Last week's Question of the Week -- "Do you agree with the FWP Commission's decision to permit bison hunting" -- quickly turned into a national affair. We received e-mail from all over the country from people appalled at the idea of killing Yellowstone National Park buffalo. Still, nearly a third of the responses backed the plan to allow hunters to bag 10 bison that wander out of the park this winter.

Among 1,501 responses to this unscientific poll, 1,013 opposed the idea and 488 were in favor.

Some readers' comments:

- I personally will not set foot in the state of Montana and spend tourist dollars there until the state stops its horrific persecution and campaign of what is essentially the murder of benign and wonderful animals. And I tell everyone I can to do likewise: Stay out of Montana, the state slaughters the Yellowstone bison!

- This hunt sends a terrible message to the people of the United States, that hunters and government officials can rob them of their buffalo and get away with this crime.

- Give us a break! The peabrains at the FWP who OK'd designating the proposed bison harvest a "hunt" need to have a reality check given them by Montana sportsmen. A "wild" bison offers about as much of a hunting challenge as a grazing dairy cow.

- I think it is absolutely ridiculous to open buffalo hunting with 10 permits. A thousand people will apply, and FWP will make money. Ten permits, 4,500 buffalo makes no sense.

- All I can say is thank God I don't live in Montana. You people have to be members of the Bottom of the Barrel Club and have an IQ of zero.

- My wife and I have decided not to vacation in your beautiful state until the policy changes, which is a shame because I really want to see Glacier National Park. This hunt sews it up for us, though.

- Montana continues to shoot itself in the foot. Shooting 10 standing target bison and calling it a "hunt" is tarnishing our image. Isn't there an economic cost to this? The public cares about wildlife issues and the interest of a few continue to override those of the many.

- This year, instead of visiting Montana, we will be going to Kruger National Park in South Africa, where the economic value of wildlife and tourism is respected and valued.

- I am a 67-year-old mixed blood woman who has been fighting cancer for nearly six years now. Do you know or care what it does to someone like me to see and hear of what your plans are for our buffalo? Do you care?

- From the way this poll started out, I would guess someone or some group is stuffing the ballet box. Why not run the poll using Montana hunters with valid hunting licenses? I would guess most intelligent hunters would realize the herds need thinning to survive and be healthy. (The ones that don't get shot, that is.)

- Stop the bison hunt! What is wrong with you people? Don't you know the whole country is watching you? How can you call it a hunt when the bison aren't even afraid of people in Yellowstone? This is not a sport! It's a slaughter!

- Yes, I do agree with the FWP Commission. This is the best method of controlling the herd size. This method should also be used to control the deer in Helena.

- I am totally against "buffalo hunting." I am so against such a thing that I have headed from California to West Yellowstone to join BFC in the middle of winter to protect the buffalo from such outrageous incidents. The buffalo belong!