We Won't Miss Ted Turner: US Animals

Many remember Ted Turner as the owner of the Atlanta Braves or conceptualizer of 24 hour cable TV media like CNN. But his relationship with animals as a hunting entrepreneur, is less reported and revolting to some animal lovers.

Turner owned ranches in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, and South Dakota where hunters paid thousands to kill bison, deer, African antelopes and turkeys he provided.

Turner co-founded Ted's Montana Grill in 2002,a restaurant chain founded on selling bison (buffalo) meat that had roughly 37 to 40 outlets in a dozen states.

Ted's Montana Grill was a way to unload hunted bison from Turner's 50,000 animals bison herd---the world's largest private holding at the time according to published reports. It was an inspiration to other ranchers to grow bison of their own who could become burgers, steaks, meatloaf and short ribs at the Grill.

What did Jane Fonda, his glamorous wife from 1991 to 2001, think of the lucrative bloodsports?

Fonda, known as a "peace" activist during the Vietnam War, joined Turner on turkey, elk, and bison hunts according to reports. She calling hunters "ideal environmentalists."

No doubt Teddy Roosevelt or Dick Cheney if they were alive today would call Turner an environmentalist as would hunter advocates like Sarah Palin to Texas Gov. Abbott.