I wrapped up my field time in Montana earlier this week, and I wanted to send a final report, some action ideas, and a message of gratitude.
A Few Final Days in Gardiner
After the killing of the second bull on the 13th, my last few days in Gardiner were quiet. The park trapped more buffalo on Friday the 14th, and more trailer loads left for the slaughterhouse. On Saturday the 15th it was excellent to be joined in the field by our co-founders, Stephany and Jaedin, as well as our amazing local allies. On Sunday I sat with the mixed herd of buffalo as they came to the very border of the kill zone, drank at the creek and scratched on the trees there, and then turned around towards safety. I left Gardiner then, knowing the field monitoring was in capable hands, and feeling good that the buffalo had turned away from the killing fields. Unfortunately, as you read in the last report by Stephany Seay, that safety didn’t last, and at least eight of those buffalo were killed.
But the much bigger toll taken on wild buffalo this year hides in Yellowstone behind a giant public closure and a successful greenwashing campaign. Yellowstone and their Interagency Bison Management Plan cronies have captured over 500 of the last wild bison in their trap at Stephens Creek, and they continue to capture now, according to allies in the area. Most years, Yellowstone has ceased capture operations in early March, because of the proximity to calving season. This year, they only started their dirty deeds at that time. To capture pregnant mama buffalo now, just a month away from calving season, and sending them to the slaughterhouse is a crime against wildlife. So far, two trailers of bison have been sent to their death every weekday since March 10th. Twelve days, twenty-four trailer loads – probably 300 or more sent to the slaughterhouse. As they do not tend to capture adult bulls, this is 275 yearlings, immature buffalo, and pregnant females with the unborn calves in their bellies. We do not have more accurate numbers because Yellowstone and the IBMP partners still remain silent about their operations.
At this rate of slaughter, one wonders if they are keeping any living bison to be imprisoned in their quarantine facilities. Not that it is necessarily any better – separation from their families, intense testing, confinement, management, and then a life as livestock far from their homes. For those “environmental” groups that support quarantine, know that this is what quarantine looks like – it looks like trailers full of wildlife rumbling on the highway to a commercial slaughterhouse. Because even if they aren’t racing to kill buffalo to appease Montana’s governor? Any bison caught for quarantine who test positive for brucellosis antibodies are sent to their deaths.
Contact Yellowstone and the Shameful Slaughterhouse
Shame on Yellowstone for caving to dirty politics and going along with this. Shame on the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes for facilitating the slaughter and for profiting from the crime. And shame on Tizer Meats in Helena for helping to wipe out wildlife in the name of livestock interests.
Contact Yellowstone and tell them to stop the slaughter of pregnant moms and calves. Enough is enough!
Call Yellowstone’s Superintendent Cam Sholly at (307) 344-2002
Email: Yell_Superintendent@nps.gov
Comment on their social media pages:
Let Tizer Meats know how disgusted you are at their participation in this slaughter.
Tizer Meats
(406) 442-3096 • (406) 422-4822
A Brief Visit to West Yellowstone
After leaving Gardiner, I traveled down to West Yellowstone for just a few days, to visit and to get a couple skis in to see if I could find any Central Herd buffalo there. Ski conditions were not great (and driving conditions were pretty terrible!) but on my last day in Montana the buffalo came my way – crowding the highway, frozen bellies telling tales of cold river crossings. With the new snow, though, there was no exposed grass on the highway sides either, and leaving the pavement meant some serious post-holing.
The herd eventually made their way up one of the forest service roads, packed hard by countless snowmobiles. Unfortunately, these endangered Central Herd buffalo followed that road towards danger, where some of their number were killed by “hunters”. Local allies report that out of the group they are only seeing two survivors.
A Bit of Media
Have a listen to my interview with the incredible Tiokasin Ghosthorse on his program First Voices Radio on Radio Kingston. It was an honor to speak with him on this Native-hosted, Native-produced weekly radio show.
Farewell to Montana for Now
It is always hard to leave Gardiner after weeks of field patrols, even if the hours and long and the work of bearing witness can be hard. As I left, I knew that Stephany and Jaedin would be in the field for the next few days, and that we, and the buffalo, have amazing allies in the area, but it is still hard to say goodbye. I hope that Roam Free Nation can continue to build our presence in Gardiner to the point that we have a continuous base there during the winter season. The buffalo need our voices and our cameras on the ground, bringing their perspective to the world.
Thank you for all of your support that enables us to get into the field. We wouldn’t be here without you. Please continue to donate, to share our updates, invite others to join our mailing list, and keep pressure on Yellowstone and other officials.