Join wild buffalo advocates at a benefit for Buffalo Field Campaign! Tatanka 2008 will take place in Victor, Idaho June 20-21. Events will be MC’d by BFC’s co-founder Mike Mease! Musical acts include B-Side Players, Army, MooGot2, Anthony Smith’s Trunk Fulla Funk, Chanman’s Roots Band, Teton Honkeytonk, All-Stars, Big Fatty, Ten Cent Lure, CB Radio, and DJ MAM! Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the show. Contact The Knotty Pine at 208-787-2866 or Big Hole Music at 208-354-3659 for ticket information. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information.
NOTE: This will be the last weekly issue of the Update from the Field until mid-November. For the summer and fall months, the Updates will come to you every other Thursday. Thanks for being with us and for the buffalo!!
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In this issue:
* Update from the Field
* Buffalo in the News
* BFC Needs Summer Educators & Maintenance Volunteers
* Upcoming Event: Tatanka Music Festival 2008
* LOOK! Photo Journal of the Week
* Last Words
* Kill Tally
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* Update from the Field
Dear Buffalo Friends,
As BFC’s 2007-2008 field season begins to wind down, with volunteers making their way to the four directions, the landscape remains active with wild bison and agent activity. Though our numbers are dwindling we, of course, remain with the buffalo.
On a couple of occasions this week, the Montana Department of Livestock donned their cowboy attire, complete with macho attitudes, to chase two mama buffalo and their newborn calves out of the Town Park in West Yellowstone. The buffalo were, of course, causing no harm and were being admired by tourists and locals alike. The calves were napping, the mamas peacefully grazing. Then DOL agents Shane Grube and Mark Anderson showed up. As soon as the mama buffalo saw the riders approach, their tails went up (a sign of distress) and they went over to their babies to shepherd them away from the aggressive cowboys. The buffalo took off, and the agents were hot on their heels, looking ridiculous riding through the streets of West Yellowstone.
After being told time and again by private property owners on the Horse Butte peninsula that wild bison were welcome, but the Department of Livestock was not, the agents flexed their assumed muscles of authority and chased wild buffalo off of Horse Butte today. There are no cattle on Horse Butte at any time of year now. While the agents attempted to cover themselves by not stepping foot or hoof onto the property, they instead used their helicopter, with DOL agent Rob Tierny inside directing the pilot — flying as low as 20 feet– to chase the buffalo off of the Galanis property, disrupting all the residents on Horse Butte in the process. The Galanis family has let it be known numerous times that the DOL is not welcome there, but wild buffalo certainly are. The Galanis family purchased the 700+-acre ranch, formerly known as the Munns’ Ranch, and designated it a “Bison Safe Zone,” the largest in Montana.
PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS VIOLATED BY LIVESTOCK AGENTS HAZING WILD BISON
Property Owners Welcome Bison, Not DOL, on Cattle-Free Horse Butte
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 29, 2008
Press Contacts:
Janae & Rob Galanis, 406-646-4848
Ed & Vicky Millspaugh, Hebgen Lake Estates, 406-646-9176, (cell) 406-580-0321
Stephany Seay, Buffalo Field Campaign, 406-646-0070
WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT - With horses, a helicopter, state and federal law enforcement, and U.S tax dollars to spend, Montana Department of Livestock agents have descended upon the cattle-free Horse Butte Peninsula, violating private property rights and upsetting human and wildlife residents in an attempt to chase wild American bison out of Montana and into Yellowstone National Park.
“These actions underscore the arrogance of the Department of Livestock, cattle industry, and agencies carrying out the Interagency Bison Management Plan,” said Mike Mease, co-founder of Buffalo Field Campaign. “There are no cattle out here and the landowners want the buffalo around, yet the government-funded cowboys act like the only private property rights that matter are those pertaining to cattle.”
The Horse Butte peninsula is a 26,000-acre landscape encompassing both public (Gallatin National Forest) and private property. It is 100% cattle-free at all times of the year. Horse Butte provides critical winter range and calving grounds for American bison. The majority of Horse Butte residents welcome bison, but do not welcome the presence of the Montana Department of Livestock. Homeowners have expressed their wishes that the DOL refrain from chasing bison off of their land, but these wishes continue to be ignored.
“I am a fully disabled veteran. I went to war–nearly getting killed several times–for their rights and my rights and now they’re taking it away from me by violating my private property rights,” said Ed Millspaugh, Horse Butte property owner and president of Hebgen Lake Estates. “Is this the way Montana wants to treat its vets?”
Despite all the craziness of this year, we are sometimes blessed with moments of incredible beauty. On Horse Butte a group of 15 buffalo, including two newborn calves, were grazing in the housing area. One mom and baby drifted apart from the herd. A lone wolf saw the opportunity and advanced toward the calf. The rest of the buffalo saw what was going on and quickly headed towards the mom and baby. The buffalo then surrounded the calf while several other buffalo ran the wolf away.
Long before the people came from across the big waters
the Buffalo were free as was also the Native Indian.
The Buffalo numbered in the millions
and were the life of the Indian People.
They supplied food,shelter, tools,clothing
and even the chips were used for heat in the cold winters.
I do not see the Buffalo as a simple animal
but as a Brother and Partner in life.
The flesh from this most Sacred Animal kept
the people healthy and strong.
It does not contain the garbage
and cholesterol that beef does
In the old days the Indian People were strong
and long living and healthy.
Today because of the White Mans food
the Indian is fighting for their lives.
Diabetes and obesity from this garbage
the White Man calls food is destroying
not only the Indian but all races in America.
The Buffalo gave freely of himself for the People.
They are to be honored and respected.
Now I can’t think of a more beautiful sight
than Free Ranging Buffalo
grazing on the Grasslands of the West.
You ask why did people start killing the Buffalo.
This is very simple.
The People from across the Big Waters
came with greed and murder in their hearts.
The only way they could grab everything
was to starve out the Native Indian.
They called the Indian Savages, Heathens and Worthless,
so it was ok to murder them at will.
Go to the truthful history books
and look at the massacres of Indian Men, Woman and Children.
The Rocky Mt. States and the Prairie States
are soaked with the Indian’s and Buffalo’s Blood.
Then the Slab Sided Locusts (cattle) came to the Grasslands.
Then came the drunken blood thirsty cowboys.
Now look at the land where once the Indian and Buffalo
roamed free and what do you see?
Fences, destruction and pollution of the forest,
rivers and all of the Great Spirits Creation. You ask why?
Greed, greed and more greed.
These cattle ranchers want every last blade of grass.
They will not share anything with the Buffalo.
If the Buffalo was so sickly and the cause of this disease
why did they number in the many millions?
It is the cattle that bring the Disease
and the cattle rancher that is the problem.
Did you know the cattle are fed the dead flesh
of others of their kind causing Mad Cow Disease?
Read about the shear joy in the hearts of these cattle men
and cowboys when they go out to kill the bear, coyote, wolf,
prairie dogs, and anything else that breathes.
As a boy I lived in cattle country and I saw the mean spirit
in the Cattle Ranchers and Cowboys.
They would shoot the Hawks and Eagles
and hang them on their fences
They were so proud of their manly skills
they wanted the world to see.
Today the Buffalo suffers much because of the Cattle men.
They have money to buy Government officials and Police.
I just read of the police brutality towards the peaceful people
trying to save what is left of the wild free roaming Buffalo
from Yellowstone. These cops take an oath to protect
but sell themselves to the cattle industry.
It is no wonder there is so much hatred towards cops today.
For these cops to gang up on some peaceful young man
just trying to do good
and smashing his face into the gravel makes me sick.
To me these cops are nothing
but bully gang members with badges.
Anyhow, this is how I feel and I hope it gives you an idea
of why the Buffalo is being murdered .
It is called CATTLE RANCHER GREED.
You ask why is it important that we have free ranging Buffalo.
Well, the Buffalo is the Symbol of Free America.
When the Buffalo loses their freedom so will the People of America.
We are close to this now as I am sure you can see in everyday life.
Walk in Harmony on the Sacred Mother Earth
~ Richard Red Hawk ~
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In this issue: * Kill Tally
* Nine Bulls Sent to Slaughter
* Update from the Field
* “Let Buffalo Roam” License Plates Available for Out-of-Staters!
* Buffalo in the News
* Buffalo Field Campaign Needs Summer Volunteers
* Photo of the Week
* Last Words
—————————— AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2007-2008 Total: 1,613
2007-2008 Slaughter: 1,447
2007-2008 Hunt: 166
2007-2008 Quarantine: 112
Total Since 2000: 3,678*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts
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* Nine Bulls Sent to Slaughter
Yesterday we sent out a special alert to inform you that the Montana Department of Livestock had captured nine bull bison at the Duck Creek trap. Thank you all for making the calls to help these bulls. Unfortunately, the livestock interests got their way in spite of our efforts: in the early morning hours, the nine wild bulls confined to the Duck Creek trap were loaded onto two livestock trailers and shipped to slaughter by the Montana Department of Livestock.
In the face of over 1,600 killed by government management actions alone, the lives of nine bulls may not seem like much, but it is a lot. Every single buffalo life is significant; each carries the future of the next generation; each holds within itself the evolutionary potential of this magnificent prehistoric natural wonder.
From our observations, we can tell you with confidence that the buffalo population is below the conservation threshold of 2,100 established in the Interagency Bison (mis)Management Plan. The agencies can confirm this if they want to do another aerial survey. As it is written in the Plan, when the population falls below 2,100, the agencies “will” take action to prevent more slaughter of the buffalo by taking more non-lethal management actions. It just so happened that the late winter count on April 11 observed 1,970 buffalo, but the agencies stuck that number into their population matrix and out popped 2,145 buffalo. That same report estimated 400 to 700 winter kill.
It’s a fact of life that politicians lie; they’ll say anything to get elected or maintain popularity. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer made a statement in mid-April that no more wild buffalo would be slaughtered. Just days later, the Montana Department of Livestock captured and sent three bull buffalo to slaughter. This week, another nine were trapped and killed. People who are calling the Governor’s office to express their concern and outrage are being immediately transferred to the Department of Livestock; the Governor is trying to hide from his responsibility in the bloodshed of thousands of wild American buffalo. Toss up your hands and pass the buck, that’s the name of the game. When Schweitzer ran for the governor’s office, he campaigned on the promise of “more tolerance” for wild buffalo in Montana. The results of his words have been more wild buffalo killed under the four years of his watch than in the eleven years preceding his election. It appears that Schweitzer does not have control of the Department of Livestock and its livestock inspectors. Either he doesn’t care or he doesn’t mind Montana’s state vet calling the shots.
Nine bull bison are currently in the Duck Creek bison trap, located just outside of Yellowstone’s western boundary. The Department of Livestock says they intend to send these bulls to slaughter.
According to an email received from Yellowstone National Park today, “The park’s current best estimate for the bison population remains between 2300 and 2100, with the lower end of that estimate probably being the most realistic.”
This drastic blow to the bison is a result of a combination of intense slaughter, hunting, quarantine, winter kill and highway mortalities, and the population cannot sustain any more slaughter.
URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED if we are to save the lives of these bulls. Please contact the following Montana decision-makers and urge them to let the bulls go!
* Marty Zaluski, Montana State Vet #406-444-0782
* Hal Harper, Governor Schweitzer’s Chief Policy Advisor #406-444-5546
* Mike Volesky, Governor Schweitzer’s Policy Advisor for Natural Resources #406-444-7857
In mid-April, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer announced in a press conference that NO MORE buffalo would be sent to slaughter this season. A few days later, the DOL sent three bull bison to their deaths. Due to the winter’s severe slaughter and the uncertainty of winter kill bison, the population may well be below 2,100. Under the Interagency Bison Management Plan, the agencies are supposed to use non-lethal methods when the population is at or below 2,100 animals.
We must INSIST THAT THEY DO NOT SLAUGHTER THESE BULLS!
Please spread the word to save the herds! Contact the decision-makers above, and please send this email to all your friends, family, colleagues and co-workers. We stopped the slaughter of 300 bison last year, and we can save the lives of these nine bulls if we keep the pressure on.
Total
Yellowstone Buffalo Killed
Winter 2007/2008 1613
(past
counts)
AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S.
2007-2008 Total: 1,613
2007-2008 Slaughter: 1,447
2007-2008 Hunt: 166
2007-2008 Quarantine: 112
Total Since 2000: 3,678*
*includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts
