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Nez Perce tribe asserting Yellowstone hunting rights
By SCOTT McMILLION, Chronicle Staff Writer
The Nez Perce Indian tribe from Idaho is asserting its treaty-granted hunting rights near Yellowstone National Park in a large way.
The tribe told Montana officials that it wants to harvest up to 70 bison this winter, along with as many as 50 elk and like numbers of moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and antelope.
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials scrambled Friday to figure out what the announcement means.
During a telephone conference call Friday morning with FWP Director Jeff Hagener, the FWP Commission and several staffers, nobody disputed that the tribe has the right to hunt on federal lands near Yellowstone.
That right was granted in an 1855 treaty and was exercised last year for the first time in modern history when tribal hunters bagged six bison.
However, there was considerable dismay at the number of animals the tribe wants to take this year, especially species other than bison.
For some species, like moose and goats, even finding 50 animals to kill could be difficult. For others, like bighorn sheep and antelope, finding that many animals is possible, but killing that many could decimate resident herds and set back decades of conservation work.
"This does give me some pretty grave concern," Commission Chairman Steve Doherty said.
FWP allows only two bighorns yearly to be harvested from the hunting districts around the park.
However, killing a lot of them would not be difficult: they often congregate by the dozens along roads in the Corwin Springs area.
FWP allows no antelope hunting in the Gardiner area, where a dwindling herd of 200 to 250 animals moves back and forth over the park line.
The tribe's desire to take bison drew no criticism from the commission, other than a desire to alert nontribal hunters now in the field that others will be joining them.
Elk hunting in the Gardiner area also could have an impact if the tribe decides to take lots of them.
FWP has slashed its late-season elk hunt from 2,800 permits to 174 because of a smaller elk population and poor calf survival rates.
If tribal members take a number of big bulls -- late-season tags for the trophy animals are highly coveted -- it could affect the age structure of the herd.
The tribe's announcement came Thursday in a letter from Rebecca Miles, the chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe Executive Committee.
The letter spelled out the hunt regulations the tribe "intends to implement this month" and spelled out how many permits it intends to issue to enrolled tribal members.
"The Nez Perce Tribe has authorized the 2007 Treaty Buffalo Hunt season to run from early January to the end of February," Miles wrote.
Harvest numbers could change, depending on the number of bison available, she wrote.
The tribe's treaty allows it to hunt only on "open and unclaimed" land, which is defined as national forest and Bureau of Land Management property in the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but outside the park.
The tribe will issue permits to enrolled members, who can be accompanied by "assistant hunters," who will be allowed to carry guns and shoot game, FWP Warden Captain Sam Sheppard said.
The hunt begins Saturday, Jan. 13, on a small scale.
Each permit for this weekend is good for one bison and up to two elk.
Sheppard said tribal wardens have issued permits for six bison and five elk for this weekend. Those wardens will police the hunt this weekend.
No animals besides the bison and elk can be harvested this weekend, but the future remains an open question.
"This is the first round," Sheppard said.
The FWP Commission on Friday passed a resolution calling for FWP officials, including biologists, to sit down with tribal officials and explain that some species cannot handle the harvest level the tribe is considering.
Commissioner Victor Workman called on FWP and Gov. Brian Schweitzer's office to take a strong stance with the tribe.
"We cannot allow them to decimate a species," Workman said. "And we cannot have them thumb their noses at the sportsmen across Montana."
Hal Harper, Schweitzer's chief policy adviser, noted that Miles' letter said the tribe wants to work with Montana and that so far, there is "no cause for great alarm."
"I would be hopeful that we could work this out," he said. "I don't think it's time to issue any threats."
"The tribe supports more collaborative rule-making on buffalo hunts to reduce or mitigate potential areas of conflict and promote successful sportsmen and treaty Indian hunts," Miles wrote, adding that she appreciates FWP efforts toward "open dialogue and candid discussions."
Doherty said he is hopeful the tribe will back off on its plans once officials understand the situation. The Nez Perce tribe has been a key player in restoring salmon runs, he said, and understands the sustainable harvest of wildlife.
FWP needs to "impress on them the fragility of a number of big game populations in that area," Doherty said.
Schweitzer's staff urged a measured response.
"We're not going to assume the worst, and we're not going to overreact," said Mike Volensky, a natural resources aide for Schweitzer.
He said he hopes for a face-to-face meeting between Montana and the tribe before next weekend's hunt.
"I think we're at the point where we hope for the best and plan for the worst," Commissioner Shane Coulter said.
Bob Lane, chief lawyer for FWP, said he and the Attorney General's Office are looking into treaty rights law to see what options might be available.
Montana's Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes have similar treaty language, but have decided not to hold a hunt near Yellowstone this year, Sheppard said.
Nez Perce tribal officials could not be reached for further comment Friday.
Nez Perce tribe asserting Yellowstone hunting rights
By SCOTT McMILLION, Chronicle Staff Writer
The Nez Perce Indian tribe from Idaho is asserting its treaty-granted hunting rights near Yellowstone National Park in a large way.
The tribe told Montana officials that it wants to harvest up to 70 bison this winter, along with as many as 50 elk and like numbers of moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and antelope.
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials scrambled Friday to figure out what the announcement means.
During a telephone conference call Friday morning with FWP Director Jeff Hagener, the FWP Commission and several staffers, nobody disputed that the tribe has the right to hunt on federal lands near Yellowstone.
That right was granted in an 1855 treaty and was exercised last year for the first time in modern history when tribal hunters bagged six bison.
However, there was considerable dismay at the number of animals the tribe wants to take this year, especially species other than bison.
For some species, like moose and goats, even finding 50 animals to kill could be difficult. For others, like bighorn sheep and antelope, finding that many animals is possible, but killing that many could decimate resident herds and set back decades of conservation work.
"This does give me some pretty grave concern," Commission Chairman Steve Doherty said.
FWP allows only two bighorns yearly to be harvested from the hunting districts around the park.
However, killing a lot of them would not be difficult: they often congregate by the dozens along roads in the Corwin Springs area.
FWP allows no antelope hunting in the Gardiner area, where a dwindling herd of 200 to 250 animals moves back and forth over the park line.
The tribe's desire to take bison drew no criticism from the commission, other than a desire to alert nontribal hunters now in the field that others will be joining them.
Elk hunting in the Gardiner area also could have an impact if the tribe decides to take lots of them.
FWP has slashed its late-season elk hunt from 2,800 permits to 174 because of a smaller elk population and poor calf survival rates.
If tribal members take a number of big bulls -- late-season tags for the trophy animals are highly coveted -- it could affect the age structure of the herd.
The tribe's announcement came Thursday in a letter from Rebecca Miles, the chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe Executive Committee.
The letter spelled out the hunt regulations the tribe "intends to implement this month" and spelled out how many permits it intends to issue to enrolled tribal members.
"The Nez Perce Tribe has authorized the 2007 Treaty Buffalo Hunt season to run from early January to the end of February," Miles wrote.
Harvest numbers could change, depending on the number of bison available, she wrote.
The tribe's treaty allows it to hunt only on "open and unclaimed" land, which is defined as national forest and Bureau of Land Management property in the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but outside the park.
The tribe will issue permits to enrolled members, who can be accompanied by "assistant hunters," who will be allowed to carry guns and shoot game, FWP Warden Captain Sam Sheppard said.
The hunt begins Saturday, Jan. 13, on a small scale.
Each permit for this weekend is good for one bison and up to two elk.
Sheppard said tribal wardens have issued permits for six bison and five elk for this weekend. Those wardens will police the hunt this weekend.
No animals besides the bison and elk can be harvested this weekend, but the future remains an open question.
"This is the first round," Sheppard said.
The FWP Commission on Friday passed a resolution calling for FWP officials, including biologists, to sit down with tribal officials and explain that some species cannot handle the harvest level the tribe is considering.
Commissioner Victor Workman called on FWP and Gov. Brian Schweitzer's office to take a strong stance with the tribe.
"We cannot allow them to decimate a species," Workman said. "And we cannot have them thumb their noses at the sportsmen across Montana."
Hal Harper, Schweitzer's chief policy adviser, noted that Miles' letter said the tribe wants to work with Montana and that so far, there is "no cause for great alarm."
"I would be hopeful that we could work this out," he said. "I don't think it's time to issue any threats."
"The tribe supports more collaborative rule-making on buffalo hunts to reduce or mitigate potential areas of conflict and promote successful sportsmen and treaty Indian hunts," Miles wrote, adding that she appreciates FWP efforts toward "open dialogue and candid discussions."
Doherty said he is hopeful the tribe will back off on its plans once officials understand the situation. The Nez Perce tribe has been a key player in restoring salmon runs, he said, and understands the sustainable harvest of wildlife.
FWP needs to "impress on them the fragility of a number of big game populations in that area," Doherty said.
Schweitzer's staff urged a measured response.
"We're not going to assume the worst, and we're not going to overreact," said Mike Volensky, a natural resources aide for Schweitzer.
He said he hopes for a face-to-face meeting between Montana and the tribe before next weekend's hunt.
"I think we're at the point where we hope for the best and plan for the worst," Commissioner Shane Coulter said.
Bob Lane, chief lawyer for FWP, said he and the Attorney General's Office are looking into treaty rights law to see what options might be available.
Montana's Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes have similar treaty language, but have decided not to hold a hunt near Yellowstone this year, Sheppard said.
Nez Perce tribal officials could not be reached for further comment Friday.
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