Blog

WYOMING AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS STUN RANCHERS WITH AERIAL GUNNING APPROVED TO ELIMINATE INVASIVE COWS IN WILDERNESS AREA

You are currently viewing WYOMING AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS STUN RANCHERS WITH AERIAL GUNNING APPROVED TO ELIMINATE INVASIVE COWS IN WILDERNESS AREA
Cattle graze along protected wilderness areas, but helicopter gunners are being deployed.

Jackson Hole, WYOMING (Enviro Snowflake Brief)— Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon announced today that helicopters with gunners will be utilized to shrink invasive cattle herds in federally designated wilderness. The lethal action will begin along the Bridger Wilderness, after agreement between the Bridger-Teton National Forest, environmentalists, and Wyoming elected officials.

The Wyoming Cattlemen’s Association was not invited to the talks prior to the cow killing decision.

Speaking for the decision-making group, Bridger-Teton Supervisor Tricia O’Connor told the media gathering, “Aerially gunning cattle on the fringes of the Bridger Wilderness is the right thing to do to protect wildlife and these sensitive ecosystems.”

Bridger-Teton Pinedale District Ranger Rob Hoelscher told the Jackson News&Guide, “It’s a big bold move for Wyoming politicians and federal agency folks to allow culling the sacred cow, but Gov. Gordon has really stepped up today recognizing native wildlife and natural processes in wilderness are the priority.”

Wyoming Game & Fish Director Brian Nesvik was a bit unsettled by the cow killing plan that apparently Gov. Gordon pushed through without his input. “WGFD exists to please our ranchers and hunters, so this is just weird for me hearing about it now.”   

Western Watersheds Project Executive Director, Erik Molvar, heaped special praise on state House Rep. Albert Sommers for championing the advocacy campaign that saddens all to require, but must be done. “Rep Sommers was big, brave, and bold to stand up to the livestock industry and do what’s right, not what’s politically right for him.”  

WGFD was noncommittal today on how many cows will be “taken,” but Nesvik says, “we’re hoping this kill action will change cow behavior to stay off federal Wilderness areas, so moving forward we’ll just have Wildlife Services keep shooting them until they change their behavior.”

ESB reached out to multiple welfare ranchers for a comment if they could help change the cattle behavior to limit the killings, but received no responses yet.

(ESB-NOT REAL NEWS)

Michael Treehuggins

Michael Treehuggins created the Enviro Snowflake Brief to try and give laughter therapy to all his fellow frustrated conservationists in these challenging political times. Let’s laugh, cry, and vote.