And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Subject: MT State Contractor Admits to Poaching Buffalo at Duck Creek Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 14:01:36 -0600 From: Wild Rockies InfoNet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For Immediate Release, 10/1/99 MT. State contractor admits to poaching buffalo at Duck Creek Contact information: Buffalo Field Campaign 1-406-646-0070 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Tuesday, the Buffalo Field Campaign, a group opposed to the capture and slaughter of bison migrating outside of Yellowstone National Park, found a poached bison on the land of Dale Koelzer. The bison had been skinned with its head and genitalia had been removed. Koelzer's property adjoins Yellowstone National Park about 12 miles north of West Yellowstone. Unfortunately, Dale Koelzer also is the same man that the State of Montana contracts with to locate their Duck Creek bison capture facility on, and the MT Department of Livestock (DOL) also leases room in his basement to house their employees. Koelzer obviously believes that his cozy relationship with the State gave him the authority to kill the bison, though he lied to authorities about his role in the poaching. When initially contacted by the local game warden, Koelzer denied having anything to do with it. The Duck Creek capture facility is notorious as the staging ground for the DOL's policy of slaughtering bison as they migrate out of Yellowstone in the winter time. Many activists also have been arrested protesting there, or trespassing while trying to divert bison off of Koelzer's land. Obviously the State has a dual standard when applying the law--one for activists, and another for "one of their own." The State DOL and the Forest Service have been hiding their capture operations behind Koelzer's back for so long, it appears they have a serious conflict of interest when it comes to prosecuting him. If it were an ordinary citizen that poached, he would be behind bars right now. Instead, the local game warden and the State Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks are wringing their hands, trying to figure out how to get themselves and Koelzer out of this predicament. "I don't see how the MT DOL can continue to associate with Koelzer and give taxpayer' dollars to a known wildlife poaching criminal," stated Mike Mease, Field Operations Coordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign. "Koelzer didn't follow the law regarding bison on private lands, and he lied to the State. The DOL should immediately cancel their contracts with Koelzer, remove the Duck Creek capture facility, and prosecute him to the full extent of the law." If a private individual kills a bison under certain circumstances (like imminent threats to personal safety), and then immediately reports it to the DOL that he had done so, he could escape being prosecuted for poaching. Or if a buffalo is on your private property and could threaten your horses or livestock, you must contact the DOL, and the DOL makes the decision on how to proceed. Koelzer has no proof of any threat, and he didn't follow the law by immediately reporting it. Instead, he proceeded to act in the manner of a poacher by removing the head, skin and genitalia. If Koelzer doesn't like buffalo on his land, he is free to fence them out, or to move to a different location. He initially created the situation of buffalo frequenting his land by feeding elk hay in the winter to bait them onto his land for hunting. Buffalo are notorious for frequenting areas where hay is used as bait, and that is how the DOL lures them into their capture facilities. If the State of Montana doesn't prosecute Koelzer, it will further show the sham they have been running in West Yellowstone. Every year the DOL has been harrassing and illegally arresting Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers for protesting the bison slaughter that has resulted in thousands of dead bison over the years. But take action against a poacher? Nope. Currently, Congress is in the process of appropriating $750,000 to run the DOL's bison capture operations at Duck Creek and Horse Butte. Much of that money would end up in Koelzer's pocket, as it has in the past. Contact your Congressional Reps and Senators and tell them that they must remove the capture facility appropriations item from Senate Bill 1233 or House Bill 1906. Supposedly the bill has just come out of conference committee and will be going back to the Senate and House for ratification. Pat Graham, the Director of the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks can be emailed at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED], or called at 406-444-3186. Let him know what you think about letting poachers go free and doing business with them! -- Please help stop the slaughter http://woptura.com/rescue.html Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
