachinZoar,
Please check out the third page especially, but all of it as well, of "Bison, Bison, Bison," in "Shooter to Shooter." MY definition of "wild" is not everybodies' and that's fine. If you are asking about un fenced herds totally on their own availabe for us to hunt, I believe Alaska and Utah are it. Herds on giant private holdings, fenced, have that wild tendency and I understand are skittish if left alone. Check that other out if you desire.
Gregg

[nohorse]

gmartin - Here's an article from Gun magazine of interest:



The Buffalo Hunter

Lee Hawes of Ford, Kan., is pure America. Lee and his wife Tamie have the Hawes Ranch Outfitters outside of Ford, Kan., which is just southeast of historic Dodge City. Lee is also known as "The Buffalo Hunter," since much of his living is made hosting buffalo hunters on his fourth-generation ranch.

In the early 1870s, Dodge City was one of the main buffalo hide shipping areas with nearly 400,000 hides going out in the years from 1872 to 1874. Hawe's great-grandfather started a ranch in the area in 1880. Lee is totally connected with the past, and by purchasing and leasing, he has managed to put his great-grandfather's ranch back together.

However he didn't stop there. The entire 3,000 acres has been returned to native grasslands and boasts a good-sized buffalo herd.

Buffalo hunting is a little different on the Hawes Ranch. The cook shack is a real Kansas prairie dugout complete with sod roof. Hunters sleep in teepees and pursue buffalo on horseback. Firearms? Buckskin clad Lee prefers his hunters continue the 19th-century tradition by using single-shot rifles, either muzzleloaders or black powder cartridge style.

His backup rifle is a custom Lone Star rolling block built by Dave Higginbotham and chambered in .50-70. Lee is a dinosaur, a throwback, and a real part of an America we must not lose. Those who forget the past have no future. I feel tremendously blessed for being able to spend three days with him. Oh, yes, my freezer's now packed full of buffalo meat.


[Sounds like my kind of buffalo hunt!! If the funds are available I am gonna see if I can book a hunt there in 2005.]

Address: 12057 121 RD FORD, KS 67842 USA
Voice: 1-620-369-2204
[They don't have a website but ya see their ads in Black Powder Cartridge News and sometimes in Single Shot Journal]

[Todd Birch]

Hey Jackinzoar

Good question.

From what I have gathered from friends, even shooting a 'wild' buffalo on a limited entry basis here in BC, it is a matter of approaching a herd or individual animal within practical range of your rifle and your ability to use it.

Like African plains game, they are herd animals which made them easy prey for the historic buffalo hide hunters. There is no great skill to stalking them although they are reputed to retreat at the sound of approaching ATVs.

The first buffalo kill I had first hand knowledge of occured on the Gang Ranch in the Cariboo region of BC. They used to run a few head. The shooter was from Pennsylvania and I spoke to him over lunch at the ranch cook house.
A wrangler cut one out of a herd and isolated him in a gulley. The shooter dismounted and shot it at 50 yards with a Browning Highwall .45-70. I don't remember the load.
The animal refused to drop and he finished the job with a .300 Winchester.

He trailered the head, cape and meat home in a freezer on a flat deck with a generator. This was long before the 'mad cow' panic. Couldn't do that today.

Todd

[gmartin]

nohorse, Thank you for the Hawes ranch article. It may be a bit before I ever get a chance at a buffalo but this sounds like a well managed place. Though my preference would be a drawn hunt for an unfenced herd, I realize that the "wildness" of the animal may be a moot point if any said herd is managed correctly. Those on large private holdings seem to react to humans with a wary attitude, as opposed to the unhunted bison of Yellowstone. Todd, part of your answer by nohorse, note the back up gun, a rolling block 50-70! It seems as the ranch managers have the say so as to firearms.
Gregg

[Rich Siegel]

Just for information, Hawes ranch has a web site, www.hawes.org/hunt. Hunts look very good, except for the part on horseback. My duaghter's a college equestrian coach and after watching her compete for years and a few sorry stories about my riding experiences, I'd rather ride in a wagon.

Rich

[nohorse]

Rcih: Thanks for the link! I've been lookin' for a while and hadn't found one....

[JAGG]

T B ! { Or a bow greater then 50lbs pull } Does this mean that i can't use my 58 or 75lb recurves ? And only 50lb or less lb pull bows ! Or did you make a BOO BOO in your thread posting ? Years ago there used to be normal people in most states working in the game departments ! Now i have found that these new college educated people have more in common with METER MAIDS ! It is a know fact that these days that the heads of departments in governments hire people that are Dummer then they are , so that they don't have their jobs taken from them by smarter people ! Sorry to hear about the lady with the 270 getting trampled but i wonder who gave her that rifle to shoot Buffalo in the first place ? I believe a 270 will give you 2000fp at 100yds ! And the World still turns and the Sun still rises ! JAGG

[gmartin]

Jagg,
I too feel for the woman who was steamrolled by the 'buff. How terrifying that must of been. Yet, and I believe this is your opinion as well, that as mature adults and shooters, we should be able to inteligently choose the bullet and caliber for the game we choose to pursue. That essentially is Idaho's opinion in the regulations we are to follow. That woman may have been not able to choose based on knowledge of the bison she was hunting, and handed a rifle used successfully by another more seasoned individual. I would like someday to hunt a buffalo with my '63 carbine, but so doing I take the risks and resoponsibilities with me. My warrenty extends no further than myself. By the way, aftrer a recent posting elsewhere, I'm trying to clean up my act regarding grammer and syntax, but acknowledge my frailities.
Gregg

[Todd Birch]

Hey Jagg

The minimum pull is 50 lbs. More is better, if you can draw it, of course.
The Indians used very short, powerful bows at close range from horse back.
The knee-jerk reaction of bureaucrats is staggering at times. I don't believe that there was any input from knowledgeable shooters when the calibre limitation was established.
The lady in question might have been competent at shooting her .270 on lesser game, but a buffler is another matter. Bullet placement had best be right, regardless of load or bullet weight.

I'm looking forward to the reinstitution of a "Primitive Rifles" season with the inlines restricted to the regular season. To my knowledge, most traditional ML rifle shooters are now content to hunt in the regular season.

Todd