| The
Montana Department of Livestock shot four bull bison
in the upper reaches of the Madison River drainage
Monday.
DOL's Web site said the animals were
about 15 miles into a "no tolerance" area
known as zone three.
The Buffalo Field Campaign was
a little more precise. It said in a press release the
bison were 22 miles from the western border of
Yellowstone National Park, near mile marker 1 on U.S.
Highway 287.
"The Madison Valley, with its
open expanses of accessible grasses, is a perfect place
for bison," BFC's Dan Brister said in a press
release.
That's not a universal opinion, however.
The Madison Valley is heavily used by cattle at various
times of the year and the beef industry fears that bison
will spread brucellosis to cattle. That's why they
get so little tolerance in Montana.
Monday's shootings bring this year's
bison death toll to 942 animals, most of which
where shipped to slaughter by the National Park Service
after being captured along Yellowstone's northern border.
Another 87 calves were shipped to
a quarantine facility.
Before the winter began, the park's
herd was estimated at 4,900 animals. A recent count
estimated about 3,500 remain. Some succumbed to winter
or predators as well as those killed by humans.
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