Chris Gill - Pitchstone Waters (Page 33)

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Chris Gill

Ranching, wildlife management, finance, oil & gas, real estate development and management.

Understanding ‘Wild Horse Fire Brigade’

"Invasion Biology"

Understanding ‘Wild Horse Fire Brigade’

As discussed in the compelling article published below, “Wild horses that are restored back into their evolutionary roles as keystone herbivores naturally protect forests, wildlife, watersheds and wilderness ecosystems, which benefit through symbiotic grazing by wild horses that naturally maintain wildfire fuels (grass and brush) to nominal levels, thereby reducing

Grand Teton Cull Ends With 58 Mt. Goats Killed, Primarily in Park’s North End

"Invasion Biology"

Grand Teton Cull Ends With 58 Mt. Goats Killed, Primarily in Park's North End

According to the article below, the National Park Service (NPS) has decided to exterminate wild mountain goats in the Teton-Yellowstone Parks because they (1) are non-native, (2) “compete” with bighorn and (3) might infect them with diseases. NPS claims to follow the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (the Model)

LANDLOCKED!

Here is a good discussion of “Access”. NOTE: this article was originally published to FayRanches.com on October 31, 2021. It was written by Cheryl Summer, Associate Broker, Licensed in WY, MT. There is a well-worn phrase in the modern lexicon of the west: Legal Access. Fifth-generation ranchers know all

Yellowstone National Park’s Migrating Bison

Yellowstone National Park's Migrating Bison

As winter snow accumulations melt, a “green wave” of fresh growth moves upwards, into Yellowstone’s higher elevations. Bison follow the green wave and they pretty much go where they wish. All this reverses with autumn snowfalls.

MIT Will Once Again Require Applicants to Take the SAT or ACT, Bucking Anti-Test Movement

MIT Will Once Again Require Applicants to Take the SAT or ACT, Bucking Anti-Test Movement

As discussed below, MIT is one of a few schools holding to admissions standards. Over the last 40 years, America’s so-called education experts have hidden their failure to educate our youth by making school easier. They have deemphasized history, math, science, language and writing. For years, tests have been

Yellowstone Starts Bison Cull as Animals Migrate to Montana

Yellowstone Starts Bison Cull as Animals Migrate to Montana

As reported below, Yellowstone’s migrating bison are once again being killed because they carry brucellosis. Yellowstone’s bison would not be a threat to domestic livestock if: 1) all bison were vaccinated against brucellosis and 2) all cattle with whom they might share winter ranges were vaccinated against brucellosis.

Grizzly Bears Make Yellowstone Wolves Behave in Unexpected Way, Study Finds

Grizzly Bears Make Yellowstone Wolves Behave in Unexpected Way, Study Finds

As discussed below, predators change animal behavior. All predators change the behavior of prey animals. Predators can also alter the behavior of other predators. For instance, wolves change how bears behave, and the other way around. These different effects on animal behavior are probably as important to wildlife and habitat

It Began as a Tool to Save Wild Elk. A Century Later, Feeding Threatens Iconic Herds

"Invasion Biology"

It Began as a Tool to Save Wild Elk. A Century Later, Feeding Threatens Iconic Herds

Here is a Washington Post article on the CWD threat from elk feeding. The paper says CWD was “identified” 50-years ago. The ‘rest of the story’ is that the “identification” occurred in a Colorado state experimental station in Ft. Collins: It’s like saying that the corona virus was “identified”

Migration Corridors

Migration Corridors

Each fall, mule deer are on the move, hustling to get to their winter home. Their motivation? Food, and they know the way there. Twice a year deer move between summer and winter ranges following a distinct traditional pathway to ensure the best chance of survival. Ungulate migration corridors in

‘A Barbaric Federal Program’: US Killed 1.75m Animals Last Year – or 200 Per Hour

"Invasion Biology"

‘A Barbaric Federal Program’: US Killed 1.75m Animals Last Year – or 200 Per Hour

As reported below, the federal “war on wildlife” is alive and well. NOTE: this article was originally published to The Guardian’s App News Channel on March 25, 2022. It was written by Oliver Milman. Activists condemn Wildlife Services, a division of the USDA, which says deaths necessary to protect

circle_ranch_west_texas_ranch_fall_sunset

Gulleys for Desert Grassland Restoration #2

Using a gulley to create a riparian meadow in the desert. NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on May 31, 2017 To see another example of this practice, click here.

He Spent Decades Protecting Buffalo. A Microscopic Invader Threatens That Work

He Spent Decades Protecting Buffalo. A Microscopic Invader Threatens That Work

According the article below, Mycoplasma bovis, which is common in cattle but rarely lethal for that animal, is a rapidly an emerging killer of buffalo. Outbreaks are spiking in some herds, with mortalities of 40-50%. The New York Times blames the disease on global warming. But the medical literature says

Did the First Americans Arrive via Land Bridge? This Geneticist Says No.

Did the First Americans Arrive via Land Bridge? This Geneticist Says No.

“As discussed in the book reviewed below, every new discovery of archaeological information on early Americans seems to push back the date of human arrival on this continent. This evolving theory profoundly changes our understanding of America’s natural history. NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on

‘Yellowstone’ and the Endangered Species Act

‘Yellowstone’ and the Endangered Species Act

Here is an excellent article by the Property and Environmental Research Center (PERC) a free market conservation think tank based in Bozeman. As explained below, penalizing landowners who accommodate rare species (such as grizzly bear at Pitchstone Waters) encourages preemptive habitat destruction, not conservation. NOTE: this article was originally published

Massive Wolf Kill Disrupts Long-running Yellowstone Park Study

yellowstone national park

Massive Wolf Kill Disrupts Long-running Yellowstone Park Study

Thanks to the Trump Administration’s delisting of wolves, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho had the chance to lead in the management of wolf recovery, and in the process prove that Western states could, and should, take back forest and wildlife public lands management from the feds. Instead they promptly showed

Rangeland Restoration: Subsoil Contour Plowing at Circle Ranch, in far-West Texas

Rangeland Restoration: Subsoil Contour Plowing at Circle Ranch, in far-West Texas

Subsoil contour plowing is an excellent way to increase water absorption in the desert grasslands of far-West Texas and Southern New Mexico. The effectiveness of the practice is shown in these before-and-after comparisons. NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on October 9, 2017.

Our Land, Our River?

Our Land, Our River?

Here is an excellent explanation of Western water rights, especially those of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Utah. It was written by the Property and Environmental Research Center (PERC) a free market conservation think tank based in Bozeman. Quoting the article, “While it is true that Montana is less heavily regulated