WA - Exec Arrested for Bison Slaughter

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/362569_bison10.html?source=mypi

The chairman and chief executive of one of Seattle's largest software companies has been charged with leading a hunt to kill 32 bison on ranch land in Colorado.

Jeff Hawn, the 44-year-old chairman and chief executive of Attachmate, faces 34 counts of theft, criminal mischief and aggravated cruelty to animals, according to an arrest warrant published on The Denver Post's Web site.

The bison killings have attracted national media attention, partly because they raise issues related to grazing rights on ranch land.

It also has touched a nerve, given that Hawn, who lives in Austin, Texas, is a wealthy software executive who bought the Colorado ranch southwest of Denver in 1995.

More info on the case: http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_9196878?source=commented-news

Authorities charged today that an Austin, Texas, businessman, frustrated because a neighbor's bison were wandering onto his land near Hartsel, first threatened and then organized a hunt that led to 32 bison deaths.

According to an arrest warrant, Jeffrey Scott Hawn wrote a letter to the hunters — members of the Aztlan Native Community of Gardner — on Feb. 25 telling them that he wanted them to "get started as quickly as possible."

"You may hunt or remove them or you may remove them live and take them to the location of your choice," Hawn wrote.

http://www.crosscut.com/blog/mossba...+exec+makes+sure+that+the+buffalo+don't+roam/

Apparently tired of a neighbor's buffalo herd coming onto his ranch, Hawn allegedly shot a bunch of the trespassers himself, then called in up to 14 other hunters to mow down his neighbor's animals in a mass killing. Together, they bagged 32 on Hawn's land, but also apparently on government (BLM) grazing land and other private property. None were taken for meat and a number were pregnant females. The hunt was not only illegal, but it violates local rules about killing another man's livestock--it just isn't done. It's fanned anti-newcomer sentiment as real cowboys and hobby ranchers collide. Hawn faces "34 counts of theft, criminal mischief and aggravated cruelty to animals." The Attachmate exec lives in Austin, Texas and is reportedly making arrangements to turn himself in.

http://theflume.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=5140&TM=44538.7

It was revealed in court documents in the civil lawsuit that 24 of the 32 dead bison were not on Watersedge Properties LLC-controlled land, although it is unclear what property the animals had been located on.

The Park County Sheriff's Office has said the animals were discovered over hundreds of acres on different properties.

The Downares are seeking unspecified damages for "such outrageous conduct."
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The complaint also states that the Downares said they would not take any action to keep their animals from crossing through a fence onto Hawn's land.

Downare said the rough winter in South Park caused snow to drift over the fence. He also said Hawn's fence was not legal.

"Any time the buffalo was on their property and we were called, we definitely went over there and got them off," he said.

http://www.nolanchart.com/article3667.html

In South Park a mountain valley at 10,000' made famous by Comedy Central, ranchers are at odds to what they consider a terrible breach of the local code of ethics whereas neighbors help each other out.
In what seems to be a feud between two rival ranchers, Hawn and The Downares, over grasslands in this expansive range of Colorado.

Land owner Hawn who lives in Austin, Texas and purchased his 395 acre ranch in 1995 to raise cattle has been unhappy with the century old free-range policies of the West, in which livestock has a right to the open range, decided to take the law into hands.
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The Park County under-sheriff seems to be mysteriously at odds trying to figure out the legalities of who should be responsible even though the century old open range law says that 'livestock can pretty much go where ever they want.' In Colorado's high country, transplanted city dwellers often don't understand 'our ways' the sheriff says.

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Bison can run fast and jump high, clearing a 6-foot-high fence from a standing position. It's even harder to contain them during winter when snowdrifts can bury or knock down fences leaving the bison free to step right over them.

If you have all that land, what harm are roaming bison doing to it? I seriously don't know.

Even if they were damaging his property, he should have handled it the right way. He no sooner filed a lawsuit and immediately hired that group of thugs to shoot the bison on his property ... but to add insult, they crossed over property lines and were tracking them down on other properties.

If anyone wants to see how absolutely obscene this was, please check out the photos at this link:

http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_9196878?source=commented-news

Half way down the page is a link to view a slide show of what the sheriff found. This is not hunting, this was a slaughter.

Typical controlling elitist. Those pics are so sad. I think bison are gorgeous animals. It was most definitely a slaughter golfmom.

Don't get me started !!!!!!!
We have a friend who raised both buffalo and elk. His fences were enormously high. As he was rather elderly, we helped him sort vaccinate and tag the elk. The buffalo were contained also and also fed alfalfa and other forage products as well as grazing. He retired and as a consequence, we still have elk and buffalo in the freezer. Another friend has buffalo grazing with not as high a fence, but definitely higher than those who have cattle.

Colorado is not a free range state to my knowledge. Wyoming is though.

I do know that when neighbors have fences out here, any fence that joins the property of another, they should share expenses. Unless it's next to farm ground and not a pasture, then the one putting up the fence pays the bill. Of course, our fence adjoins two separate properties and the owners wouldn't help, so we did our own fence. The BarnGod builds fences and is now doing one for a contractor who's kids are raising sheep.

People who come into Colorado and think they own the place and have more rights than those who have been here since forever, make me sick.

We had five calves who wandered off our property through a broken wire. We called the sheriff and let him know, then called some neighbors. Next morning we discovered they were in a pasture down the road with another rancher's cattle. He came on down, met us and between a horse and 3 four wheelers, we rounded them up and took them home. That's neighbors helping neighbors. One night something woke me up and I looked out the window by the bed. I found myself staring into the face of a Holstein cow. The entire herd of about 50 cows had broken through part of the fence in the pasture across from us. They were all over our yard. At 2:00 am we were out in our nightclothes, rounding them all into our corral. Called the owner at a decent hour and he came and fixed the fence and we walked them all back. No problem, no bother, no violence. Hey, cattle get out, buffalo certainly will. Work it out, don't killing other peoples livestock.

This guy's going to be hung out to dry. He needs to go live in a townhouse or something in Aspen with only enough land to walk a dog.

BG, he doesn't even deserve a dog imo. You and I have the same view on these new people moving in with zero respect to the 'old timers'. I live in a small tourist town. We have ALOT of NYC commuters who have moved here over the years. Some are great. Others, not so much. We respect each other here. We have a neighbor who has been here for 54 years. IMO, that woman deserves and gets respect from my family. But when a freak lady from Chicago (no offense to Chicago) moved in, she was nothing but nasty to a quite a few of our neighbors. I stand up and defend them. DH clears their walk in the winter, we all help to shovel/plow each other out in a snow storm, but this woman throws her snow ONTO their walks. Needless to say she and I have had not so nice words. Point is...respect each other. I hammer that into my girls too. It's lost all too much in today's society. No respect is alot of our problem.

This makes me cry. My best memories are of going to the zoo with my dad. His favorite animal was the bison. I never realized til I got older just how beautiful this animal was. I couldn't look at the pictures. I'll take you guys word for it that it was a slaughter. Either way he had no right and it was downright cruel.

I agree with Pocono, he doesn't deserve a dog.

Pocono Sleuther said:

BG, he doesn't even deserve a dog imo. You and I have the same view on these new people moving in with zero respect to the 'old timers'. I live in a small tourist town. We have ALOT of NYC commuters who have moved here over the years. Some are great. Others, not so much. We respect each other here. We have a neighbor who has been here for 54 years. IMO, that woman deserves and gets respect from my family. But when a freak lady from Chicago (no offense to Chicago) moved in, she was nothing but nasty to a quite a few of our neighbors. I stand up and defend them. DH clears their walk in the winter, we all help to shovel/plow each other out in a snow storm, but this woman throws her snow ONTO their walks. Needless to say she and I have had not so nice words. Point is...respect each other. I hammer that into my girls too. It's lost all too much in today's society. No respect is alot of our problem.

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Beautiful post Pocono no one has respect anymore. I hammer it into my boys too and I treat everyone I meet with kindness and respect. I do stick up for myself but am very respectful in general. I was raised that way as were most people I knew growing up. It seems like people are not even taught commen courtesy anymore. Your also right that this guy shouldn't even have a dog. He abused those animals and I can only imagine how he treats people he comes in contact with.

BarnGoddess said:

Colorado is not a free range state to my knowledge. Wyoming is though.

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It sounds like Colorado has an open-range law. This is going to be an interesting case to follow. If he wanted to challenge the law fine, but there was NO reason for the outrageous behavior of killing off the bison. :furious:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/05/bison-killings.html

Park County Undersheriff Monte Gore tells the newspaper the issue is whether the shootings violated Colorado's open-range law, dating to the 1800s, that says if you want to keep cattle off your land, build a fence.
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"If (Hawn) did not want to have a home where the buffalo roam, he should have stayed in Texas," Wendy Grumet says.

golfmom said:

It sounds like Colorado has an open-range law. This is going to be an interesting case to follow. If he wanted to challenge the law fine, but there was NO reason for the outrageous behavior of killing off the bison. :furious:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/05/bison-killings.html

Park County Undersheriff Monte Gore tells the newspaper the issue is whether the shootings violated Colorado's open-range law, dating to the 1800s, that says if you want to keep cattle off your land, build a fence.
............

"If (Hawn) did not want to have a home where the buffalo roam, he should have stayed in Texas," Wendy Grumet says.

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Duh, the BarnGod corrected me. Thanks.

These are the most beautiful animals! So very sad. I just couldn't look at the pictures! This is very sickening and disgusting!

This arrogant *advertiser censored** should live in a city townhouse, surrounded by concrete! Who does he think he is?

And I agree, there is no common courtesy and no respect for anything or anyone anymore! The world's motto seems to be " It's all about me" these days.
And this guy surely shouldn't have a dog or any other animal in his care , because I don't think he understands about caring or giving, even just a little bit.

This is heart wrenching.Sorry Golfmom but like sweetmop I couldn't look at the pictures.
It's upsetting enough to read. I don't know anyone like this in my life and I just don't understand it.

What an "I'm entitled" thinking jacked-up fool this *advertiser censored* is. How dare he do this. To me this is outright murder. Animals have every right to not be abused or slaughtered as we do. These wonderful creatures were here before we ever were.

I hope this sniveling little punk really has to answer to this and not get off easy.

I despise people like this man. :furious::furious::furious:

montana_16 said:

What an "I'm entitled" thinking jacked-up fool this *advertiser censored* is.

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And, in my mind even worse than that. The meat from those Bison could have feed soooooo many needy families. Instead the bison were slaughtered, torn apart and left to rot. It was incredibly unnecessary, arrogant and elitist. Real hunters would never have conducted themselves in this manner.