Grand Canyon Bison Hunt

[mdwest]

Looks like the odds of getting selected for this hunt are incredibly slim (just 12 people will get the opportunity).. but what an awesome experience this would be..

Would be incredible of someone on AH were to get selected and be able to report of the hunt..

Grand Canyon bison hunt: 2021 dates, rules and how to sign up to be considered

Grand Canyon National Park and the Arizona Game and Fish agreed to allow skilled volunteers to remove bison to save the park's ecosystem. Here's how:

www.azcentral.com

 

[BourbonTrail]

That sounds like the ones outside the park. They are an odd hunt. You don’t pick your own, the game wardens tell you which one is yours to shoot. They are usually outrageously priced as well.

 

[Milo]

Sounds like a very high probability of throwing yourself into a social political shitshow. Good luck in the draw to those that chose to do so.

 

[LivingTheDream]

That sounds like the ones outside the park. They are an odd hunt. You don’t pick your own, the game wardens tell you which one is yours to shoot. They are usually outrageously priced as well.

Do you pay the Arizona Bison tag price? Thought this was completely separate program.

 

[Tanks]

I read the requirements. One part is interesting "The goal is to reduce the herd by 200 animals. The hunter must be able to haul the carcass without motorized assistance."

Unless one also has a horse/mule to bring to the hunt I don't see a way to meet that requirement.

 

[JimP]

Most of the bison are in the park and when they first talked about this hunt it was going to be a very tough one. I didn't read the description of this hunt but do they allow you to keep all the meat or just a portion of it like the first hunt was going to be?

 

[BourbonTrail]

@LivingTheDream - honestly I don’t know, but I imagine it would be similarly priced. Last I checked, out of state bison tag was like $6k. I could be totally wrong, but the park system is always looking for more dinero.

@Tanks- It’s like packing an elk out of a canyon... one steak at a time . But the bison are at the top, not down in it luckily.

 

[Tanks]

@Tanks- It’s like packing an elk out of a canyon... one steak at a time . But the bison are at the top, not down in it luckily.

Well, at my last Elk hunt I used a horse to haul the meat down the mountain. I don't have an access to a horse anymore.

Brother of a friend of mine did this hunt 3 years ago, asking him for details.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Very cool, thanks for sharing.

 

[NE 7x57]

Bison can hit a ton in weight, that's a fair amount to pack out without a horse or mule. Need to bring friends, young, strong ones who work cheap.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I couldn't imagine hunting/packing out in that September heat! Even October can still be hot there.

 

[Milo]

Bison can hit a ton in weight, that's a fair amount to pack out without a horse or mule. Need to bring friends, young, strong ones who work cheap.

Stop by the nearest high school football practice with some $100 bills. "I need that bison, in that truck." If you're willing to spend $6k on a tag, this would be the best money you ever spend. That and buying a lithium ion sawzall.

 

[JimP]

This page here has the requirements:

Bison Reduction FAQs - Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

In those requirements they state that the meat will be turned over to the Arizona G&F and that the G&F will distribute the meat.

 

[BourbonTrail]

@LivingTheDream - honestly I don’t know, but I imagine it would be similarly priced. Last I checked, out of state bison tag was like $6k. I could be totally wrong, but the park system is always looking for more dinero.

The literature keeps referencing “skilled volunteers”.
The application is only open for 48 hrs, starting May 3rd.
AZ Bison Stewards

It would definitely be neat if an AH person made the cut.

 

[LivingTheDream]

The literature keeps referencing “skilled volunteers”.
The application is only open for 48 hrs, starting May 3rd.
AZ Bison Stewards

It would definitely be neat if an AH person made the cut.

I read the exceptional shape part too, I am assuming that is for the pack out. Definitely intriguing, but the odds are going to be terrible.

 

[mark-hunter]

They will need to "move the carcass without motorised assistance".
The question is how is this possible?
Maybe by horses, or mules?
How is it usually done?

 

[Milo]

They will need to "move the carcass without motorised assistance".
The question is how is this possible?
Maybe by horses, or mules?
How is it usually done?

I would assume not in one piece.

 

[LivingTheDream]

They will need to "move the carcass without motorised assistance".
The question is how is this possible?
Maybe by horses, or mules?
How is it usually done?

Western quarter it, debone it, and pack it out. Need a lot of volunteers.

 

[JimP]

You cut it up into multiple pieces, place it into game bags and then start the climb up to a road to where you can get a truck to. With a 1,000 lb animal it will take a few trips even if you have friends.

The last bison hunt that I went on in Utah 4 of us were cutting and two were packing until we got done cutting and then all 6 of us went to packing the meat out.

 

[Brent in Az]

If the Game & Fish Dept. is keeping the meat, shouldn't they be the ones hauling it out? Even in September, it can be hot up there, and the meat needs to be packed out quickly.