Hey All, For the month of january I am in West Yellowstone, Montana, volunteering with an organization called Buffalo Field Campaign that are working to save the last remaining herd of wild bison in the US. There are around 4200 buffalo in Yellowstone National Park, and each winter the migrate out of the park and onto public land in Montana in search of food. When they do they are subject to being captured and slaughtered by the Montana Department of Livestock. The DOL claims that the bison are a threat to livestock because they are infected with Brucellosis, a virus that can cause animals to abort their first calf. It's all hogwash for many reasons, such as there has never been a case of brucellosis being transmitted from bison to cattle. This is the case even when bison and cattle mingle on the same land, which isn't happening where these bison are. Cattle graze on this land June to October and the bison are on the land December to May. There are many times more elk than there are bison in the area, these elk are infected as well, and yet they are allowed free range. Anyway, last winter over 250 buffalo were slaughtered when they left the park. Buffalo Field Campaign was started in 1997 after a winter when over 1000 buffalo, a third of the herd was slaughtered. BFC volunteers are out in the field every day, standing with the buffalo and documenting the activities of the DOL and other agencies involved in the slaughter. BFC footage has been broadcast all over the world, and as a result the DOL are much more aware that their every move is under possible international scrutiny. Before the BFC began documenting the slaughter, they killed average 700 buffalo a year. Now the average is under 200. Which is still too much. We're doing what we can to bring about public awareness so that the bison are allowed to roam freely out of the park as other wildlife does, and the government stops subsidizing the slaughter on behalf of the cattle industry (which in Montana makes up for less than 1% of the beef production in the country and costs hundreds of times more than public land leasing brings in revenue) Anyway, there is much you can do to help bring about awareness. Please visit www.buffalofieldcampaign.org to find out how everyone can help. Today's good news was that the new governor of Montana, who was sworn in only three days ago, is cancelling the 'sport' hunt that was scheduled for Jan. 15, in which 10 permits were to be issued to hunters to 'hunt' bison. Hunting buffalo like this is not very sporting, as these buffalo have been acclimitized to tourists, and it would be like hunting a sofa or a parked car. So I'm pretty obsorbed in this right now. I've already got some stories about volunteering here and being with the buffalo. Ask me if you want to hear them. Loving you all kalanu
Bumped this thread up cause I felt more people needed to read it. Another buffalo was shot yesterday. Read more at www.geocities.com/dreamerbiodiesel
Got me a blog at http://kalanu.blogspot.com detailing more about what's going on down here with the buffalo
Today we got some crazy news. You gotta read it to believe it. http://www.montanaforum.com/modules...=article&sid=1724&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Then check out my blog http://kalanu.blogspot.com As of right now the press release with our response on this is still being written. We were taken completely out of context, and we do not agree with the governor on this.
i know of the good work in the buffalo fields . ah , whassa to do with crazy the cowboys ? i spose since brucellosis transfer from bison to cattle is actually not a practical problem , the problem for the local cattlemen was just the awful P.R. scary idea of Bruc. , very scary to a sensitive breeding stock market . so the locals and the govt exhibit Control , and more Control , and more Control . nnnn ... be strong , bro . yooz standing on spiritually solid ground as a friend to the wild .
Controlis the word. If these bison are allowed to have any more habitat than they currently have, the public will expect more, the herd will expand and needmore. and the livestock industry believes if they give an inch the bison will take a mile. It's not about brucellosis and everyone knows that. it's a range war. and the only way it'll ever end is for the whole damn beef industry to collapse. so stop eating hamburger!!
the traditional birthing ground for the yellowstone herd is within the cattle zone , beyond the park boundary . the answer , yes , can be industrial collapse tho a consumer boycott shall not be it's demise . chronic industry is the sad state of the society , of wholistic sadness and frustration . it cannot endure . the buffalo spirit will . have you seen a buffalo die ? i did , then i ate the heart .
