Dear Friends,
It has been a relatively quiet winter so far, at least in the Gardiner Basin, but buffalo from Yellowstone’s imperiled Central herd in the Hebgen Basin have taken a pretty big hit by both Montana and Tribal ‘hunters’. It is unclear as to the exact numbers, but there have been at least 38 killed in the last month, but possibly quite a bit more. We have eyes and ears on the ground, but sometimes things get so chaotic that it’s hard to confirm how many have been killed. We hear reports of hunters cruising residential areas; leaving wasted animal parts scattered across the landscape; and running through traffic, guns out, trying to shoot at buffalo in the road.
documentation of the waste left on the land.
At least one of the gut piles contains a fetus.
Wild Buffalo Can’t Get a Break
It’s so sad that these buffalo never get a break. They gained year-round habitat in 2015, which allows them to access Horse Butte and lands north, but most of that land is Gallatin National Forest land, which is all open to hunting. The only time they are safe when they’re out of the park is if they make it to the buffalo-friendly residential lands of Yellowstone Village. Even when buffalo make it into the neighborhoods, it doesn’t stop hunters from walking around with loaded rifles or posting up just waiting for buffalo to move into areas where they can be killed. The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes have just announced they will extend their hunt season through March 1st – it would normally end January 31st. Considering they take the buffalo that are shipped to slaughter as well – the greed is astonishing.
All this killing ignores the warnings from over the years that have come from both Yellowstone National Park and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Both agencies have urged that there be no lethal action taken against the buffalo in the Hebgen Basin (West Yellowstone) because only Central herd buffalo migrate there. The Central herd population has been in decline for many years. Because they migrate both into the Hebgen and Gardiner Basins, they are doubly impacted by mismanagement. Their numbers continue to drop.
Yes, There Are Two Yellowstone Herds
And, yes, there are two distinct herds. The Central herd, who are the descendants of the 23 who saved themselves from extinction, and the Northern herd. Both herds are behaviorally unique. They have different migratory paths and different rutting grounds. As mentioned, the Central herd migrates both west and north, into the Hebgen and Gardiner Basis, while the Northern herd migrates into the Gardiner Basin. They may be genetically similar, but they are definitely two distinct herds.
Support Wild Bison in Court
Our allies at Yellowstone Voices / Neighbors Against Bison Slaughter, are requesting that folks show up and support free-roaming wild bison! The Forest Service (and other federal, tribal, and state agencies) stops them from migrating onto public lands into Montana. Since 2019, Neighbors Against Bison Slaughter have been asking the federal court to force the Forest Service to analyze the killing that happens on Forest Service land. Judge Morris will consider whether Neighbors can show that 75 new circumstances require the Forest Service to complete an environmental impact statement: Feb. 17 (note date change), 2:30pm, Missouri River Federal Courthouse, 125 Central Ave. W., Great Falls, MT 59404. Your community support will make a difference for bison!
Montana Really Hates Wild Buffalo and Re-wilding Efforts
The American Prairie Foundation is an organization that, for the past twenty years, has been making a huge effort to re-wild prairie ecosystems in North Eastern Montana. They have bought numerous ranches from willing sellers and have received numerous grazing permits from the Bureau of Land Management. They get rid of invasive livestock, take down barbed wire fences, and restore buffalo to the landscape. Their vision is big, and it eventually connects to Yellowstone. While American Prairie’s buffalo are not wild and are managed as alternative livestock, this is a rewinding effort and they are doing the right thing. Unfortunately, Montana livestock interests have been having hissy fits about this effort for as long as it’s been in place. Montana recently sued the Bureau of Land Management for granting grazing permits to American Prairie, stating that the permits for using our public land are only to be granted to those with “production livestock”. The BLM just revoked the grazing permits from American Prairie. This is a huge hit but this fight is not over.
Will the buffalo ever win? No matter what challenges arise, we will be by their side fighting on their behalf for as long as it takes.
We will also be heading into the field soon to document, advocate, and tell their story. Please keep an eye out for our emails, share our social media posts, invite others to our email list, and spread the word. Thanks for your support!