Who owns the bison...?

[hatcha]

Saw this on Facebook.  Thought it made for some interesting reading.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/05/16/rancher-ted-turner-bison-meat-controversy?cmpid=tp-fb

[Slackbunny]

I don't see any issue with Turner getting those buffalo. Now I'm not overly educated on this exact situation, but from the sounds of it, he's put a lot of money and time into perpetuating the species, and he just gets crap for it. If more millionaires took practical action like he has, a great deal more good work would actually get done.

But for some reason people seem to prefer it when the rich and powerful simply pour money into organizations that spend most of it on their own advertising (i.e PETA), or when they do the talkshow rounds raising "awareness" and acting like they are solving the problem simply by talking about it.

I give far more credit to Turner for actually DOING something practical to preserve the species even if he is profiting from it. If more of the worlds rich and powerful took an interest in this kind of thing, a lot of good would come of it. Who cares if they profit from it? People tend to get so cynical when somebody else is making money while doing a good thing. I see it as a win-win.

[Wolf Watcher]

Seems if we read something that sounds OK we think it is the gospel!  I have lived around the Yellowstone "eco system" all my life and can tell you buffalo don't respect the park boundaries.  In the old days when the buffalo wandered out of the park they were not protected and the outfitters would let their hunters kill them for a fee.  How the brubrecellosis problem started is up to debate, but they are able to have calves regardless so are carriers.  I was the secretary treasurer for the Montana Bison Association for a few years and have visited Turners Montana ranch several times.  Bison require some special fencing and that and moving infected bison to the Res which was not adequately fenced and into an area in Montana that was brucellosis  free was a factor in where they were placed. Turners ranch was a no brainer to immediately handle the problem animals and I was surprised that he opted to take them.  I know for a fact that he did not need them.  He certainly could not use them in his restaurants.  When a rancher has even one brubrecellosis infected animal his animals are quarantined and he cannot sell any of his cattle.  Any ranch with an adjoining fences is also quarantined.  Articles like the one posted don't tell the whole story and people can be easily misled.  I did get a laugh about Turner getting Yellowstone's prize buffalo. A buffalo that is a brucellosis carrier is certainly no prize!  The above is just my opinion and not meant to cause debate.  Joe

[Newindian]

But he is rich and white! How could he do anything that isn't evil.