Could This Be The End Of America's Last Wild Buffalo?

For thousands of years, Indians and the buffalo lived together, a harmony that symbolized their way of life. Then from the East the white man came, wiping out a life force. The only remaining wild herd today live in and around Yellowstone's borders. Last winter, the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) slaughtered 1,100 buffalo from Yellowstone Park. To the horror of many, plans are already set in motion to continue the carnage this year.

Why are these buffalo being killed you ask? The DOL insists that Montana must maintain a brucellosis-free status for its beef industry. Brucellosis is a disease that causes cattle (and elk) to abort their first born. Despite the fact that there has never been a documented case of buffalo spreading brucellosis to cattle, the DOL and Park Service still have their rifles pointed straight ahead. The sad irony is that it was cattle that transmitted the disease to buffalo, not vice-versa.

There were 3,500 buffalo at the start of last winter. The extremely harsh weather caused many buffalo to migrate out of Yellowstone into Montana. These buffalo were the genetically superior ones in many cases, strong enough to make it to their winter feeding grounds. When you add the 1,100 state-sponsored killings to the 800 to 1,000 buffalo who died of natural causes, you have a precariously thin herd.

The way the killings are handled is also a point of concern. Area residents of Gardiner, Montana and West Yellowstone are outraged at what has taken place and can't believe that it is about to happen again. "The DOL has absolutely no concern for anyone," one resident of West Yellowstone said. "They just walk onto your property with no permission whatsoever and murder the poor animals. Worse yet, they leave the gut piles behind for everyone to see, then take the heads and the hides and auction them off, making a profit at the buffalo's expense."

Business owners in and around Yellowstone are also a bit miffed at the lack of regard the state has shown towards their livelihood. Tourism brings people by the thousands to Montana every year and killing off a major attraction has local merchants scared and ill-at-ease.

A draft environmental impact statement on management of the bison will not be issued until January at the earliest. It is already nine years overdue.

Forty-four Native American tribes have stated their willingness to pay to relocate live buffalo to their tribal lands. But Native Americans have never been invited to discussions of how the buffalo will be managed, even though the Park recognizes ten tribes as having rights in Yellowstone.

A repeat of last winter would be a devastating blow to the future of America's last wild buffalo herd. For now, the buffalo is teetering on the edge of existence. Its survival is going to take unity and cooperation between parties currently miles apart.

During a recent fly-over with Project Lighthawk, 251 bison were found in the Cougar Creek drainage a mere ten miles from the Park boundary. The good news is that the snow on the ground is still only eight-twelve inches in most places. The bad news is that any significant snow will immediately drive these bison out of the park and into dangerous territory. This is a critical time for the bison; anyone who is considering coming out this winter should think about making the trip as soon as possible. We have already begun patrolling Yellowstone's boundaries, hazing bison back into the Park and established safe havens with some of the land-owning community.

Buffalo Nations brings together Native American tribes throughout the West with others who believe that saving the buffalo is essential. Contact Buffalo Nations at POB 957, West Yellowstone, MT 59758; (406) 646-0070, fax (406) 646-0071; buffalo@wildrockies.org.