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Update from the Field
Dear Buffalo Friends,
Late Summer in Yellowstone marks the season of the buffalo
rut! Over the past few weeks, the vast majority of the
last wild buffalo have been gathering in the lush Lamar
and Hayden Valleys in a massive family reunion. This
is the time when bulls, healthy and huge with summer
grasses, challenge each other in remarkable displays
of their maleness, all for the right to court willing
females and ensure the buffalo generations to come.
In their attempts to prove they are the best choice,
bulls have to work very hard to impress the selective
females who won't accept just any ol' bull. Until they
are allowed to mate, the bulls tend to small groups
of females, challenging any on-comer. The deep, masculine
roars of the mighty bulls seem to shake the very ground;
with amazing agility, their huge bulks challenge and
dare one another as they spar and dance the dance of
the life force, the poetry-in-motion of mid-Summer heat.
As the summer and the rut season wane, the buffalo mothers-to-be
will nurture the treasure they carry through the extreme
weather of Yellowstone country's fall and winter; and
if they can avoid government agents and gunners at Yellowstone's
border, eight and nine months from now, the earth will
be blessed with little red gifts of baby buffalo.
As the rut season begins to taper off, BFC's tabling
inside Yellowstone will also be coming to an end soon.
After Labor Day, as the majority of Yellowstone visitors
head home to their other lives, BFC volunteers will
head back to campaign headquarters to prepare for the
coming fall, winter and spring of buffalo defense. Many
thanks to the volunteers who have spent countless hours
in the Park talking to visitors and sharing the buffalo's
story.
Whether in the Park or on the road, spreading the word
to save the herd is a constant. Just this week, Mike,
Jesse and Seamus headed west to kick off BFC's West
Coast Road Show. They will be joined by Native American
artist Good Shield of 7th Generation Rise, and other
incredible buffalo friends, like the incredible warrior-poet
John Trudell.
For more info email jesse@thisside.net
or check out the calendar of events at http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/roadshowswest2006.html.
(Hey Seamus, we hope your leg is feeling ok!)
BFC's Josh will be starting the first-ever Southwest
Road Show in the next couple weeks, so please join him
if you can. Bring your friends and family too!
For more information, confirmed calendar of presentations,
or to help Josh set up other events, please contact
Josh at bfc-advocate@wildrockies.org
or visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/roadshowsouthwest2006.html.
BFC's most recent newsletter will soon be hot off the
press and in the mail to you! If you are not on our
mailing list but would like to receive our annual newsletter,
please send your name and mailing address to Kalanu
at buffalo@wildrockies.org.
If you know of coffee shops, co-ops, or other good places
you can help place newsletters, please let us know and
we'll get a stack to you. Thanks for helping to spread
the word!
In closing, we'd like to extend a big CONGRATULATIONS
to Megan and Aaron on their recent marriage! Megan has
been a part of the BFC family for many years and never
fails to lend her strength and wisdom to helping protect
the buffalo. Thank you for making us a part of your
sacred day. We wish you both lots of happiness and much
BuffaLove!
Roam Free,
~BFC
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* In Honor and Memory of Phil Morton
dear friends,
Thursday, August 24th marks the third anniversary of
Phil's death (YIKES!!!) ... as most of you know, Phil
was deeply committed to WILDlife, but particularly the
Yellowstone buffalo... He strongly opposed the MIS-management
policies in effect here in Montana which result in hazing,
capture, testing, slaughter and/or quarantine ... As
an avid hunter, he opposed the bison hunt because of
lack of adequate habitat and management by the Montana
Department of Livestock instead of Fish, Wildlife and
Parks. He would have also opposed the increase in the
number of bison hunt tags to be issued this year, which
are higher than even the FWP biologists had recommended.
As an innovator and supporter of independent media,
particularly videographers, presenting their own views
of a situation, Phil was a strong supporter of the Buffalo
Field Campaign's effort to video-document the actions
in the field taken against the buffalo when they cross
the border into Montana. Last January, when buffalo
crashed through the ice of Hebgen Lake during a hazing
operation, Danny Brister's photograph and footage captured
by him and other volunteers had wide-spread national
and international exposure.
In honor and memory of Phil, I am again asking you to
consider making a donation in his name to:
Buffalo Field Campaign
PO Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
In addition to their on-going daily documentation of
actions against the buffalo, campaign volunteers were
posted on our highway day and night trying to get drivers
to slow down (speed limit was 70mph!), following a one
week period of time whereby 8 buffalo were killed by
speeding drivers. Six campaign workers have now been
certified to use florescent batons and will be out there
every night on behalf of these migrating critters seeking
food in our lower elevation. Housing, feeding and training
up to 40 volunteers a week takes great dedication, time
and money. So please, please give as generously as you're
able. I will again being working with the state transportation
department to lower the speed limit to 50mph; that effort
last season took almost 4 weeks of daily emails and
phone calls to accomplish.
As an alternative to a direct donation, I will donate
50% of net proceeds from the purchase of the DVD Phil
and I completed shortly before his death. RUTTIN' ELK,
RUTTIN' BUFFLER, which costs $35, can be purchased on
line at: http://www.customflix.com/Store/ShowTtl.jsp?id=204948.
Phil's spirit remains very much alive and is an important
inspiration for those of us who work to protect WILDlife,
WILD lands and WILD people! My commitment is very much
strengthened by the memory of him.
for the WILD ones,
love, barb
P.S. Please take a moment to learn a little more about
Phil and barb from an Earth Day honoring BFC created
in celebration of Phil's birthday: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/artthoughts/philbarb.html.
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* Beautiful Buffalo Dream Catcher for Auction
Amazing artist and huge advocate for wild buffalo, Eldorado,
has donated a really fabulous dream catcher to help
support BFC's efforts to protect the buffalo. Bidding
ends tomorrow (Friday - sorry for the short notice!).
It's one of the coolest dream catchers I've ever seen,
check it out and place your bid by going to
http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-1706414-5463217?loc=http%3A//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D110023351103%20
A recent email from Eldorado states, "For several
years now, you guys have been my heroes. These feeble
efforts on ebay to assist are nothing compared with
the thankless battles you...wage daily to protect our
buffalo brothers. My profoundest respect, admiration
and love."
Eldorado, we could not do what we do without the support
and inspiration from people like you! Thank you for
being with us and for the buffalo!
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* Last Words
"We encamped close to the river. The night was
dark, and as we lay down we could hear, mingled with
the howlings of wolves, the hoarse bellowing of the
buffalo, like the ocean beating upon a distant coast."
Francis Parkman, The Oregon Trail, 1849
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