Went to a wedding Saturday
Held on the Flying D ranch between Big Sky Montana and Gallitin gateway.
They had to push a group of +/- 1,000 head of Buffalo out of the ceremony area that morning and during the ceremony we could see 6 different bunches that probably totaled around 5,000 head.
This ranch is owned by Ted Turner and covers a continuous 113,000 acres.
It is well looked after and I was very impressed with the condition of the range. Very minimal cross fencing, they allow the Buffalo to naturally drift as is their nature. There were several bull wallows evident, but nothing detrimental to the range.
I was very impressed with their grazing and herd management in comparison to the substantial overloading of nearby Yellowstone park that has allowed the Buffalo population to exceed the carrying capacity.
I very well remember when there was 1500/1800 head of Buffalo in YNP and Elk were visible in nearly all of the major meadows and open parks. The stream sides weren't trampled with trail ruts and damage
When the Buffalo population increased above 3,000 some 30 years ago, their sheer numbers began put them into meadow/park systems holding Elk and the Elk not liking the pressure moved. I have photos from 40 years ago showing herds of Elk in meadows in which I haven't even seen and single Elk in in 20/25 years.
We travel across the Park sometime 10/12 times each summer, using it as a short cut to go to Powell Wyoming, so we have gotten to see the progression or rather digression of the Park.
It was naturally altered in 88 with the fire, but it is being damaged by the National Park Service and their management policies of course this is just MHO.
If a Rancher treated a grazing lease like the Park service treats YNP, their grazing lease would be taken away, but the tourists seem to be drawn more to seeing the Shaggys moreso than Wapiti
The bleeding heart public would never stand for a large scale cull to cut the Buffalo herd back to an actual range carrying capacity that would be beneficial for the range,the Elk,
Had a great time at Wedding, drank ample amount of Pendleton and Coors, enough that the wife and danced until the wee hours.
Rant on Park service over, for now.
Mule
They had to push a group of +/- 1,000 head of Buffalo out of the ceremony area that morning and during the ceremony we could see 6 different bunches that probably totaled around 5,000 head.
This ranch is owned by Ted Turner and covers a continuous 113,000 acres.
It is well looked after and I was very impressed with the condition of the range. Very minimal cross fencing, they allow the Buffalo to naturally drift as is their nature. There were several bull wallows evident, but nothing detrimental to the range.
I was very impressed with their grazing and herd management in comparison to the substantial overloading of nearby Yellowstone park that has allowed the Buffalo population to exceed the carrying capacity.
I very well remember when there was 1500/1800 head of Buffalo in YNP and Elk were visible in nearly all of the major meadows and open parks. The stream sides weren't trampled with trail ruts and damage
When the Buffalo population increased above 3,000 some 30 years ago, their sheer numbers began put them into meadow/park systems holding Elk and the Elk not liking the pressure moved. I have photos from 40 years ago showing herds of Elk in meadows in which I haven't even seen and single Elk in in 20/25 years.
We travel across the Park sometime 10/12 times each summer, using it as a short cut to go to Powell Wyoming, so we have gotten to see the progression or rather digression of the Park.
It was naturally altered in 88 with the fire, but it is being damaged by the National Park Service and their management policies of course this is just MHO.
If a Rancher treated a grazing lease like the Park service treats YNP, their grazing lease would be taken away, but the tourists seem to be drawn more to seeing the Shaggys moreso than Wapiti
The bleeding heart public would never stand for a large scale cull to cut the Buffalo herd back to an actual range carrying capacity that would be beneficial for the range,the Elk,
Had a great time at Wedding, drank ample amount of Pendleton and Coors, enough that the wife and danced until the wee hours.
Rant on Park service over, for now.
Mule
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You know as well as I do Dave, that trying to fence in buffalo's is like trying to, well you know... 
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toad67 wrote:You know as well as I do Dave, that trying to fence in buffalo's is like trying to, well you know...
I'm not talking about fencing them in, I'm talking about killing them down to a reasonable number to benefit the Park and it's other critters.
It's called Stewardship and it runs along with common sense, which we know the Park service is lacking.
Mule0 -
ya cant dance in a buffalo herd !!!! 0 -
forgemonkey wrote:David, another Turner ranch,,,,,,,which I hunted on before he purchased it.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermejo_Park_Ranch#Location_and_description
Bill.
I had an elk hunter long ago that had also hunt those magnificent bulls on the Vermejo Park.
I looked up Turner Enterprises and was very amazed at the ranches he owns.0 -
A lot of people in Montana don't really like Turner, but I think that is partly due to his marriage to Jane Fonda.
I like the fact that he keeps his properties as working ranches (just with buffalo instead of cows.) That's a lot better than some of the gazillionaires who buy big ranches and then sell off the livestock, fire the cowboys who worked there, and just turn the property into their "fantasy ranch" to come to a couple times a year.
On the Yellowstone buffalo - they need to trim the herd size by about half!0 -
Turner is the largest individual land owner in New Mexico, a good steward of the land, and contributes to NM Game and Fish, funding endangered species biologist positions and working with endangered species on his properties. He is well respected here, if not necessarily well liked. But then most of us never rub elbows with him. 0 -
Sounds like some good exciting times Mule! Hope you kept your boots clean and free from all those buffalo chips! 0
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