The Sierra Club has asked that the Grand Teton National Park complete yet another environmental review of its annual elk hunt. The group cites “changing conditions” since the park last completed a study in 2007 as the reason they want hundreds or thousands of taxpayer dollars again spent on the review.

The request was delivered as a letter to GTNP park officials and claims that the annual elk hunts habituate grizzly bears to eating gut piles and puts park visitors at risk. A pair of photographers urged the Sierra Club to send the letter. There was no report of whether the photographers had the required federal permits to take images on public lands as professionals, and definitely no mention that the Sierra Club hosts winter trips into Grand Teton and the vicinity with travel packages starting at $2500/person.

Grand Teton Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott reportedly responded to the Sierra Club’s request letter that their concerns about elk hunts had already been reviewed and that no additional steps would be taken.

Grand Teton’s 61-year-old annual elk hunt was created by Congressional legislation in 1950. Called an “elk reduction program,” the program enables federal, state and park wildlife managers to authorize the hunting of elk in Grand Teton to reduce the park’s elk population to a goal of 1,600. To update a management plan for bison and elk in Jackson Hole, the park, the National Elk Refuge and the Wyoming Game and Fish Dept. conducted an environmental review of hunting, feeding and population objectives in 2007.

Last fall about 750 elk hunting permits were issued and hunters killed about 250 elk in the park’s reduction program.

I may be way off on this but from other sources, USF&WS is having to spend a lot of its funding to research and defend such things as this.

The result is that no funding is left to do any type of neccessary animal management programs. The antis may have found the avenue neccessary to accomplish their goal, which is to stop hunting.

My brother and dad drew that tag a long time ago. My brother got a nice bull....

Ummmm! Fockem!

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Originally posted by kudu56:
Ummmm! Fockem!

Exactly!

I'll second that!

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Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:

The request was delivered as a letter to GTNP park officials and claims that the annual elk hunts habituate grizzly bears to eating gut piles and puts park visitors at risk.

Could always post a sign with a couple bears and the quote, let's do lunch, see ya' on the trail.


When visiting Montana I was with our outfitter. A griz got between a couple of the hunters, their guide and the horses. The guide calls the outfitter. The outfitter sez, don't shoot the bear unless he's eaten both the hunters and he's gnawed off at least one of your legs.

On a more serious note. Don't you find it amazing that these folks want to ruin the experience for all rather than refrain from going themselves, due to fear of bear attack. Life is not without risk. Let the folk that want to take the risk enjoy the experience. But I guess that's what progressives do.

GWB

Left wing radical "progressives" long ago took over the Sierra Club. Their many years goal is to eventually outlaw all hunting, in accordance with their Marxist Socialist belief in The Great Collective Utopia.

L.W.

quote:

On a more serious note. Don't you find it amazing that these folks want to ruin the experience for all rather than refrain from going themselves, due to fear of bear attack. Life is not without risk. Let the folk that want to take the risk enjoy the experience. But I guess that's what progressives do.

I have always been of the opinion that the National Forests should have a huge fence around them and anytime anyone wanted to visit there should be a few entry points with parking lots, and each personm entering would be required to give a pint of blood, write a short note to any loved ones that might wish to, and then turned loose on foot to wander the park at their hearts content if not back at the entrance in 5 days, notes will be mailed to the person it was written to.

CHC---That was funny, but I hope you meant "National Parks", rather than Forests!