Yes to bison hunt, but take it slow

The question being considered was whether to continue Montana's bison hunt or not.

Instead, the state Fish and Game Commission on Thursday expanded the hunt, which could lead to some criticism, some of which is misleading to the public.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks had recommended that the state offer a maximum 100 permits, but that advice was disregarded when the Fish and Game Commission approved 140 permits instead.

It never looks good when part-time commissioners pursue a path that splits from the support of their professional field staff. In this case, it was Commissioner Shane Colton who wanted additional permits issued for the purpose of more effective herd management. There may be regrets down the road that the commission wasn't more conservative, sticking with staff recommendations. This is, after all an issue which has received national attention, and public relations concerns cannot be entirely ignored in the equation.

On the other hand, we also have concerns about attempts to portray the hunt as lacking in public support. Activist groups, such as the Buffalo Field Campaign, say the state and the commission are "ignoring the concerns of Montanans" in approving the hunt for a second year.

That notion of how much public support exists is based solely on 77 comments received on the proposal to expand the hunt. Most comments did indeed oppose the hunt or called for changes in it.

But public comments - on any land or wildlife management proposal - hardly constitute a barometer for public opinion. They are not valid public opinion polls, and can be easily manipulated to a lopsided outcome by organized campaigns.

In this case, it can actually be argued that fewer people are concerned about the state's bison hunt this year than last year, when 299 comments were submitted to the commission. That might mean people think we are going in the right direction.

That said, there is plenty more that can be done to improve the management of the bison which wander from Yellowstone National Park into Montana.

Bison are the only legally hunted wildlife in Montana that truly have no habitat of their own. They have been managed as unwanted refugees from the park by the National Park Service or the Montana Department of Livestock.

That just isn't right. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has rightly pursued efforts to acquire land for use as bison winter range, well isolated from cattle to prevent the potential spread of brucellosis, a disease relatively common in bison that causes cattle to abort calves.

The Buffalo Field Campaign has followed up with a reasonable suggestion that a portion of bison hunter license fees be directed toward purchasing habitat. That's no different from the habitat improvements pursued in partnership by the state and groups such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Bison hunters should have a strong hand in bison management.