Save the Cowboy

The following statement is an observation that my wife, Julie, and I made at the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge located in North Eastern Montana. We put it on Facebook and it received over 400 shares. It is information on a topic that needs to be discussed. This is EXTREMELY important for our rural farming and ranching communities.

“So Julie and I spent the last couple of days at the Slippery Ann Wildlife viewing area in our fifth-wheel trailer having wine, eating Elk burgers, watching Elk, well, make Elk burgers!!! Had a wonderful relaxing time! One evening in front of us was a group of people having a good time. They had a table set up with wine, hors d’oeuvres, looked like fun. It was evening and the Elk were starting to get very “active”. The problem now was the “party” below us was very loud. Between the laughter from the “group” and the generator they had going full to keep their food warm, we couldn’t remotely hear the Elk! I stood up and tried to get them to respect the other people around who came to see and hear the incredible nature in front of us but they were more concerned with their party. Finally, I got the attention of the “Caterers” and they shut off the generator! A little bit later I walked down to thank them and asked them about their “party”. GUESS WHAT!!!!! IT WAS A CATERER FROM BOZEMAN AND THE “PARTY” WAS AMERICAN PRAIRIE RESERVE!!! They brought food, wine, caterers, everything, from BOZEMAN!!!! WE NEED TO WAKE UP, BE ACTIVE, AND NOT ALLOW THESE ELITISTS TO RUIN OUR COMMUNITIES BY DESTROYING OUR RANCHERS AND FARMERS!”

#SAVE THE COWBOY!!!

We have received a lot of comments on our Facebook post. All of the comments were against the American Prairie Reserve and their expanding influence and control over the direction our small, rural agriculture communities are going. We LOVE the lives we currently live. We LOVE being PRODUCER’S and DO NOT want to be “CATERERS” to out of state, out of area money. All we want to do is what we do, PRODUCE FOOD FOR AMERICANS AND THE WORLD!!

Several comments were made saying that since my wife and I were at Slippery Ann Elk viewing area that we are part of the problem and “Helping” the A.P.R. The C.M.R. is already there, agree with it or not, like it or not, anyone can go to the approximately 1,000,000 acres and hunt, fish, and explore. But allowing out of state, out of area private investors to destroy our communities isn’t right. We don’t need another C.M.R. and DEFINITELY don’t need the A.P.R. The difference between the C.M.R. and the A.P.R. is that one is for ALL of the people, owned by the American people and the other is privately owned and controlled by people whose only goal is whatever they desire and that is NOT the continued success of our rural farming and ranching communities. The American Prairie Reserve is getting donations mostly from people out of the state of Montana thereby giving them the power over the survival of our agricultural based lives. I would only hope that if anyone considering making a donation to the A.P.R. knows what is really at stake here and wouldn’t be so inclined to donate. So please research this topic before you donate and don’t be fooled by idle promises.

#SAVE THE COWBOY

Sam & Julia Owen

Malta, Mont.