Yellowstone Bison Slaughter Expands.
Montana Ignores Federal Call for Moderation, Captures 29 Buffalo in New Trap at Horse Butte

Greater Yellowstone Coalition
For Immediate Release: March 31, 1999
Contact: Mike Clark, Jon Catton 586-1593

Dismissing federal initiatives and new opportunities for non-lethal management, the State of Montana is expanding its slaughter of buffalo near the western boundary of America’s first national park.

On Wednesday, Montana’s Department of Livestock hazed 29 buffalo into a new capture facility at Horse Butte. The animals have been trucked to another facility for blood tests. On the basis of the blood tests, Montana has been shipping buffalo to slaughter, where additional tests on tissues have indicated most of the dead animals had no infection, posed no significant risk, and thus were killed needlessly.

Montana has killed 27 buffalo this winter. Of the first 17 slaughtered, 15 turned out not to have any trace of brucellosis infection.

“Take your pick,” said Mike Clark, Executive Director of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “Montana is ignoring lab results, pleas from citizens, advice from the federal government, and worst of all, on-the-ground changes that are keeping buffalo and cattle separated, which removes any justification for slaughter.”

Last week, the U.S. Interior Department spelled out numerous reasons why Montana’s construction of a new capture facility at Horse Butte is unnecessary. Now, with 29 buffalo trapped in the facility those federal statements are worth revisiting.

The Interior Department said:

• Montana is choosing to expand its capture and slaughter of bison, instead of exercising flexibility, at a time when no threat to public health or safety exists.
• Montana’s actions are not necessary to protect the state’s brucellosis-free status.
• There are no cattle in the area.
• Hazing has been successful.

• The Forest Service has modified grazing allotments so, if it chooses, the state can keep cattle away until 30 to 60 days after the last buffalo has left the area and returned to Yellowstone Park.

“This is a good time to remind ourselves that all this slaughter of Yellowstone buffalo—not only this winter and spring, but for the past decade—has occurred in areas where fewer than 2,000 cattle graze,” said Clark.

“The federal government has taken important steps to keep cattle and buffalo from being in the same place at the same time, and Montana is simply ignoring this progress and continuing its slaughter.”