Montana's wildlife policies raise ethical question

Tools

Story Published: Jan 23, 2012 at 11:00 AM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 23, 2012 at 11:00 AM MDT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana is looking to hunters for help in enforcing more of its wildlife management policies.

But one regulator worries they are being asked to cross an ethical line in doing so.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks already uses hunters to keep the wolf population down and in game-damage hunts to disperse elk and deer from private property. Now the commission is considering allowing them to shoot bison that move beyond designated areas north of Yellowstone National Park.

Commissioner Ron Moody says killing bison that stray outside a containment area is more akin to vermin control than fair-chase hunting, in which hunters pursue free-roaming game.

FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim says it is the agency's policy to use hunters to help manage wildlife populations when appropriate in a responsible and ethical manner.

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

KULR-8 News, Sports, Weather and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

Your Weather Authority

Icon
Current Temp 60.0 °F
Partly Cloudy
Wind : South at
5.8 mph
Humidity : 53 %
Pressure : 30.01 in
More Weather

Party America Sky Cam

More Weather

On Demand

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.