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How
many cattle graze within the range of the Yellowstone buffalo? |
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In
winter, very few Montana cattle * approximately 200 * graze
on the north side of Yellowstone National Park in the winter,
and no cattle graze on public or private lands on the west
side. The winters are too harsh on the west side for cattle
but perfect for buffalo.
• Cattle on private holdings are fenced, making contact
with buffalo unlikely.
• On the west side of the park, fewer than 200 cattle
are present for a few months in
summer (June - October) when buffalo are located
in the park dozens of miles away.
See
also-
Yellowstone Bison
- Cattle Conflict Fact Sheet
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Private
Land with Cattle
north of Yellowstone National Park
Click
here for larger image |
The
private land with cattle on the northern boundary of Yellowstone
National Park are very few or far removed from the area
where the bison migrate in winter. |
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Private
Land with Cattle
west of Yellowstone National Park
Click
here for larger image |
This
map shows the private land with cattle on the west side
of Yellowstone National Park. Please note that there are
no cattle in the West Yellowstone
Area, Oct- June, due to the harsh winters.
Also there is only one private land holding with cattle
in the summer on the west border of Yellowstone National
Park. This is where the Duck Creek Cature facility is
located. This small ranch is owned by convicted
bison poacher Dale Koelzer. |
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According to the GAO's 1999 report,
"Bison migrate into Montana across the northern and western
boundaries
of the park. In the north, when bison exit the park, they move
onto
adjacent national forestland or onto private land around the
community of
Gardiner, where several hundred cattle are present almost year-round.
In
the west, when bison leave the park, they move onto national
forestland
and private land around the community of West Yellowstone. Up
to a few
hundred cattle may occupy select public and private lands in
the West
Yellowstone area in the summer months, but no cattle
are present in the
winter. Depending on the time of year and the size
of the cattle herds, over
2,000 cattle can occupy public and private land in the Montana
portion of
the Greater Yellowstone area.
According to the Park Service, it is important to note that
only a portion of
these 2,000 cattle actually occupy lands where bison are most
likely to
move. Specifically, on the north side of the park, approximately
300 cattle
occupy private lands and about 80 cattle occupy public lands
where bison
are likely to move during the winter and early spring. On the
west side of
the park, approximately 350 cattle occupy lands where bison
are likely to
be found. However, these cattle are not grazed year-round and
are not
present when bison are actually in the area. As a result, only
about 730 of
the 2,000 cattle in the Greater Yellowstone area actually occupy
lands that
bison generally use when they leave the park."
This report was done before the Horse Butte grazing allotment
buyout.
There are currently no cattle on public lands where
bison migrate. |
| FAQ about the yellowstone buffalo slaughter |
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