This winter the state of Montana has shot 232 bison near West Yellowstone and 559 have been shot or sent to slaughter by the Park Service near the north entrance of Gardiner, Montana. This puts the total number of bison shot or slaughtered at 791 as of February 5.

The herd of Yellowstone bison is the nation's last free-ranging bison population and are the remnant of the vast herds that were nearly annihilated in the 19th century. Officials have called the current situation the "largest slaughter of wild bison in this century". Some biologists fear a collapse in the bison population. In October there were approximately 3500 bison in Yellowstone NP. On February 4 a survey flight counted only 1982 bison in the Park.

The bison are leaving the park because of the coldest winter on record since 1943. Arctic freezes separated by heavy rains have encased the park in ice as hard as cement. The bison cannot dig beneath the snow for food and are forced to leave the park. Additionally, increased snowmobiling accommodated by groomed trails have made it easier for bison to exit from Yellowstone into Montana. While the Montana Department of Livestock claims that the bison are wandering onto neighboring ranches, a look at any map shows the majority are wandering onto national forest land. The state of Montana is taking over wildlife management on national public lands! And the Park Service has not considered the effect of their winter use program on wildlife.

The reason for this disgrace is the fear by Montana cattlemen that Yellowstone bison carry brucellosis, which if passed to cattle, could cause them to abort their calves and force a quarantine on Montana cattle. The facts are:

Elk also carry brucellosis, although state officials rarely admit this. There are more than 90,000 elk in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Montana makes money from the sale of hunting licenses given for elk hunting.

There has never been a documented case of bison or elk infecting cattle with brucellosis in the wild.

The brucellosis organism, discharged from bison cows with fetal material, is quickly killed in direct sunlight. Scavengers also reduce the prevention of infectious tissues.

Bull bison pose virtually no threat of transmission.

Please write or call the Governor of Montana, demand that he put a stop to this horrible slaughter, and tell him you won't be visiting Montana until they stop the killing.

Also write or call the following people and request that a stop to this needless slaughter be issued NOW!

Write the Superintendent of Yellowstone NP and urge him to stop the slaughter, to allow Yellowstone's bison to use surrounding public lands, and to consider closing Yellowstone to snowmobiles.

                     UPDATE: THE KILLING CONTINUES
                This just in from friends in California:

       "Sad news...  Reggie spoke with Mark Heckert from ITBC today...
    they've put down another 100 TODAY!!!! (February 10, 1997) 

       The above statement makes the following number 900!!!!

                                                       --Mike