If you are interested in taking a free-ranging bison here in the US, one way to do that is by submitting the winning bid for one of the two any-season Governor's tags in Utah. That's just what subscriber Leo W. Mack, Jr. did at the 1997 Safari Club International auction. He ended up hunting the herd of free-ranging bison that lives in the Henry Mountains, which lie in Wayne and Garfield counties in southern Utah. This herd consists of approximately 1,000 animals that have never been behind a fence, making them eligible for the Boone and Crockett record book. Mack used the services of Terry Albrecht of Panorama Land Outfitters and says he found the hunt, which was on horseback and on foot, "...both interesting and exciting. I was fortunate enough to harvest an old bull that had been kicked out of the herd and had the benefit of comparing his size with three other herd bulls, which were several hundred yards removed from him. These animals are incredibly large, and my bull weighed in excess of 2,000 pounds. It required five horses to pack out the meat and hide. His horns measured almost 18 inches in length with 16-inch bases. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour and intermittent rain showers made hunting conditions somewhat unpleasant, but the majority of the time, we were blessed with Utah sunshine. Having harvested polar bear, lion, leopard, elephant and a wide variety of other game, I never thought I would get excited over a buffalo hunt, but I can honestly state that this unique experience was a treasured hunting experience."
If you are interested in bidding on a Utah Governor's bison tag, be aware that one of them is already gone. The other one is being raffled off by the Utah Chapter of Safari Club International on March 7. For more information on how to place a bid, contact fundraiser chairman Connie Brooks, or write chapter president William W. Dodgson. In the past, these tags have gone for between $4,500 and $8,500. Good luck!
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