| On
Tuesday, the Buffalo Field Campaign, a group opposed
to the capture and slaughter of bison migrating outside
of Yellowstone National Park, found a poached bison
on the land of Dale Koelzer. The bison had been skinned
with its head and genitalia had been removed.
Koelzer's
property adjoins Yellowstone National Park north of
West Yellowstone. Unfortunately, Dale Koelzer is the
same man that the State of Montana contracts with to
locate their Duck Creek bison capture facility on, and
the MT Department of Livestock (DOL) also leases room
in his basement to house their employees.
Koelzer obviously believes that his cozy relationship
with the State gave him the authority to kill the bison,
though he lied to authorities about his role in the
poaching. When initially contacted by the local game
warden, Koelzer denied having anything to do with it.
The Duck Creek capture facility is notorious as the
staging ground for the DOL's policy of slaughtering
bison as they migrate out of Yellowstone in the winter
time. Many activists also have been arrested protesting
there, or trespassing while trying to divert bison off
of Koelzer's land.
Obviously the State has a dual standard when applying
the law--one for activists, and another for "one of
their own." The State DOL and the Forest Service have
been hiding their capture operations behind Koelzer's
back for so long, it appears they have a serious conflict
of interest when it comes to prosecuting him.
If
it were an ordinary citizen that poached, he would be
behind bars right now. Instead, the local game warden
and the State Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks
are wringing their hands, trying to figure out how to
get themselves and Koelzer out of this predicament.
"I don't see how the MT DOL can continue to associate
with Koelzer and give taxpayer' dollars to a known wildlife
poaching criminal," stated Mike Mease, Field Operations
Coordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign. "Koelzer
didn't follow the law regarding bison on private lands,
and he lied to the State. The DOL should immediately
cancel their contracts with Koelzer, remove the Duck
Creek capture facility, and prosecute him to the full
extent of the law."
If a private individual kills a bison under certain
circumstances (like imminent threats to personal safety),
and then immediately reports it to the DOL that he had
done so, he could escape being prosecuted for poaching.
Or if a buffalo is on your private property and could
threaten your horses or livestock, you must contact
the DOL, and the DOL makes the decision on how to proceed.
Koelzer has no proof of any threat, and he didn't follow
the law by immediately reporting it. Instead, he proceeded
to act in the manner of a poacher by removing the head,
skin and genitalia.
If Koelzer doesn't like buffalo on his land, he is free
to fence them out, or to move to a different location.
He initially created the situation of buffalo frequenting
his land by feeding elk hay in the winter to bait them
onto his land for hunting. Buffalo are notorious for
frequenting areas where hay is used as bait, and that
is how the DOL lures them into their capture facilities.
If the State of Montana doesn't prosecute Koelzer, it
will further show the sham they have been running in
West Yellowstone. Every year the DOL has been harrassing
and illegally arresting Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers
for protesting the bison slaughter that has resulted
in thousands of dead bison over the years. But take
action against a poacher?
Nope. Currently, Congress is in the process of appropriating
$750,000 to run the DOL's bison capture operations at
Duck Creek and Horse Butte. Much of that money would
end up in Koelzer's pocket, as it has in the past. Contact
your Congressional Reps and Senators and tell them that
they must remove the capture facility appropriations
item from Senate Bill 1233 or House Bill 1906. Supposedly
the bill has just come out of conference committee and
will be going back to the Senate and House for ratification.
Pat
Graham, the Director of the Montana Department of Fish
Wildlife and Parks can be emailed at mailto:pagraham@state.mt.us,
or called at 406-444-3186. Let him know what you think
about letting poachers go free and doing business with
them! Also encourage him to prosecute Dale's accomplice
Kelly Nunnes who helped skin the bull and was going
to "keep" the head and hide (and genitalia).
Video
Footage Available upon Request.
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