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Update from the Field
Dear Buffalo Friends,
Thirteen more of America's last wild buffalo have been
killed in Montana's hunt since we last wrote to you,
bringing the total number killed to 41.
Phase I of the hunt ended on December 31. Phase II began
on New Year's Day and lasts until January 22. BFC Patrols
were hopeful for a peaceful and happy New Year's Day,
but instead hunters were out in droves and five buffalo
were killed along the Park's western boundary. Unfortunately,
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has recently estimated
that there are enough buffalo moving in and out of Yellowstone
to issue their "trigger" for this phase, and
will issue an additional 14 tags for hunters to kill
cow or calf bison. This also means that the two tribes
hunting under treaty rights - the Nez Perce and the
Confederated Salish-Kootenai - also get to split 14
of these extra tags between them.
Thursday afternoon of last week, our patrols were out
on Horse Butte, where a mixed group of buffalo were
grazing peacefully in the bald eagle closure, an area
closed to human activity from December through August.
Not even the Department of Livestock can violate the
closure without special permission from the Forest Service.
Hunters arrived on the scene and were hoping to shoot
one of the buffalo in the closure. Luckily our patrols
were there to advise them that doing so would be illegal.
BFC and the hunters both contacted the Forest Service
to inform them of the situation and get clarification
as to whether or not buffalo could be hunted there.
The Forest Service did not seem to know the law or be
concerned about the potential violation. The Forest
Service is in charge of this area, they manage the habitat
and should be aware of the closures they have put into
place and are responsible for enforcing. They acted
as if it was news to them. One law enforcement agent
said he would respond to the call, but he never made
it out to Horse Butte. No human activity means just
that, and it includes hunting. Thankfully, the hunters
had their ethics about them and decided to leave those
buffalo alone that day, though they returned the next
day and killed a mama buffalo near the former site of
the Horse Butte bison trap. The recurring lesson here
is that the Forest Service is turning a blind eye to
activities carried out on the land they are responsible
for protecting. They put forth the laws of the landscape
yet choose to either play ignorant to their meaning,
or ignore potentially illegal activity. But you can
rest assured when the hunt is over and hazing begins,
the Forest Service will have their law enforcement agents
out monitoring the actions of our volunteers. This is
known as selective law enforcement.
On New Year's Eve, three wild buffalo were struck by
one of the local sheriffs while they were trying to
cross Highway 191 at the Madison River. One of the buffalo
was killed, and when the sheriff tried to seek out the
two injured ones, his vehicle and the dead buffalo were
struck by a drunk driver, so the sheriff called off
the search for the injured buffalo and had to deal with
the alleged intoxicated traveller. The two injured buffalo
have not been seen by volunteers. They may be wandering
injured or they may be dead. We do not know at this
point.
In Gardiner, on the Park's northern boundary, it has
been relatively quiet in terms of the hunt, though one
bull was killed by the Salish-Kootenai. However, last
Thursday afternoon, a mixed group of 60 wild buffalo
were pushed away from the Stephens Creek area, which
is still within Park boundaries. Two Yellowstone Park
Rangers hazed the buffalo on foot, shattering the peace
with explosive cracker rounds, forcing the buffalo off
of their migration route and deeper into the Park.
Wild buffalo have endured every possible tragedy over
the centuries, and yet still they remain. They are powerful
survivors. Prehistoric wonders that seem to defy all
the odds. Buffalo stand strong and face the storm head
on, whatever its name. In the name of all that is wild
and free we will stand and face the storm with the buffalo,
and will never give up.
Roam Free,
~Stephany
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* Buffalo in the News
WRITE ON FOR THE BUFFALO!
Please consider writing a letter to the editor to any
of the papers listed below, those in your community,
or the ones we have listed on our web site. Buffalo-friendly
letters that are printed win you a free "Let Buffalo
Roam" t-shirt. When your letter to the editor is
printed, please mail or email us a copy, along with
your t-shirt size and mailing address. Thanks for being
a voice for the last wild buffalo!
For more info visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html
or drop a line to
Stephany at bfc-media@wildrockies.org.
12/30/07 - Groups rap park threats report (BFC
quoted), Casper Star Tribune
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/12/30/news/
wyoming/4f75b58df157a1eb872573c000783e7d.txt
12/29/07 - Guest Opinion: Public, private property
lost to brucellosis policy
(Glenn Hockett! YEAH!), Billings Gazette
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/12/29/opinion/guest/65-brucellosis.txt
12/29/07 - Sun Ranch slates 11,000 acres for
conservation easement (READ COMMENTS!), New
West
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/madison_valleys_sun_ranch_to_put_11000_
more_acres_into_conservation/C147/L38/
12/29/07 - Species, visitor effects still key
issues at park, Billings Gazette
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/12/27/news/state/22-unpark.txt
12/29/07 - Focus shifts to feeding on National
Elk Refuge, Jackson Hole News & Guide
http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=2570
12/23/07 - Trial bison vaccinations could start
this winter, Jackson Hole News & Guide
http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=2558
12/22/07 - Guest Opinion: Brucellosis policy
must protect ranchers, Billings Gazette
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/12/22/opinion/guest/50-brucellosis.txt
12/21/07 - American Indians rediscovering the
long-revered bison, The Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004085471_herd21.html
12/20/07 - Bison hunt starting slow (BFC quoted),
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2007/12/20/news/10slow.txt
12/18/07 - This Winter: More attacks being planned
against wild buffalo of Yellowstone NP, Santa
Cruz IMC / Radio Interview Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/12/18/18467745.php
12/18/07 - Where do the buffalo and elk still
roam?
Business Wire / World Wildlife Fund press release
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_
view&newsId=20071218005869&newsLang=en
12/15/07 - G&F plan considers vaccination
of bison, Jackson Hole News & Guide
http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=2530
12/15/07 - Carbon sink on the range?,
Living Earth
http://www.loe.org/shows/shows.htm?programID=07-P13-00049#feature2
12/6/07 - State and federal agencies predict
busy winter for bison management
New West
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/state_and_federal
_agencies_indicate_this_winter_could_be_busy_for_bison_man/C57/L35/
------------------------------
* Photo of the Week
http://gallery.buffalofieldcampaign.org/v/photo_of_the_week/2008-01-03.html
Two frosty buffalo watch patrols along the south side
of the Madison River. In the background, you can see
evidence of the fire that burned through much of the
forest along this stretch of the river over the summer.
~ Photo by Jesse, the Merlyn of BFC.
------------------------------
* Last Words
"In my book a pioneer is a man who turned the grass
upside down, strung bob-wire over the dust that was
left, poisoned the water and cut down the trees, killed
the Indian who owned the land, and called it progress.
If I had my way, the land here would be like God made
it, and none of you sons of bitches would be here at
all."
-Charlie M. Russell, Montana cowboy, painter, speaking
to Great Falls civic boosters, 1920's.
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