Charges to be filed against bison ranch

The Sioux County state's attorney says charges will be filed against the owner of a ranch along the North Dakota-South Dakota border where hundreds of bison broke loose, trampling fences and gobbling other ranchers' hay supplies. Sioux County prosecutor John Gosbee said "multiple" counts charging livestock at large and one count charging neglect of an animal will be filed against the Wilder Ranch, owned by millionaire businessman and real estate developer Maurice Wilder, of Clearwater, Fla. Wilder and Dan O'Brien, who manages Wilder's 200,000 acres of farm and ranch land in eight states, did not return telephone calls from The Associated Press on Tuesday. Eight ranchers have submitted claims totaling more than $60,000 in damage to hay and fences, Gosbee said. Other claims may be pending, he said. Sioux County Sheriff Frank Landeis said Wilder was billed for the damages a month ago but has not responded. "We sent it certified mail and he did pick it up, but he's dragging his feet," Landeis said. "We've gotten no response whatsoever from him." Hundreds of bison escaped pastures in early January by walking over fences that were covered with deep, dense snow. Once on the loose, some of the bison entered neighboring pastures in search of food. The ranch has about 2,500 bison, 1,100 cattle and seven employees, ranch officials have said. The bison are slaughtered at facilities in North Dakota and Colorado and sold for meat...AP