Judge denies halt to bison hunt near Yellowstone

BILLINGS, Mont. – A District of Columbia federal judge has denied a Montana landowner’s plea to halt the hunting of bison just outside Yellowstone National Park.

The Billings Gazette reports that in an order filed Nov. 11, Chief Judge Beryl Howell also ruled that Montana is the proper jurisdiction for a lawsuit filed by Gardiner-area resident Bonnie Lynn and Neighbors Against Bison Slaughter who argue that bison hunting so close to residences is life threatening.

In rejecting Lynn’s arguments, Howell said tribal hunters were the ones who would be “substantially injured” if the hunt was halted.

Montana began a hunting season for bison that leave the park in 2005.

The majority of the bison harvest is by tribal members with treaty rights, and four Montana tribes opposed Lynn’s lawsuit.

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Information from: The Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com