Bull Buffalo Killed on Opening Day of Hunt

From: The Buffalo Field Campaign 


On Tuesday, the first day of Montana's buffalo "hunt," a bull buffalo was killed by a state hunter.  Montana has issued forty-four either sex tags (bulls, cows or calves) to hunters, with the option of issuing an additional 100 cow/calf tags if sixty or more buffalo migrate into Montana across Yellowstone's north or west boundaries. This demonstrates how Montana uses this "hunt" as a buffalo extermination program, aiming to kill however many buffalo step across the arbitrary borderline. While this number of tags may not seem significant, it is is light of the fact that there are fewer than 3,700 wild buffalo in existence.  All of these animals are forced by cattle industry politics to live exclusively in Yellowstone country.  At least three First Nations will also conduct their own buffalo hunts, under Treaty right, while the threat of hazing, capture and slaughter is ever-present during and after the state and Treaty hunts.  Denied year-round habitat outside of Yellowstone National Park, the wild American buffalo is ecologically extinct throughout their native range.

BFC is currently running full patrols along Yellowstone's north and western boundaries and we could definitely use your help.  If you are interested in volunteering with us, please contact our Volunteer Coordinators.  We will be monitoring and documenting the hunt and hazing activities, educating hunters regarding the extreme mismanagement of the Yellowstone bison population, and bolstering support for bison conservation in Montana and elsewhere. BFC calls on Montana to provide substantial habitat throughout the state, allowing bison to establish a viable resident population.  BFC also calls for stripping the Montana Department of Livestock - the agency that authorizes the state's wild bison hunt - of any and all bison management authority.  You can help accomplish these goals by contacting Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Joe Maurier, and also by talking to hunters wherever you live, urging them to take a real stand for wild buffalo in Montana, and calling for an end to Montana's extremely premature buffalo "hunt."  If you are a hunter yourself, your voice must be heard in this debate.

Roam Free!