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Update from the Field
As more snow fell in West Yellowstone this week the
Montana Department of Livestock was up to its usual
dirty tricks, hazing and harassing native buffalo from
the Horse Butte Peninsula back into Yellowstone National
Park. For the moment the DOL has left town, but we expect
them back again at least once before the newest arsenal
in Montana's war against wild buffalo, a so-called "hunt"
of Yellowstone buffalo as they migrate from the park,
begins next week.
With the hunt set to start on Tuesday the 15th, we are
anxiously preparing to show the world what a buffalo
hunt actually looks like. We'll have patrols in both
the Gardiner and West Yellowstone areas documenting
the hunt and guiding newspaper, radio, and television
crews onto the killing fields as part of our efforts
to expose and catalyze opposition to the hunt. For the
past three years the Buffalo Field Campaign and our
supporters have done all we can to oppose Montana's
ill-fated plans for this hunt. Stubbornly, the state
refused to learn from its past mistakes and ignored
the concerns of citizens throughout Montana, across
the country, and around the world.
In order to run two camps simultaneously and show the
world how Montana "welcomes" America's only
continuously wild buffalo, we're going to need good,
reliable equipment. Thanks to those of you who have
generously supported our efforts we were recently able
to purchase a new video camera. But with so many hunters
out at once across a wide geographical area, we need
more volunteers and equipment to insure our effectiveness.
If you want to volunteer, have access to any of the
following items, or can make a tax-deductible monetary
contribution to our efforts, please contact us today.
Items of Particular Need:
Field Volunteers (room and board provided)
Digital Video Cameras
Mini DV Tapes
Digital Still Cameras
Two-Way FM Radios (contact us for info)
Wool Pants
Wool Socks
Long Underwear (no cotton please!)
Winter Boots
You can also help by contacting your local and national
media in order to draw attention to Montana's big mistake.
The Buffalo Field Campaign is for everyone, everywhere
who cares about the Yellowstone buffalo and takes action
on their behalf. Please join us today in speaking out
for America's last wild buffalo.
Please check next week for a first-hand account of the
hunt's opening days.
For the Buffalo,
BFC Volunteers and Coordinators
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* Take Action to Oppose the Bison Hunt - Contact
Governor Schweitzer
Less than four days from now, gunners will be at Yellowstone
National Park's north and west boundary lines, waiting
to shoot down buffalo that dare cross into Montana.
Governor Brian Schweitzer, who campaigned for office
making statements like "wild buffalo will enjoy
more tolerance in Montana" and "the MDOL is
ill-equipped to manage wild buffalo" has not only
ok'd the hunt, but he put in for a permit himself. Schwitzer's
words are empty shells.
Montana affords wild buffalo zero tolerance. They are
not welcome in the state, they are not considered wildlife
by the state, and they are aggressively mis-managed
by the state's Department of Livestock when they migrate,
crossing the man-made line into Montana.
The "hunt" will be a fatal insult to the country's
last wild buffalo, one added to the already serious
injury of the current management scheme of hazing, capture,
and slaughter.
CONTACT GOVERNOR SCHWEITZER TODAY
and tell him to cancel this hunt before it begins. Tell
him that the country's last wild buffalo deserve to
be honored as a wildlife species in Montana. Tell him
that livestock agents should inspect livestock and leave
wildlife alone. Tell him that this hunt will be shown
to the world, and Montana will suffer another huge public
relations nightmare should it go forward. Tell him that
Montana's tourism industry depends heavily on dollars
from the so-called "outsiders" who want these
buffalo protected, and that those much-needed dollars
will not come from you while this buffalo harassment
and slaughter continues.
Tell him the whole world is watching.
Help stop the bison hunt. Call Governor Schweitzer today
and urge your friends to do so, too:
Phone: 406-444-3111
Fax: 406-444-5529
Web: http://governor.mt.gov/contact/comments.asp
Mail: State Capitol, P.O. Box 200801, Helena, MT 59620-0801
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* Organic Rewards for the Month's Most Generous
Supporter
October's Organic Rewards go to Mark, a long-time BFC
supporter from Wyoming who has generously contributed
to our efforts opposing the hunt, both financially and
through the donation of his truck and video equipment.
Thank you Mark!
For years BFC volunteers have been nourished by the
delicious organic goodies 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 to BFC in November
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:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/update0506/offer.html
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* Last Words
"To be able to hunt something that was almost extinct,
what a great honor and a thrill. Just THINK about it,"
he said, as he waited to buy his hunting license."
Bison Hunter Mike Rossi, quoted in AP story
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