28 BISON fencing
be able to get the animals onto a liner but pointed out that the receiving area will need bison-proof fencing to be able to contain the animals.
The second difficulty, he
said, is getting the animals back on board to return home. “My chute at home has five
to seven-inch posts supporting steel panels,” says Vere. “Where am I going to find that type of gear in a pasture several hundred kilometers away? Or at a receiving area at a fairgrounds?” Bison have a sharp
memory and after being handled they stay shy, Schiebel notes. “They remember that the liner caused them stress and they won’t be keen to get back in,” he says.
nfrom pg 27
Members questioned whether the provincial livestock program would be able to accommodate them. “We need to consider
organizing as an industry and setting up our own emergency receiving areas,” Schiebel suggests. “We are the ones who have the equipment.” When relocation isn’t
possible, the third option for livestock is usually to turn them loose. That might not be a good option for bison, either. Members debated whether bison used to being fenced should be turned lose to fend for themselves, or kept enclosed in a wildfire situation.
The consensus was that
keeping the animals fenced in is best. Bison are regulated by the province’s Game Farm Act and are considered to revert to wild animals and become property of the Crown after 30 days at large. Vanderhoof rancher Tyrol
Forfar recommended fire- smarting fences. “Perhaps we can work together with BC Wildfire
Bison require more robust corrals than cattle and that makes moving them in an emergency situation more challenging for producers and response teams. TOM WALKER FILE PHOTO
Service to educate them on the importance of our fences, and to not cut them to get through to a fire location,” he said.
The topic of being under
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the game farm regulation was discussed later in the day. BC was the only province to consider bison game farm animals until Quebec returned them to its own game farm regulation last year. “We started this discussion some 30 years ago,” says Vere. “Everyone agrees that we should be considered livestock, but no one has changed the legislation.” By not classifying bison as
livestock, producers in BC can’t pursue certain markets, notes Schiebel. “While the EU recognizes game farm animals and we
are free to export there, US buyers don’t want game animals,” he says.
BC is home to 8,600 bison, notes Julie Hughes, compliance officer with the BC Ministry of Agriculture. The majority of ranches are in the Peace River. “At least that is the number
that are licensed,” says Hughes, noting that ranches with just one bison require a licence. “We are always thrilled if
you report any unlicensed farms so we can subject them to the same paperwork you have to go through,” she quipped.
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