It’s been a whirlwind couple days – an emotional roller-coaster. Buffalo are flirting with the park boundary while managing to dodge the so-called “hunters”, but they are falling prey to Yellowstone’s capture facility in huge numbers.
The afternoon of my last update, on Tuesday, a group of 37 wild buffalo did as they are supposed to – migrated – and marched right on past Yellowstone’s boundary. Incredibly, this happened in the very short window of time where there seemed to be no hunters in town! This mixed group of two beautiful bulls, very pregnant mamas, and assorted youngsters included a very late calf of last year – still red in the body but turning brown at the head. At dusk they were camped on private land north of the park, and I left for the night fearing the worst in the morning.
On Wednesday morning, the word had apparently gotten out and the hunters were here – some having driven through the night to “get a buffalo”. The small group was having none of that, however, and had made their way back to the relative safety of the park during the night! Some of those “hunters”, disappointed, turned around and headed for home. Wednesday was quiet, with few buffalo out at all.
Thursday we woke up to snow, and it snowed most of the day. Poor visibility meant checking activity at the trap was difficult, but the Park captured buffalo again. We confirmed with photos later that they had over 200 in the trap by the end of the day. Sadly, the little red yearling was among those lured into captivity.
Again, there were “hunters” around, getting skunked by both the buffalo’s own self preservation and the Park’s giant capture operations. Tempers are running high, and my morning began with a Nez Perce hunter confronting me as I sat parked at the Yellowstone boundary. Pulling his truck up to my passenger side, he got out and came to the drivers side, pointing his phone camera at me, “you can’t do this… you’re hazing the buffalo… you’re violating my treaty rights…” Caught off guard, I only managed, “what are you talking about?” And “I don’t see any buffalo, do you?” And as he got back in his truck to drive off, “if you want to blame anyone for messing up the hunt blame the park who captured over a hundred yesterday!” He quickly drove off, having had his say… who knows, maybe I’m famous on his TikTok…
In the evening a group of 16 buffalo headed for the boundary and Beattie Gulch. Hunters waited at Beattie Gulch. I sat with some other buffalo allies and the little herd as they stopped their northward march, only about a half mile from the boundary. We stood with them, our little buffalo crew with theirs, as the sky darkened, and soon, a half hour after sunset, they were safe for the night.
Friday morning was fairly quiet – some hunters around, and at least one elk was killed above the town off Jardine Road. Disturbing news was coming from West Yellowstone that made it sound like some hunters had left for West to kill buffalo there.
Around noon I watched as Yellowstone cleared the outer pen of the trap again, and spread more hay to bait the trap. In the afternoon they captured even more buffalo, at least another 50 – the outer pens must be getting so crowded.
Afterwards I thought I’d be able to call it an early night, when I noticed a bull heading north, about a half mile from the kill zone. He marched north, and hunters gathered. One bull, and at least seven hunt rigs and two conservation enforcement officers showed up. The shooters lined up on opposite sides of a little dip in the land, at least four of them holding rifles. The bull marched up the road, stopping to graze, not paying any mind to the multiple people out trying to haze him into the kill zone. He picked his way through that gauntlet to private land and safety. I celebrated his victory, this beautiful bull.
As I headed for town that evening, I got caught in a buffalo jam. Old Yellowstone Trail, the dirt road leading from Gardiner, was flowing with buffalo. Hundreds made their way past me flowing past the car on both sides for about fifteen minutes. It was awe-inspiring, incredible, and also scary as they headed north towards danger.
Saturday morning the lone bull remained safe on private property, and the river of buffalo seemed to all gather around the trap – hundreds in the area. Yellowstone couldn’t resist, and by 8 in the morning horseback riders rode out to actively haze buffalo in the trap – no longer satisfied with luring them with hay. It seemed they captured another 30 or so – and later I counted over 350 inside the trap. The active hazing was not something I’d seen in a while, and it really seems like for some reason the Park Service and Department of Livestock is trying to provoke the tribes by capturing almost every buffalo who moves north.
A small group, though, made it past the capture facility and was moving close to the danger zone in the afternoon. As the group of 34 headed towards Beattie Gulch, hunters again gathered, and again, the buffalo stopped short of the boundary, deciding that the field a quarter mile from the Yellowstone border was a good place to spend the end of the day.
I am so so grateful for this time with the buffalo. I’m elated that they are avoiding the killing fields of Beattie Gulch, and furious that Yellowstone is once again betraying their mission by betraying the buffalo. I’m thankful for all the buffalo allies I’ve had time with in the field, and thankful for you, our supporters, who enable us to be here. You can continue that support here, or please just help us spread the word and these updates.