Last Words Buffalo Tracks Dark
clouds sweep over broad prairie Below All is quiet No Life But three Indian spirits Sit on their ponies near an
old buffalo wallow They look out over a wide expanse Gone are the buffalloes that wallowed here Only their bones Leave
their spirit prints Gone are the teepees That once rested here Only the wind Across the prairie ~ J.Glenn Evans
Yellowstone Buffalo
Click for more information
Buffalo Field Campaign West Yellowstone, Montana Working
in the field every day to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild free roaming buffalo
Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
Issue In Brief
The Wild Yellowstone Buffalo
The Yellowstone bison herd is unique, and is descended
from 23 individuals who survived the 19th century near-extinction by taking refuge in the Park's remote backcountry.
Unfortunately,
America's only truly wild, genetically pure buffalo find themselves at the center of a violent conflict that can result in
the yearly slaughter of hundreds or thousands of buffalo.
Yellowstone does not provide sufficient winter range for
the resident herds of wildlife due to the deep snows of its high elevation plateaus. Animals leave the Park to forage on
lower elevation grasses necessary for winter survival. When buffalo follow their instinctual migration routes to lower elevations,
as they traditionally have done, they unwittingly enter a conflict zone where their survival is undermined by Montana politics.
Montana's
powerful livestock industry demands that buffalo exiting the Park must be slaughtered to prevent the spread of brucellosis,
a European livestock disease introduced by cows and first detected in Yellowstone buffalo in 1917. The livestock industry
continuously complains about the threat of brucellosis, but the facts tell another story.
There has never been
a single documented case of wild buffalo transmitting brucellosis to livestock. Even if such a transmission were biologically
possible, the absence of cattle from lands where buffalo forage in winter months make it physically impossible. Yellowstone
elk and other wildlife, also known to carry brucellosis, are allowed to freely exit the park without coming under fire as
the buffalo do, belying the DOL's assertions that brucellosis poses such a grave threat.
During the winter of 1996-'97,
nearly 1100 buffalo were slaughtered when they crossed the arbitrary Park boundary and entered Montana. These killings,
combined with deaths from the unusually severe winter, resulted in a loss of more than half of the Yellowstone herd in
a matter of months.
Since that wicked winter, Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers have been patrolling the Yellowstone
boundary, monitoring buffalo movements, and documenting the MT Department of Livestock (DOL) and National Park Service
(NPS) actions against the buffalo. While buffalo continue to be killed every year, the presence of our volunteers and our
success at focusing media attention on the slaughter have prevented a repeat of the '96-'97 slaughter, the worst single
year for American buffalo since the 19th century.
Support the Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation
Act
Has your House Representative signed on to H.R. 2428, the Yellowstone
Buffalo Preservation Act?
There are at least four good reasons why they should do so immediately: 1.
Buffalo will be allowed to roam on national forest lands adjacent to Yellowstone, lands where they are currently targets of
hazing, capture and slaughter.
2. The bill gives the National Park Service sole jurisdiction
over buffalo inside Yellowstone National Park. Currently, the DOL has the authority to continue to haze buffalo within
the borders of Yellowstone's western edge using helicopters and horses.
3. The bill will
shut down and dismantle the Stephens Creek bison trap located within the borders of Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner,
Montana.
4. It requires the National Park Service and the National Forest Service to acquire
additional habitat for wild buffalo.
Take Action for the Buffalo Today!
Please contact your House Representative
and urge him/her to become a champion of America's last wild buffalo by signing on to H.R. 2428, the Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation
Act. Write, call, email, and fax them today. If your Representative happens to be Hinchey or Bass, please thank
them for taking the courageous and truly patriotic initiative to introduce this critical legislation.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO PROTECT AMERICA'S
LAST WILD BUFFALO!
Stop Needless Killing of Wild Buffalo
After escaping extinction 100 years ago, America's last herd of wild buffalo is under attack again. Under pressure
from the cattle industry, millions in taxpayer money is being spent to kill buffalo that wander outside of Yellowstone National
Park. Take action today to protect our last wild buffalo!
UPDATES ON THE YELLOWSTONE SLAUGHTER
2005
7/14/05 * Montana Resumes Plans for Bison Hunt--Public Comments Due 8/15 * Last Words: Revisiting the 1990 Hunt
8/01/05 * Update From the Field--BFC hosts Bison Summit with Governor Schweitzer * Bison Hunt Comments Due August
15 * Last Words
8/11/05 * Four More Days! Bison Hunt Comments Due 8/15 * Last Words
Most of the time, articles about the buffalo
slaughter end up in hard-to-find sections of the newspaper, if at all, meaning the buffalo’s story goes generally untold
to the public.
One sure-fire way to combat this is to write Letters to the Editor so they know the seriousness and
importance of this issue.
The editorial section is the most widely-read section of newspapers, and even local papers
can reach thousands of readers. Listed below are six newspapers - national and Montana media - who must hear from each and
every one of us. But don’t stop there! Your local paper, or any publication that you read or subscribe to should hear
from you about this issue. The more people there are who know about what’s happening to the buffalo, the more people
there will be coming to their defense!
Please write to them about what is happening to the buffalo, and urge them to
cover the issue more thoroughly so more attention is drawn to the needless suffering of these unique and majestic animals.
If you’ve seen articles printed, write a letter in response. Or, you can write a response to the articles listed
on this website, a general letter about the issue, or be more specific by writing about House Resolution 3446, or the proposed
buffalo hunt, or all of the above.
Contact information for the newspapers is listed below.
NOTE: Most papers
have specific criteria to follow in order to print your letters. Please be sure to follow these paper-specific guidelines.
Also, make a follow-up phone call to the editor of the paper(s) you write to, as this will help get your letter printed. Campaigns
have been won before using this medium - no better time than today to send your Letter to the Editor! If your letter is
printed please send a copy to bfc-media@wildrockies.org or to Buffalo Field Campaign, P.O. Box 957, W. Yellowstone, MT, 59758.
NATIONAL PAPERS TO SEND LETTERS TO:
The New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html Letter Policy: Letters should be no longer than 150 words, must refer to an article that has
appeared within the last seven days. Include writer's address and phone numbers. No attachments, please. Send a letter to
the editor by e-mailing letters@nytimes.com or faxing (212)556-3622, Address them to: Letters to the Editor 229 West 43rd Street New
York, NY 10036
Los Angeles Times -
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/ Letters Policy: Keep brief. Include valid mailing address and phone number. Use plain text
. No attachments. Make a follow-up phone call to be sure your letter is printed. Call (213) 237-5000. Email letters to letters@latimes.com and address them to: Letters to the Editor 202 W. 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
The
Washington Post -
http://www.washpost.com/news_ed/editorial/letter.shtml Letter Policy: Letters must be signed and include the writer's home address and home and business
telephone numbers. Letters to the Editor can be sent via e-mail to letters@washpost.com or by surface mail to: Letters to the Editor 1150 15th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20071
MONTANA NEWPAPERS TO SEND LETTERS TO:
If you’re a resident of Montana, be sure to say so. If you aren’t, mention
that this is an issue of national concern, and that you may make vacation plans elsewhere until they stop killing buffalo
- tourism is Montana’s second largest revenue source!
The Billings Gazette-
Letter Policy: Include signature of the author, writer’s street address and phone number.
Maximum length is 300 words. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for clarity, conciseness, taste, and to prevent
libel. Send your letters to
Letters Policy: Letters should be no more than 300 words, must be signed and must
be addressed to the editor. Each letter must include the writer’s address. Writers should include phone numbers, which
will not be published but may be used for verification. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar,
good taste and libel. *Make a follow-up phone call to be sure your letter is printed. Dial 406/582-2655. Send your letters
to bwilke@dailychronicle.com, and address them to: Letters to the Editor PO Box 1188 Bozeman, MT 59771 Fax:
406-587-7995
The Helena Independent Record-
(*This paper is read by Montana State Legislators!) Letter Policy: Limit letters to
200 words. Include address and daytime phone for verification. Letters may be edited for clarity or length. Email to irstaff@helenair.com or fax to 406-447-4052. Make a follow-up phone call to be sure your letter gets
printed! Call 406-477-4072. Send your letters to: Readers' Alley P.O. Box 4249 Helena, MT 59604
West Yellowstone News-
This paper is
West Yellowstone's primary news source. West's number one industry is tourism, so letters that speak highly of buffalo
are very important. Keep your letters brief - about 250 words. Include address and phone number for verification.
Send your letters electronically to: David Warner Managing editor news@westyellowstonenews.com Their web site address is http://www.westyellowstonenews.com. Phone number: (406)646-9719; Make a follow-up phone call to ensure your letter is printed. Fax:
(406)646-4023.
Organize letter writing and guest
editorials to Montana's news outlets
* Organic Rewards for the Month's Most Generous Donation
* Last Words -- Buffalo Hunt a Very Bad Idea
----------------------------------
* Update from the Field
Thanks to all the new and returning volunteers who joined us at Campaign headquarters in West Yellowstone
to cut and stack firewood! We now have all the firewood we'll need to keep warm through Montana's long and freezing
winter.
Preparations are going well as we gear up for what we know will be a difficult season. We met yesterday
with Governor Schweitzer and while we still don't see eye to eye on many of the issues concerning the buffalo (see below)
at least we have an open dialog. The governor expressed gratitude for our presence in the field and acknowledged our
persistence. Yesterday's meeting was the third time we've met with Governor Schweitzer since he took office last January
and we hope he will put some of the ideas we've presented him with into practice to protect the buffalo. Please read
on and contact Governor Schweitzer to let him know that you want him to show more tolerance for America's last wild
buffalo when they enter Montana.
Thank Priscilla, Barb, Carol, Caleb, Mark & Paul for helping to organize last week's talks in Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and West Virginia. The response has been powerful, reminding us that the buffalo have friends all over the
country.
BFC is heading to New York City today and further up the northeastern coast from there. Please check
our East Coast Road Show Calendar for a listing of our remaining presentations. Join us and tell your friends, too!
BFC's complete East Coast schedule can be viewed at: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/roadshowseast2005.html
Spreading the word to save the herd!
---------------------------------- * Stop the Hunt! Contact Governor Schweitzer
What will it take?
"Endless pressure endlessly applied." - Brock Evans
Thank you to everyone who has contacted Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer in opposition to the upcoming
bison hunt. While campaigning for governor, and as governor, Brian Schweitzer stated that wild buffalo "will enjoy more
tolerance in Montana", and that "the DOL is ill-equipped" to manage them. He has yet to take any actions on these words.
Worse yet, he put his name in the hat for a bison hunting permit!
Together we must urge Schweitzer to put muscle behind the rhetoric. We must also firmly, repeatedly
remind him that this hunt is going to make Montana look very bad in the eyes of the world. The last wild buffalo belong
to the country, not Montana. Schweitzer can stop this hunt and we must convince him that it is the right thing to do.
Thank you for sending us copies of your letters to him. Your letters and phone calls are working! It seems Governor
Schweitzer has been so overloaded he's no longer allowing emails to get through.
STOP THE HUNT! Keep the pressure on Montana! Please use the following methods to contact Governor
Schweitzer and tell him to cancel this canned hunt. Urge your friends and family to do so too!
THANK YOU for taking action to protect the last wild buffalo
in America!
----------------------------------
* Organic Rewards for the Month's Most Generous Donation
For years BFC volunteers have been nourished by the delicious organic foods of Living Tree
Community Foods thanks to the generous donations of this amazing company. Now Living Tree would like to spread that
nourishment to our supporters.
Whoever makes the largest donation of each month will receive:
One Sweet n'Kind, Pumpkin Sesame Butter
One Heart n'Sol, Walnut Sesame Halvah
One Dream of Paradise,Chocolate Ecstasy
For more information on these tasty and healthy rewards:
It is time for honesty about wild buffalo that leave Yellowstone National Park for Montana's lower elevation
habitat. Let's start with the myths being portrayed as facts by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP):
1. Wild buffalo
are now free to roam 460,000 acres of public land. The vast majority of this acreage lies in areas where wild buffalo never
step foot. Hunters will actually find buffalo on less than 40,000 acres. This land will only be available for buffalo during
the three months of the hunt, after which the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) will commence hazing, capture and shooting
operations. If wild buffalo cross the boundaries set by the DOL, the hunt may be suspended while buffalo are hazed, captured
or shot. Since early September, the DOL has conducted seven hazing operations and shot two bull buffalo. Bulls can't transmit
brucellosis.
2. Montana designates wild Yellowstone buffalo as a species requiring disease control. While this is true,
MCA 87-2-101 (6) lists wild buffalo as a "game animal." FWP's big game management policy, codified at ARM 12.9.101, aims "to
produce and maintain a maximum breeding stock of big game on all suitable lands of Montana, public and private, in harmony
with other uses of such lands, and consistent with the available forage supply, and to utilize, through public hunting, the
available crop of big game produced annually by this breeding stock." FWP has neither produced nor maintained a breeding stock
of buffalo anywhere in Montana, nor has it determined a target population for wild buffalo in Montana as it has for all other
game species. The DOL, an agency with no interest in wild buffalo as a big game species, and no training in wildlife management,
maintains ultimate authority over buffalo and the upcoming hunt.
3. Each tribe in Montana will receive two permits
to kill wild buffalo that will be administered by tribal diabetes programs. Many native people now suffer from diabetes mainly
due to the commodity food programs supplying reservations with unhealthy products filled with white sugar and highly processed
flours. Diabetes is two to three times higher in American Indians in Montana compared with the non-Indian population. If Montana
is concerned about the health of its Native population, it should provide the tribes with more nutritious food including meat
from some of Montana's many domestic bison herds or help the tribes maintain live herds. Two permits issued to each tribe
will not reduce diabetes, but have been given to offset the negative publicity the hunt is certain to bring.
Montana
has always preferred the fifty-cent solution, the BULLET. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's (GYE) most profitable industry
is tourism, not livestock. The Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) has suggested to Governor Schweitzer that he work with Idaho and
Wyoming's governors to redefine the brucellosis classification system so that in the unlikely event that brucellosis transmission
ever did occur from wild buffalo, cattle producers far from the GYE would not be affected. This would allow for greater freedom
in designing a scientifically sound, long-term management strategy for wild buffalo that will benefit local economies and
Montana's hunting and outfitting industries. Instead, Governor Schweitzer has put in for a buffalo permit. Why must Montana
repeat its mistakes and refuse to treat buffalo as the wild animals they are?
Wyoming has a buffalo hunt without all
the controversy that comes to Montana because in Wyoming they don't haze, capture and kill buffalo the second they leave Teton
National Park or the National Elk Refuge. In at least some parts of Wyoming, buffalo are recognized as wildlife and are free
to roam as they choose. Montana could save face if we followed suit.
In the coming months people from around the world
will join BFC as we document every move against the buffalo migrating from Yellowstone National Park. Montana's dirty laundry
will once again be aired in view of international audiences. BFC's stance remains "NO HABITAT, NO HUNT!" Let buffalo establish
a native Montana population, then, working together with all interests at the table, we can develop a long-term management
strategy that may include hunting. The buffalo slaughter now bears your name Governor Schweitzer, is this how you want to
be remembered?
OP ED written by BFC's Campaign Coordinator Mike Mease
----------------------------------
--
Media Coordinator Buffalo Field Campaign PO Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 (406) 646-0070 bfc-media@wildrockies.org http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org
------------------------------------ BFC
is the only group working in the field every day to defend the last wild herd of buffalo in America.
Stay informed!
Get our weekly email Updates from the Field: Send your email address to Stop-the-Slaughter-on@vortex.wildrockies.org
Speak
Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today! http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html
Write
a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers! http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html
Help the buffalo by
recycling your used printer cartridges and cell phones! It's free and easy and it helps the planet and provides support
to the BFC. Visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html.
Focus:
Animal Welfare
Action Request:
Protest
Location:
United States
FULL CONTACT INFORMATION ==================================
Montana
Governor Brian Schweitzer State Capitol, P.O. Box 200801 Helena, MT 59620-0801 ph: 1-406-444-3111; fax:
1-406-444 5529 web email: http://governor.mt.gov/contact/comments.asp
Yellowstone National Park, Superintendent Suzanne Lewis P.O. Box 168 Yellowstone
National Park, WY 82190-0168 ph: 307-344-2002; fax: 307-344-2005 email: yell_superintendent@nps.gov, suzanne_lewis@nps.gov web
email: http://www.nps.gov/yell/pphtml/contact.html
Montana Department of Livestock, Director Marc Bridges Box 202201 Helena,
MT 59620 ph: 1-406-444-7323, 1-800-523-3162; ext. 3 email: livemail@state.mt.us Gallatin
National Forest, Supervisor Rebecca Heath 10 East Babcock PO Box 130; Bozeman, MT 59715 ph: 406-587-6703; fax: 406-587-6758 email:
mailroom_r1_gallatin@fs.fed.us
National
Park Service, Director Fran Maniella 1849 C Street NW Room 3312 Washington, DC 20240 ph: 202-208-6843; fax: 202-208-7889 email:
NPS_Director@nps.gov
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 1400 S. 19th Ave. Bozeman, MT, 59718.
email: fwpbison@state.mt.us, fwpwld@mt.gov
MONTANA
TOURISM OFFICES
West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce PO Box
458 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 ph: 406-646-7701; email: wycc@wyellowstone.com
Montana
Promotion Division (Travel Montana) 301 South Park Ave, Helena 59620 ph: 406-841-2870; email: betsy@visit.com
For Immediate Release, January 2, 2006 Contact Stephany Seay:
(406) 646-0070
GARDINER, MONTANA. In spite of continuous national public outcry calling for Montana to cancel
its controversial bison hunt, the state's zero-tolerance policy against the country's last wild bison continues. On
New Years Day it resulted in another bison death in Gardiner, Montana, just outside the boundaries of Yellowstone National
Park.
In the past ten years Montana and the federal government have killed 2,477 wild Yellowstone bison, more than
half of the existing herd. Twenty wild bull bison have been killed in Montana since September; seventeen have been shot
by Montana hunters, two by Montana's Department of Livestock (DOL), and another was shot by a Yellowstone National Park ranger
inside the Park.
Nearly all of the bison that have been killed in Montana's hunt have been shot less than five miles
from the boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Two bison have been shot at the site of the Duck Creek Bison Capture
Facility. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks claims bison have access to 460,000 acres of Montana lands
during the hunt, yet the terrain is mountainous and rocky and bison naturally require lower-elevation grasslands. Only
a tiny fraction of the so-called "tolerance zone," or hunt-area, is being used by bison. Further, immediately after the bison
hunt ends on February 15, the 460,000 acres will no longer be available to wild bison.
"Unlike other hunted species
in Montana, wild bison are never allowed in the state without being subjected to harassment or death," said Dan Brister of
BFC. "As soon as this bison hunt is over, the Department of Livestock will be out in force hazing, capturing and sending
to slaughter or quarantine facilities any Yellowstone bison that steps foot in Montana."
The Buffalo Field Campaign
(BFC), a Montana-based wild bison advocacy group, opposes this hunt because wild buffalo have no protected habitat in Montana
and are never allowed in the state without being captured, slaughtered, shot, or hazed. Deer, elk, moose and antelope
enjoy habitat in Montana as well as a respite from hunting when the season ends. Bison, however, are always targets of persecution
at every time of year, whenever they step foot into Montana's borders.
"This hunt is a sham because wild
bison aren't even considered a wildlife species in Montana, they are managed by the state's Department of Livestock, and they
have no protected habitat in the state," said Stephany Seay of BFC. "Montana's illegitimate bison hunt is a disgrace
to Montana and it's hunting heritage. Permanent habitat, wildlife designation, and management by trained wildlife professionals
must come before a species can be legitimately hunted."
Seventeen of eighteen non-Indian permits have been filled during
the first phase of Montana's bison hunt, which ends January 15, 2006. The Crow Nation has rejected the two permits offered
by the state. Other tribes may follow suit.
Montana claims its bison hunt is popular among citizens, yet Montana
Governor Brian Schweitzer is ignoring the thousands of phone calls and letters he has received urging it's immediate cancellation.
Citizens nation-wide have been calling on Montana to end its zero-tolerance policy and afford lasting protection to the country's
last wild herd of bison.
The state justifies its lack of bison tolerance on the unfounded fear that bison may
transmit brucellosis, a European livestock disease, to cattle. There has never been a documented case of wild bison
transmitting brucellosis to livestock. Bulls pose no risk of transmitting the bacteria.
The bison that inhabit
the Yellowstone region are the last wild, genetically pure, unfenced bison left in the country. They are the only bison
to have continuously occupied their native range and they are the last bison to follow their natural instinct to migrate.
Like other wild ungulates, the region's harsh winters forces necessary migration into lower elevation lands where available
forage is found. Yet, unlike other wild ungulates, wild bison are not allowed to leave the confines of Yellowstone National
Park and face a zero-tolerance policy when they enter Montana and consequently it's killing fields.
Buffalo Field Campaign
is the only group working in the field, everyday, to stop the slaughter of the wild Yellowstone buffalo. Volunteers
defend the buffalo on their native habitat and advocate for their protection. BFC video footage and photos of Montana's bison
hunt are available upon request and may be viewed at http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org.
Media & Outreach
Buffalo Field Campaign P.O.
Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 406-646-007 bfc-media@wildrockies.org
It has been a most intense, difficult and
crazy week for the last wild buffalo. All in separate incidents, buffalo have been shot, captured, sent to slaughter,
run over and hazed through ice. Strong prayers are greatly needed for our wild buffalo friends and relatives, and for
our volunteers who continue to witness so much death and monstrous actions against the sacred buffalo.
On Friday in Gardiner, the National Park Service
(NPS) was busy harassing wild buffalo, protecting livestock interests instead of the flora and fauna they are mandated by
the American people to protect. Park Rangers came out on horseback, dressed in cowboy finery, just miles from the hunt
zone, and forced wild buffalo off of their winter range. Two groups were hazed into the Park and then the rangers picked
up another large group that had never even left the Park's boundaries. All in all 350 noble wild bison were caught up
in the haze, herded like cattle by John Wayne park rangers and pushed far into the Park's boundaries towards Mammoth.
Area pronghorn - a species of special concern - were also harassed in the operation, and likely many other wildlife species
were as well. What price beef production?
On Saturday, we got a call from Mike up in
Gardiner telling us that he just witnessed the 18th buffalo get shot. With sadness, we also breathed a strange sigh
of relief because this meant the last of the non-Indian permits for Phase I of the hunt. Since the Crow Nation and Nations
of Fort Belknap pulled out of the hunt, we wrongly assumed that other tribes would follow suit and no more buffalo would be
shot during this portion of the bison hunt. But, just a few short hours later that same day, we got another call from
Gardiner saying that there was a 19th buffalo shot. As it turned out, the Little Shell Band of Chippewa did decide to
use their permit. Read our press release: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0506/pressreleases0506/010906.html
On Monday, Ryan and Brittany discovered a
bull buffalo laying down in the middle of Forest Service Road 610 that runs along the Horse Butte Peninsula. They watched
him for a bit, giving him room and the right of way, but when he didn't move for a while they soon found out why; The buffalo
had two broken back legs. They had been snapped in half and he was clearly unable to move. We called the local
Fish Wildlife & Parks (FWP) game warden who was a bit annoyed to have to "put some clothes on" at 9:30 a.m. on a work
day and go out to deal with the situation. As we monitored from the radio room, we also learned that a call had been
placed to the agency - by a snowmobiler - at 7:30 p.m. the night before. Why did FWP not respond to the situation immediately?
Why did they wait until BFC called them the following day? That bull needlessly suffered two broken legs for over 15 hours.
The game warden came out and shot the buffalo five times. After the third bullet, the bull was still alive and the game
warden turned to Ryan and Brittany and said something like "is that enough for ya, do you want me to put another in him?"
After he was killed, FWP trucked his body to an unknown non-profit organization in West Yellowstone that wanted his head,
and then the rest of his body was flung to the local dump. It's ironic that less than a month ago the media reported
that snowmobiles had no adverse impact on wildlife. No adverse impact? Tell that to the dead bull who got his
two back legs snapped in half on a cold winter night and found his final resting place at the town dump.
Demonstrating who's really in charge of the
bison hunt, on Tuesday we learned that FWP was planning to suspend the bison hunt on the western boundary of Yellowstone National
Park. This decision was made under pressure from the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) who is the authorizing agency
of the bison hunt. They feared that buffalo were outside the hunt's so-called tolerance zone, or hunt area, and the
DOL wanted to flex their authoritative muscle by cancelling the hunt to conduct a hazing operation. Though close to
yet another manmade line, the buffalo were not, and have not been, out of the "tolerance" zone. Regardless, the hunt
was suspended on the western boundary as of 1/2 hour after sunset on January 11. Bison hunting will resume on the opening
day of Phase II, this coming Monday, January 16. Yet during the suspension, there is no peace for the buffalo.
Read our press release: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0506/pressreleases0506/011006.html
Just yesterday we got a call from Gardiner
that Yellowstone National Park Rangers had captured 208 buffalo inside the Stephens Creek Bison Trap. Another 100 buffalo
were captured today. They will send them all to slaughter without testing. The Stephens Creek Trap is located
inside the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. The NPS claims they had hazed the buffalo back into the park repeatedly
and that capture and slaughter was their only option. The Chief of Public Affairs for Yellowstone said, "we are working
with our neighbors to protect Montana's brucellosis-free status." Isn't the Park supposed to be protecting wildlife?
Ironically, the NPS made this move without consent or cooperation from Montana. Montana, fearing bad publicity while
their hunt is underway, was incensed over the Park's decision to capture bison. Consequently, Montana refused to assist
the Park Service, so they had to get help from the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) - the federal agency
that makes and breaks the laws regarding animal health. The NPS has violated their own agreement, the Interagency Bison
Management Plan, by sending the buffalo to slaughter without testing. In the plan it states that they must conduct their
late-winter/early-spring bison count BEFORE they can make the decision to send bison to slaughter without testing. They
have not yet done the count. As of this morning, at least 24 of the captured buffalo have been loaded onto livestock
trailers and sent to slaughterhouses. Forty buffalo may go to slaughter tomorrow. The remainder are being held
in the capture facility over the weekend and possibly longer before they, too, are sent to slaughter. Read our
press release: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0506/pressreleases0506/011106.html
This morning, our volunteers witnessed a horrible
event. The DOL did, indeed, come out to haze. The DOL's target was a mixed group of about thirty buffalo that
were safely within the "tolerance zone" or hunt area, so there was no reason for the DOL to even be out hazing them.
They approached the buffalo from across the ice riding their snowmobiles and actually hazed them onto thin ice. Twelve
buffalo fell through. It was a heart wrenching scene, to say the very least. The volunteers who witnessed it are
speechless. The agents that caused this to happen sat and watched the buffalo as they tried in vain to gain footing
to free themselves from the freezing waters. Two buffalo drowned. After a long period of waiting, the agents finally
took action and used chain saws to create a pathway that the buffalo could access. Using ropes they tied around the
buffalo's necks and horns, they pulled them out of the water. Some of the agents were laughing as they tried to pull
the exhausted, freezing buffalo out of the water. Shane Grube, the local DOL agent, was actually seen patting his leg
at one big bull, as if to say "come 'ere puppy" to the wild buffalo in freezing water. One young buffalo that was brought
to the surface of the ice lay there shaking, its mother standing over it, and agents were throwing snow at her trying to get
her away from her freezing baby. She did not move from her baby's side. The fate of the ten buffalo that were
pulled out of the ice is unknown. Read our press release: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0506/pressreleases0506/011206.html
With Strong Prayers for the Buffalo and All
Our Relations,
~Stephany
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* Quarantine Comment Deadline EXTENDED!
Many thanks to Josh and D.J. and everyone
who sent in letters to FWP requesting that they extend the comment period on their Bison Quarantine Environmental Assessment.
FWP granted the request and agreed to extend the comment period for another 30 days.
The new deadline for comments is February
13, 2006
Please take action to help prevent wild baby
buffalo from being stolen from their mothers and families, held in captivity and used in scientific experiment. Information
about the quarantine plan, information about quarantine, and the contact info for sending in your comments can be found at:
You may also email Josh at bfc-advocate@wildrockies.org
with questions. Please send him a copy of your comments as well. Many thanks for being a voice for the last wild
buffalo.
------------------------------
* The Buffalo: A Perspective from Down
Under
Wilderness areas are all unique places
- the tundra of Patagonia, Australia's arid and then wet Kimberley, or the vast ecosystem of Yellowstone. Yet somehow
they are all united by an indescribable feeling, something wild and calming on the soul. They are able to hang on to
a sense of true nature and connect us to who we are - remind us of our selves and what it is to be alive, regardless of borders
or cultures.
As an Australian visiting Yellowstone I felt
instantly at home with the buffalo - moved by their majesty, grace and stubborn will to survive. That sense of survival
and disregard for time and manmade borders unites wild animals everywhere. The buffalo don't belong to any one people
or place - they belong to, and are a part of the world. That they are treated as they are is an offense not just to
Americans, but to all people.
Humanity's insane destructive and controlling
desires threaten all kinds of wild places. Conflicts between the fragile game of a healthy ecosystem and the whims and
egos of human politics and power are everywhere, especially on the fringes of Yellowstone where these regal creatures - their
spirit so much a part of the landscape - are harassed, shot and tortured almost daily. It sickened me.
To a foreigner, as to an American, the buffalo
are a powerful symbol of the continent; a portent of how things were, how this huge landmass was a vibrant, healthy place
long before white man's paws scarred it. They are a symbol of what America would like to be - wild and free, powerful
and strong. Sadly, the daily intrusion into their lives is probably even more a symbol of America, of that desire to
control and dominate and, of course, protect business interests.
Sadly, America does as much outraging of the
world as it does inspiring them these days. The paradox of the country is that so few can destroy so much, but good
stories there are. A passionate, caring and dedicated group of volunteers are there, early morning to sundown, watching
the buffalo. Good vs evil on the plains of Montana - now that's America.
Despite the anger and frustration of what's
going on, being with the buffalo everyday was an amazing opportunity. It gave me an intense feeling of history - not
that idea of history as a record of change, but of history as an ongoing, constant place. Amazing, breathtaking animals.
Animals who have lived, foraged and walked these routes for millennia. These are animals who, frustratingly for human
egos, don't need us.
Ironically, it us who need them. We
need the buffalo, their sense of calm, their sense of place and their sense of being. There they are, the last herd
of wild buffalo, drifting across Horse Butte, epic creatures, symbols of an ecosystem which tells us the world is healthy.
But more than that, more than a country's symbol, more than beasts roaming the plains. Their survival and health retains
a link that us, as humans, must hang on to. Their peace, majesty and humility is not something we can afford to torment or
wipe out. More than anything, we need them to be wild.
Garry Dagg
BFC Volunteer and Human Being Extraordinaire
(Garry volunteered with BFC for much of December
and January. He was on his Summer Vacation and chose to stand in defense of America's last wild buffalo. Garry
spent time in West Yellowstone and also in Gardiner. He is such a pleasure to be around and everyone misses him.
We hope he'll come back and join us on the front lines in the not-too-distant future. Thank you, Garry with two R's!
You inspire us!)
------------------------------
* Send Some BuffaLove this Valentines Day
Roses are red,
Bison are brown.
Here's ONE valentine
You'll WANT to hunt down!
Valentine's Day is on the near horizon. On this day dedicated to
love, we invite you to honor your loved ones with a gift truly from the heart. Instead of (or in addition to) candy, flowers,
and trinkets, let Buffalo Field Campaign send a valentine in your name. It's cheap, it's easy, yet it means so much!
"Initially, critics said BFC's vigilance would
never last. But while tree sitters in old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest have come and gone, BFC is anchoring one
of the longest continuous environmental
protests in U.S. history."
Todd Wilkinson, April 2004 from a news story
called "Yellowstone Bison: To Shoot or Not to Shoot?"
