According to a recent Associated Press story, approximately 500 to 600 buffalo that naturally migrated out of Yellowstone National Park this year were hazed back into the park with helicopters, horses, and ATVs by the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL).  This figure likely includes buffalo that were hazed more than once.

The justification for the hazing is concern that wild buffalo may spread brucellosis -- a disease that causes pregnant animals to abort -- to domestic cattle in Montana (even though no documented case of brucellosis transmission from buffalo to cattle has ever occurred under natural conditions). 

And over 100 buffalo were senselessly hazed off the Horse Butte Peninsula in Montana, a large area that is cattle-free year-round with many landowners who want the buffalo to migrate through their property (and don't want DOL agents infringing upon their property rights with low-flying helicopters to harass bison). 

According to the DOL's Executive Director, Christian Mackay, the hazing occurred "[i]n a very staged manner." 

Watch the following Buffalo Field Campaign video of the hazing that occurred on May 14th and decide for yourself.  (Please note that you will find the video disturbing.  There are many young calves caught in the hazing, including one trying to nurse from its mother while being hazed by a helicopter, and starting at 1:43 is footage of a calf with a broken leg being hazed.)

Insane, isn't it? 

And the hazing?  In a very staged manner?  Seriously? 

Regarding the May 14th hazing captured in the above video, Mackay previously said, "It went well.  No injuries, no incidents, no arrests. A very smooth operation."

The absurdity of his statement is evidenced by the video. 

While the hazing on May 14th was brutal, it didn't end there.  More hazing operations have occurred since the 14th, including bison hazed today near Horse Butte.

There has also been some extremely controversial hazing of bison occurring inside the borders of Yellowstone National Park, the first and oldest national park in the world.  A National Parks Traveler article rightfully questioned whether hazing operations inside the park conflict with the National Park Service's (NPS) mission under the National Park Service Organic Act. 

Since the statutory mission of the NPS is to "promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations . . . which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations," needlessly endangering bison inside the park seems to directly conflict with NPS's mission. 

What next?

The five agencies that govern Yellowstone's buffalo population under the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) -- DOL, NPS, U.S. Forest Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks -- meet this summer in Helena on August 11th and 12th. 

Without question, they can do better.  An easy, positive change that should be implemented before next winter is allowing an unlimited number of buffalo on Horse Butte year-round.  There are no cattle on Horse Butte and the landowners welcome wild buffalo migrating from Yellowstone, so why do they continue to haze bison there?  It makes no sense (and is a huge waste of time, resources, and taxpayer dollars).

Additionally, the agencies need to dedicate more land as year-round buffalo habitat in Montana (besides Horse Butte, which is a no-brainer).  The habitat exists; let buffalo use it. 

The IBMP has been governing Yellowstone's buffalo for almost nine years, and very little progress has been made.  In fact, in March 2008 the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a harshly critical report of the IBMP and the five agencies' management of Yellowstone's buffalo, the only continuously wild, free-roaming buffalo population in the United States. 

The time for change is now.

Change was the buzzword of the 2008 presidential election, and hopefully the same will be true for this summer's IBMP meeting. 

Enough is enough. 

(Photo courtesy of Ann Stovall)