return of the hunt
The first public hunt of Yellowstone National Park buffalo in 15 years opened Nov. 15, 2005 on the borders of North America’s first national park in Montana. Controversy over population control, winter range and the issue of the disease brucellosis surround management of the animals, which the hunt is a result.
The Yellowstone herd is said to be the only remaining herd with continuously wild ancestry descended from the once more than 50 million buffalo that roamed the Great Plains. From more than 6,000 applicants, a total of 50 permits were issued to the public, including 10 permits for hunters who applied for the hunt that was cancelled two years ago and 16 permits for Native American tribes.
This essay is part of a long term personal project I have been working on since the winter of 1997.