West Yellowstone, MT- Fourteen wild bull bison eluded Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) agents today along the Madison River west of Yellowstone National Park. Eight DOL agents on snowmobiles attempted to haze the animals on two occasions during the day, but the bison outsmarted them and escaped into heavy timber. DOL was assisted by six officers from Gallatin County, Montana Highway patrol, and the U.S. Forest Service. An aerial reconnaissance plane flew over the area at 1:00 p.m. to help locate the bison.

This was the second unsuccessful attempt by DOL to haze bison along the Madison this year. Hazing operations are not only highly disruptive to bison, they are potentially fatal to all wildlife in the winter. Elk, deer, moose, trumpeter swans, bald eagles, northern goshawk, and a myriad of waterfowl use the same areas as bison for winter survival.

Allisun Lovejoy of BFC said, "These bison pose absolutely no threat to anyone. Not only are they killing bison, they disturb other wildlife at the most critical time of the year. The time and money they waste harassing and killing these animals is absolutely ridiculous."

The government contends that bison could potentially transmit brucellosis to cattle in Montana. There are no cattle in the area until June, 15th, and transmission has never occurred under natural conditions. The new Yellowstone Bison Management Plan calls for hazing, capturing, and testing any bison that leave the Park. The test used is a CARD test that has been shown to be highly inaccurate. Animals that test positive for brucellosis antibodies will be sent to slaughter. Those that cannot be captured or hazed back to the park will be shot in the field.

"While thousands of brucellosis infected elk migrate into Montana every winter, DOL is out harassing a group of bull bison who pose absolutely no risk. A bunch of cowboys run wildlife on snow machines and the American taxpayer gets to foot the bill. They call this a management plan?", said BFC wildlife biologist Erin Cleere.

Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers defend the buffalo on their traditional winter habitat and advocate for their protection. BFC is the only group working in the field every day to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild buffalo.

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