New West News Brief
Yellowstone Bison Slaughter Halted, Meat Distributed to Food Banks
By Lucia Stewart, 4-29-08
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With more than half of the Yellowstone National Park bison population removed this season due to slaughter, winter weather and hunting, the Interagency Bison Management has halted all additional deaths and are holding 255 cows and calves until the grass greens.
Meanwhile, an estimated 600,000 pounds of meat from the slaughtered 1,700 bison is currently being distributed to Montana tribes and food banks, reports the Billings Gazette. An additional 700 are estimated dead due to weather.
The Montana Food Bank network recently purchased 15,000 pounds of bison meat that will be distributed to 189 banks throughout the state, perfect timing with the February recall of 143 million pounds of Californian beef.
Tribes have first claim to this high-protein, low-fat meat along with their hides and heads. Over 350 requests came from Montana, Michigan, North Dakota and Wyoming tribes.
With the 2,300 bison left, the Yellowstone National Park is not concerned about the animals ability to rebound, but the Buffalo Field Campaign says this loss is a threat to the genetic diversity.
This reads like a blogvertorial for bison mismanagement. When is the press going to tell the truth about the brucellosis fraud?
I think we're going to find when the numbers are finally revealed that bison numbers are well below the 2300 claimed by the Park Service.
Yep. Kill as many as you can, call it 2300. What a great scheme. Missoula-area people wanting to learn more about bison and bison mismanagement have a great opportunity coming up at the Gathering for the Buffalo, Sat., May 3rd, noon at the Missoula Public Library. Details here http://www.missoulaevents.net/index.php/ID/4279b9988f2bb43fb5235b01014f2fb4/fuseaction/events.detail.htm
Comment By Glenn Hockett, 4-29-08At least 2 distinct bison herds have been documented in the Park and the government agencies and politicians responsible for their well being have wasted millions of tax payer dollars confining, feeding and/or slaughtering them to the point that it is now more than relevant to consider listing the species under the ESA.
As I understand it, Baucus and Tester earmarked the entire department of livestock's bison slaughter operating budget this year and the governor of Montana let it all happen. The bison blood is on their hands and it has never been so bloody since the 1800's.
Bison that use to graze the Upper Gallatin have already been completely extirpated by career government lackies under the justification of this failed bison eradication plan. So the agencies have proven they can eliminate a magnificient big game species from a wild landscape with little or no conseqeunces. What are the consequences if the agencies push the last few bison in the Greater Yellowstone Area to extinction?
I suggest the governor and Congress take the advice of the Government Accounting Office and replace this endless and expensive bison eradication plan with a habitat and public hunting based solution that recognizes wild bison as a year round valued native asset in southwest Montana.
And what better place than the Horse Butte to allow that free-ranging herd to roam, safe and unharassed PERIOD!
Comment By lodgepole, 4-30-08So much for the critical thinking component of NewWest - that left with David Nolt. Perhaps we can't upset our advertising interests...
The 289 (not 255) bison now at Stephens Creek are crowded beyond the 250 capacity, and the stillborn deliveries that are occurring in the pen don't count in the death toll, I suppose. Nor the three bulls that were shipped off to slaughter the day this story ran. Lucia, get your facts straight or hire someone who can.
Wow, when did mismanagement of the Yellowstone bison get reduced to an article that is a series of sound bites? With all the outcry on this embarassment, and the previous quality articles run here, it certainly deserves more.
Are there any meetings happening in Bozeman between May 23-28th on this issue?
vagabond - If you're in town on May 25th, the Buffalo Allies for Bozeman will be holding a potluck in Bogart Park at 7pm. Come join us for some good food and company, and meet other folks in Bozeman that are just as upset about this as you and I are. We need people that are upset about this to make their voices heard!
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