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November 28, 2001
For Immediate Release 11/28/2001   
Contact: Mike Mease; Buffalo Field Campaign; 406.646.0070
Background info at http://www.wildrockies.org
Montana Dept. of Livestock Shoots First Wild Buffalo of New Killing Season
West Yellowstone - A majestic bull buffalo was shot today on Forest Service land (Red Canyon) outside of West Yellowstone, Montana. Two Gallatin County Sheriffs, two Highway Patrol officers, one Yellowstone National Park Ranger, six Montana Department of Livestock agents, two Fish & Game wardens, one confused buffalo and concerned activists and media were on site. Mike Mease, a videographer said, "DOL agent, Shane Hedges, and Gallatin Deputy, Rob Burns, flat out lied to me and told me that no killing would take place today." Mease continued, "They would not allow media or concerned citizens to get close enough to document their actions. It was as if they had something to hide."

The bull was a remnant of the Yellowstone herd that was decimated by the DOL's slaughter of 1,084 buffalo during the winter of 1996-97. He had been living in this area for over two months and was repeatedly hazed by the Montana Department of Livestock. This action makes a mockery of the Interagency Bison Management Plan. "According to their own plan, every attempt will be made to capture and test bison that leave the Park," states Darrell Geist of Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers. "Why this bull was not tolerated by the Montana Dept. of Livestock is another indication that despite whatever plan is in effect and regardless of the facts, this livestock agency has little or no tolerance for wild bison being on lands that are their birth right."

Montana claims that such measures are necessary to prevent bison from transmitting brucellosis to cattle and plans to spend over 45 million dollars at taxpayer expense in the next 15 years to haze, capture, test and slaughter bison on public lands. While Montana insists that bison are a threat to cattle and the state's brucellosis-free status, there has never been a documented case of transmission from bison to cattle in a natural setting. Bison, elk and cattle have co-mingled for over 40 years in Jackson, Wyoming without one documented case of brucellosis transmission from native wildlife to domestic livestock.

Mease stated, "Montana continues to capture and kill these animals because they have no tolerance for bison in the state. The real reason for the slaughter is rooted in a bureaucratic power struggle for control of public lands. The only losers are wildlife, the American public, and the local economy."

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 document and stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild buffalo.
-30-

Background info at http://www.wildrockies.org



May 25, 2001
Although we have been enjoying the summer like weather, the
winter season still drags on. The bison continue to move out of
Yellowstone, defying the continued attempts to haze them back and
keep them inside the park's invisible borders. Wednesdays hazing
operation was the largest of the past 2 weeks. DOL agents hazed
about 40 bison back to the park and hazed almost 300 that were just
inside the park boundary about 2 miles further east. The operation
included a DOL helicopter and 3 fixed winged aircraft that circled
over the Madison River throughout the day. We continue to document
this incredible waste, with only a handful of dedicated volunteers
remaining in camp.

Regardless, we have begun the transition from the winter
campaign to the summer education and outreach. A new newsletter is
at the printer and we will begin distribution next week. Let us
know if your snail mail address has changed so that we can be postage
efficient when we mail you your copy hot off the press. Email
changes/corrections to buffalo@wildrockies.org

In legal news, three volunteers went before a U.S. magistrate
judge in Missoula on May 17th. They were charged with obstruction of
a peace officer on March 14th, when, during a haze and capture
operation, officials arbitrarily closed a section of Gallatin
National Forest. Two of the defendants were found guilty, given
fines of $5000, with all but $500 and $350 suspended, and 1 year
probation. One defendant was aquitted when our video footage showed
that he was attempting to comply with the order when arrested. The
two found guilty are planning an appeal to assert their right to be
on Forest Service land and to document operations that take place
there.

This morning there is still a handful of bison outside of the
park. The main herds appear to be moving further into the park, and
we hope that they will remain there for the summer. RVs and tour
buses are rolling into the area in greater numbers and the summer
season begins officially this weekend. Most volunteers have moved on
to other projects and we all hope for some time to reflect on the




May 11, 2001                                                       
Another week of harassment against the last wild bison has passed, and not much has changed in the field. A massive operation including DoL, Forest Service, Park Service, and Fish, Wildlife and Parks is under way Thursday morning. In an attempt to rid Montana of bison, the hazers have been given permission to violate their own conditions in the Horse Butte area today. They are hazing in situation 1 bald eagle nest closures, grizzly bear closures, and will continue the operation past the 3 pm deadline. There are about 25 bison and 10 newborn calves currently at the butte.

About 50 bison have attempted to move out of Yellowstone in the Duck Creek area this week. DoL agents have hazed them daily on horseback and with ATVs. The bison had a bit of retribution on Monday when two DoL agents fell off their horses, one of them landing in Duck Creek. Luckily neither were seriously injured, but one of the horses did run off with the bison, and took several hours to catch. In a major irony, a BFC volunteer was ticketed for violating the grizzly closure at Duck Creek while video taping there on Tuesday. DoL is allowed to haze bison with horses, helicopters, and explosive rounds in this area, but citizens documenting the abuse are ticketed for merely stepping over the line.

Spring cleanup in camp is underway! Volunteers who have been here all winter are slowly trickling away to start on summer projects or to just get some much needed rest. A small core of dedicated volunteers remain, more at this time than in years past. We still have a couple weeks to go, and could use any folks who have time to spend with the buffalo. Also, we will need volunteers starting June 1st to help with education and outreach at Artists Point in Yellowstone and throughout the region. We are putting together a new newsletter which hopefully will be printed by the end of May. Contact us if you can help to disseminate the new information. Please email the names of friends or family who might want a copy to buffalo@wildrockies.org with the subject Newsletter addresses.

Thanks for your support and prayers,
Pete
Buffalo Field Campaign
POB 957
West Yellowstone, Montana 59758

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