Thanks for visiting but we are now yakking on our main website at the URL above.
We look forward to seeing you there!
the yak and nature’s seasonal cycle
Beautiful post that highlights the intertwined nature of yaks, grass, and black haired people. Very much worth the read.
“The nomads like the Milkbird”: the yak and nature’s seasonal cycle
“If I’m at the zoo and a mad yak jumps the fence and bites me, what does this bill do?”
Things Legislators Say: Quote of the Day "If I'm at the zoo and a mad yak jumps the fence and bites me, what does this bill do?" -Rep. Mike Kernell, D-Memphis, questioning Rep. Vance Dennis, R-Savannah, on SB339, which grants limited immunity from lawsuits for "bovine activities." Dennis initially said he doubted that a yak was a bovine, though House Democratic Leader Mike Turner said that yaks are bovines.Humphrey on the Hill
to paraphrase the Pythons, “Yak bites can be quite nasty you know”…. and although the jumping of the fence is quite possible, a yak’s bite is definitely not as bad as its grunt. Its horn on the other hand…
More great quotes from politicians about yaks:
Yak Chuck Roast
Miriam’s post about yak chuck roast is awesome. The real thing about Miriam though, is anything she takes a picture of looks delicious. I am afraid to let her loose in the pasture as she may create a market for gourmet things you shouldn’t mention with food.
For Yaks, The Pen Is Mightier……
This may have some of the best yak quotes of all time…..
How Many Yaks?
At -19℉, Yaks look right at home!
We would run a “count the yaks” contest but I think most of you will find them.
Johnson County Yak War Moves to Cheyenne!
This week HB0173 is working its way into the Wyoming State Legislature. The bill is a result of yak owners in Johnson County who were unable to contain their yaks on a number of occasions. The bill would add yaks to the Public Nuisance laws governing dogs and cats. It would be amusing if it wasn’t another example of insidious government regulation driven by ignorance. Our western fencing laws are a study in the power of special interests. “Fence out” and “Sheep is Different” are great examples of convoluted laws to protect the establishment at the exclusion of others. The fact is that yaks are domestic bovine and should be governed by the same laws that cover any other cattleman’s stock. The depth of elected official’s ignorance goes back to when Johnson County Commission Chairman, Gerald Fink stated: “Another part of this was that yaks not being indigenous you might say to the state, they’re not provided for under the same regulations and state statues as other livestock are”. Interestingly he seems to understand that yaks are livestock rather than domestic pets. Somehow he missed the fact that cattle, goats, sheep, hogs, and he himself are not “indigenous”. The county couldn’t enact a law to punish a single citizen and now the surrounding cattle ranchers are trying to get a “yaks are cats” bill passed at the State Legislature.
If one spends a few minutes reading the comments on the various articles surrounding the controversy, you will see that several folks are fearful of yaks. Rightfully so, just as one might fear any domestic cattle that aren’t familiar and off their property. Cattle can display a range of behavior, but at issue is not the yak’s behavior, it is the owner’s, Wyoming fence law, and livestock regulation. Treating one rancher differently because he chose to pioneer a breed of livestock that are mostly likely better adapted to the the local environment than the “indigenous” cattle seems out of line with the Wyoming ethos.
A call to Yaktion!
Pick up the phone or fire up your email and contact these folks. Help them use the Wyoming common sense that I was once so proud of. If Wyoming needs to put into law the definition of a yak, it needs to add them to the existing list of domestic cattle.
Representative Dan Zwonitzer is the sponsor on this bill. dzwonitzer@wyoming.com,
cell 307-214-7826
Representative Mark Semlek Chairman of the Ag. Committee,
msemlek@wyoming.com,
307-756-9294
The legislative hotline is 307-777-7881
Where I sit: I am a small yak rancher based in Colorado. Much of my family lives in Wyoming, I went to college in Wyoming, and my grandparents lived and ranched in in Johnson County for years. I am a member of the the board of directors of the International Yak Association but the opinions stated here are in no way a representation of IYAK’s position. I do have a yak in this fight.
Links to Articles
How big is the yak problem in county?
Yak-at-large ordinance yanked
Yaks, like other animals in Wyoming will try to find food
Defining a nuisance
NO MORE YUKS OVER YAKS ON LOOSE IN WYOMING
Johnson County Yak War?
