Grand Canyon Bison Cull

[ChrisJones 7,975]

Grand Canyon National Park will be issuing 200 bison tags in an attempt to reduce the population.

The herd was introduced into the 1900's by a rancher who tried to cross breed them with cattle. He bagged it as a bad idea and Arizona's Fish & Game have been monitoring it ever since.

While the initial population was around a hundred the herd numbers are up to around 600. They're hard on the habitat and they want to manage the population as they're predicted to double in the next couple of decades.

 

So if you can lob a safari round accurately down range, and carry all your crap with you, you might get lucky and be able to draw out a tag on AZ's lottery system. The majority of the meat and hides will go to local tribes but you'll be able to get one too if you don't mind packing it out.

[mushroom 12,921]

I would love to hunt down and take a bison, defo taking some of the meat home too I also really like the idea of using the carcasses for the local tribes, fantastic management

[ChrisJones 7,975]

A mate of mine has put in for it. He's native which he's hoping will help his chances of drawing out. He want's to use his bow!

Edited September 12, 2017 by ChrisJones

[Born Hunter 17,763]

A colleague sent me this.

 

Sounds a good opportunity and I applaud the US authorities for using sportsman to achieve conservation goals. In the UK any such job would almost certainly be carried out by contractors.

[ChrisJones 7,975]

It's fantastic. Volunteers packing their own gear. The parks service originally drafted a recommendation for contractors but in a display of common sense the powers that be opened it up to sportsmen. Win/win!

[Born Hunter 17,763]

From Blaise' ongoing terrier work thread I am led to believe that the French Department responsible for rural affairs will ask the hunt clubs to aid in culling in a similar way, though for disease control reasons. Likewise the kiwi Department of Conservation use sportsman to control invasive species in their national parks in addition to their own more controversial efforts using 1080.

 

I really think it's great. Sportsman acting as free (and often financially contributing!) expertise in government conservation and management goals.

[ChrisJones 7,975]

When you compare it with the badger cull, in the UK, it's no brainer! Cost versus revenue.

[socks 32,253]

Common sense to use hunters to do a job that needs a hunter for ......

[DanielG 286]

thats the great thing about hunting in usa and canada ,there,s lots of opertunity for every citizen to hunt,

[mackem 26,439]

A mate of mine has put in for it. He's native which he's hoping will help his chances of drawing out. He want's to use his bow!

I have a DVD where a guy takes one with a bow,it goes down very quickly,i would love to see one taken with an old sharps rifle.

[Guest Navek]

I'd pay to hunt one with traditional bow on horse back

[DanielG 286]

A canadian friend of mine shot one in far north BC canada, He said it was an easy animal to hunt,the hard part was locating the herd, he said it was -30 every day in january. which was tough, quad bikes are hard to start at -30 temps

cheers Dan

[ChrisJones 7,975]

You'd probably be on foot for most of the Grand Canyon cull...

[DanielG 286]

You'd probably be on foot for most of the Grand Canyon cull...

 

 

good luck on that then LOL

how big an area is the hunt ?

 

the herds in canada roam for hundreds of square miles, Zero chance without a vehicle or horse

[DanielG 286]

just googled kaibab plateau its 9200 ft highest point and 1152 square miles area .

thats a tough hunt on foot, be great with pack horses