I am surprised HCN pulled out one of those old stories about hunters slaughtering buffalo and retreaded it (HCN, 2/6/06: The Killing Fields). Why on earth does HCN want to vilify hunters who are their major allies in the conservation wars? HCN is the only journal I know back on that old "slaughter" kick. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and all the Montanans I know, think the hunt was a success.

The only real slaughter took place at the slaughtering plants where hundreds of buffalo were slaughtered — about 10 times the number taken by hunters. It is too bad hunters could not have taken them the way they should have been taken — in the field.

Lee Gustafson
Laurel, Montana