And now:Sonja Keohane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Interesting, it says: "Almost from the beginning, public sentiment
ran decidedly against hunting the buffalo." imo, if we keep up the
publicity, public sentiment will stop the MDOL slaughtermen, public
sentiment has already slowed them down and pushed them to start a PR
campaign with brochures and videos.
<http://www.abqjournal.com/news/1news12-10.htm>
Thursday, December 10, 1998
High Bidders Claim Fort Wingate Bison
Nebraska Rancher Buys Most of Herd
By Fritz Thompson
Journal Staff Writer
New Mexico's beleaguered buffalo herd, established 32 years ago with the
idea that it would propagate yet another big-game animal, has instead been
auctioned off -- quite possibly with a sigh of relief from the state Department
of Game and Fish.
The 75 state-owned bulls, cows and calves pastured at Fort Wingate, a
defunct U.S. Army post east of Gallup, soon will be headed for places as far
away as Nebraska. Game and Fish wanted out of the buffalo business, but
could not legally give them away and could not find suitable acreage
elsewhere. The sealed-bid auction, completed last month, was the result.
Left behind is the legacy of an idea that went well beyond the realm of an
experiment. It was a straightforward notion that the animal could be hunted,
providing a big game harvest and additional revenue for the state of New
Mexico.
But in all those years, the intended hunt never happened -- not even after
permits had been sold to more than a dozen applicants.
The hunt perhaps became the victim of changing times and the urban image
of an American icon. Animal rights advocates objected and some Indian tribes
found fault with the whole buffalo program. Almost from the beginning,
public sentiment ran decidedly against hunting the buffalo.
Actually, part of the original, grand plan did work. The buffalo, once the
hump-backed, hardy denizens of the Great Plains, reproduced, and the herd
got bigger and bigger.
More than a year ago, the Game Commission and the Department of Game
and Fish expressed a desire to get out of the buffalo business and get rid of a
big headache. The auction seemed an easy way to do that, and bids were taken
until early November.
The biggest buyer in the sealed-bid auction was Nebraska rancher Jim
Budd. He bought 60 of the animals at about $1,000 apiece. Budd, of
Rushville, Neb., said he intends to use some of the heifers to build up his
herd, and to butcher some of the others.
The other 15 buffalo were sold -- but are not yet delivered -- to individual
buyers, including seven to Sandia Pueblo.
Sandia Gov. Alex Lujan said Wednesday the pueblo plans to use the seven
new animals -- bought for about $950 apiece -- to build up its herd of 12, kept
just north of Albuquerque on pueblo land near Tramway Boulevard.
"We want to be part of the growth of this area, but we want to protect the
environment," Lujan said. "The buffalo is part of our culture and our
religion."
He said the pueblo's buffalo herd will be accessible for public viewing.
The other eight buyers were not identified.
A roundup of the buffalo at Fort Wingate is scheduled for early January.
A changing of the landlord at Fort Wingate was part of the reason the state
wanted to get out of the buffalo business. Within about a year, the post
will be
turned over from the Army to the Navajo and Zuni Indian tribes. Both tribes
have said they don't want the buffalo on the property.
An attempt to relocate the buffalo at El Malpais National Concervation Area
south of Grants in 1993 ended badly: The fencing was inadequate and buffalo
bulls roamed unchecked. By 1995, the herd was back at Fort Wingate.
The most recent controversy over the buffalo's welfare ended up in court,
where a federal judge found cause to cancel what would have been the first
hunt.
------end of article-----
