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New Rules For Yellowstone Bison
Under relaxed federal rules, bison are now allowed more room to roam outside Yellowstone National Park. (3:43)
Courtesy of: Assignment Earth
Related:
Back Home On The Range
When a group of Native Americans took up bison ranching, they brought a prairie back to life
February 2005 |
By Leslie Allen
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Comments (6)
I have witnessed the hazing (rounding up) of buffalo. Little calves running thru rivers, mountains,barb wire fences..helicopters chasing them..pregenant females not being able to calve if peace. And, on the top on it, National Park Rangers helping in the roundup. I live near by and I am in YSNP frequnetly. We humans try to manage everything - bison, wolves other wildlife..maybe it is time to teach humans that wildlife needs to be left alone. I believe that role of NPS is to protect and not to help slaugther bisons. Animals do what animals do..migrate, hunt..live. We need to leave them alone and admire them.
Regards to all who will read it.
Posted by Izabela Matej on August 25,2011 | 06:56 AM
These animals are a very important part of our heritage. When 1200-1500 of the buffalo are slaughtered to keep numbers down, there are only what between 1,500 - 3,000 left. That's ridiculous. They are only migrating to find food. When you look at the number of acres out west and the terrain of the National Park and the surrounding states, particularly Montana, there appears to be plenty of room for the bison and the cattle. The terrain itself is a natural boundary containing the bison. Fencing contains the cattle as well as protects and separates them from their freely roaming cousins. It appears that with some engineering and patience on the part of their human caretakers, cattle and bison can coexsist within the same state and still be kept separated for the most part. Hunger and mating season are two strong, natural reasons that attract them to each other in the first place. In the Mid-West we even have a product called "beefalo".
Posted by Lynda on June 6,2011 | 04:40 PM
If there are only 3000 bison in Yellowstone, why not vaccinate them against the disease & therefore protect the bison & the cattle? Since they can round them up for slaughter - round them up for vaccination.
Posted by Carol G Leonard on May 28,2011 | 11:06 AM
Having lived in West Yellowstone/Bozeman, MT for several years, I saw first hand what happened with migration & harassment. Yes I said harassment of these American Icons, the buffalo.
What they don't say is that it's been documented in years past that brucellosis originally was transfered TO buffalo FROM cattle, but w/MT being such a huge ranching state...you won't hear the truth of that. I feel there should be no input in Wildlife management by the D.O.L. (division of livestock), being ranchers seem to run the D.O.W.. Pretty unfair.
Buffalo actually have to have CONTACT w/cattle not just be grazing in the same field or walking by in order for cattle to (re)acquire brucellosis, & the chances of that are extremely LOW. You won't get that information by D.O.L.
Their hazing techniques w/buffalo migrating out of the park via ATV's, helicopters (I witnessed) & on horses just to coral these beautiful WILDLIFE animals & then slaughter them is horrendous especially when these animals have been under extreme amounts of stress during winter.
I've seen some actually cross a road & die after having made it through a harsh winter. They're stressed beyond what anyone could imagine to begin with & then for ones that do survive, only to be chased & harassed when they migrate out of the park especially in spring when they calve.
The buffalo need to be left alone like any wildlife & definitely they should not be given "guidelines" to follow (as if they know or can read them) from unfair & biased ranchers who want everything to be perfect for them & their cattle.
I commend the BFC (buffalo field campaign) as they have put themselves in harms way to try to protect buffalo. And, no, I am not a member of any DOL, DOW. or B.F.C. I no longer live in MT but sure would love to.
Don't be fooled by D.O.L. misinformation to the public. Brucellosis is originated FROM cattle, not buffalo; they will continue to only tell what they want heard for their own benefit.
Posted by PAULINE on May 26,2011 | 11:31 PM
Prosecute the thieves that took the Bison to slaughter. Who made the money from it? At least, I'm glad this horrible misguided practice has been stopped.
Posted by grrace on May 23,2011 | 05:40 PM
Bison video clip cuts out before finishing the commentary.
Posted by Koert VanderVoort on May 21,2011 | 04:45 PM