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* Update from the Field
Dear Buffalo Friends,
... And then there were none. After this week's
painful events, this is how the Update starts.
But we have also won a small victory for the living
buffalo that remain within Yellowstone National Park.
Since November, BFC has been sharing with you stories
of our time in the company of a group of magnificent
bull bison who thought they had found a safe place to
winter on Horse Butte: Yellowstone Village/Hebgen Lake
Estates. The people in this neighborhood are good
friends to the buffalo and thoroughly enjoy coexisting
with these gentle giants. The buffalo certainly felt
safe there and made it their winter home. We are very
sad to report that the last three Yellowstone buffalo
that had been wintering in this area have all been killed
by so-called hunters. These were the only three
buffalo in Montana on this side of Yellowstone. There
are no more buffalo in Montana here along Yellowstone's
western boundary.
In the previous phase of Montana's hunt, 24 out of 25
hunters in West Yellowstone were skunked. Fine
with us. But the reasons are ridiculous; it's
because there are no wild buffalo in Montana.
They are ecologically extinct. The blame rests
on Montana's zero-tolerance against wild buffalo and
the federal government who so willingly assists in carrying
out Montana's buffalo death-wishes. With no other buffalo
out of the park to kill, trucks loaded with people and
guns had been scouting out the Horse Butte neighborhood,
practically drooling over a chance to kill one of the
three remaining gentle giants. Their desperation
has been growing.
On Monday, for the first time this season, the three
bulls jumped a fence from the buffalo safe neighborhood,
onto the Munns property. We had been told that there
was no hunting allowed there, either, but apparently
not all the Munns brothers had been in agreement.
A hunter got permission from one of the brothers to
kill a buffalo and the next morning a terrible event
occurred. Please see below for a full account
of the day's events, including a firsthand account from
a BFC volunteer, news stories, BFC video, and photos.
Thanks to BFC patrols, two of our cameras captured the
event which resulted in criminal charges against the
gunner. BFC video footage revealed illegal actions
by the hunter which lead Montana Fish, Wildlife &
Parks to confiscate the bull. This was the leading
news story in Montana on Tuesday night.
The two remaining bulls left the neighborhood yesterday.
In the very same field where they had been safe for
months their brother had been shot, wounded, left for
dead, suffered for two hours, and was later gutted and
torn apart. Agents used snowmobiles to drag
out the parts of his massive body and deliver his flesh
to a food bank. His huge heart and organs are
all that's left of buffalo in that field now. The security
these remaining two bull buffalo felt was shattered
and they left. Waiting for this opportunity were
two other groups of buffalo hunters. As the buffalo
left the neighborhood the gunners claimed them as their
legal prey. Afterwards, BFC patrols saw two Department
of Livestock (DOL) agents snowmobiling through the neighborhood,
likely gloating in their satisfaction that Montana was
rid of the rightful roamers of this land.
Along the northern boundary, near Gardiner, a mixed
group of 21 buffalo were harassed by Yellowstone National
Park rangers. The buffalo are simply trying to
migrate, moving through North America's largest wildlife
migration corridor. But humans have all but blocked
this critical path with fences and intolerance.
The buffalo stepped onto Church Universal & Triumphant
(CUT) land where they have never been welcome.
Park Rangers chased them back into Yellowstone.
But buffalo know best where buffalo need to be, and
it's just a matter of time before they try to make their
way again. Who knows what fate awaits them.
As this goes on, the Nez Perce, under treaty rights,
have also taken two more bull buffalo, and a third was
killed by a Montana hunter.
Including buffalo killed by the Nez Perce, 29 of this
country's last wild buffalo have been killed in this
year's "hunt," while two bull bison were sent
to slaughter by the DOL early in the fall. 1,016
wild Yellowstone bison were killed by humans last winter,
including 858 sent to slaughter from Yellowstone National
Park, 59 killed by the Montana Department of Livestock,
53 slaughtered under a quarantine experiment, 40
killed in Montana's "hunt," and six by the
Nez Perce.
On Monday, January 29, in Montana's capital city, Helena,
Governor Brian Schweitzer is planning an event to unveil
and celebrate the new state quarter which depicts a
bison skull. A dead buffalo. That's the
symbol Montana chooses for it's quarter and license
plates. And how grossly appropriate. Every
single buffalo that has entered Montana this year has
been killed, and that's the way Montana officials and
cattle interests like it.
Please call Governor Schweitzer right now and tell him
that's not the way the people or the buffalo want it!
Speak from your heart's wisdom. Let wild buffalo
ROAM! 406-444-3111.
Roam Free,
~Stephany
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* Yellowstone Buffalo Illegally Shot by Hunter
Stephanie's Powerful First-hand Account of the Illegal
Hunt:
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/bisonhunt0607/1-23-07-illegal_hunt.html
BFC Exclusive Video Footage
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/
BFC Press Release
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0607/pressreleases0607/012307.html
BFC Photos
http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/bisonhunt0607/bisonhuntphotos0607.html
Leading News Story on Montana CBS Stations. BFC
footage and interview with Mike Mease. This story
also appeared on TV stations in Idaho, Wyoming and Washington
state.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/global/story.asp?s=5980882
Hunter Charged in Bison Case / Hunter Accused of Killing
Bison on Private Land:
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/01/25/news/state/75-hunter.txt
Originally printed in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle 1/24,
picked up by the Associated Press, and printed by the
Billings Gazette on 1/25.
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* Send Some Wild BuffaLove this Valentine's
Day
Still looking for that perfect Valentine's Day gift?
Look no further. Send a token of your love, for
the love of buffalo and those working in their defense!
The last day to order these beautiful, hand-crafted
cards for your sweetheart or loved ones is Saturday,
February 3, 2007. All proceeds go towards the
work of the Buffalo Field Campaign.
GET SOME WILD BUFFALOVE NOW! http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/artthoughts/valentine.html
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* Upcoming Events in Montana ~ Represent the
Last Wild Buffalo!
Monday, January 29, 2007
- Governor Brian Schweitzer unveils new Montana quarter,
depicting a bison skull. Monday morning.
Helena Civic Center. Helena, Montana. Helena Civic Center.
Article: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/01/25/news/state/80-quarter.txt
Can't attend? Speak your mind: Governor
Schweitzer, 406-444-3111
Monday, January 29, 2007, 1:00 p.m.
- Montana Board of Livestock meeting. On the agenda
is "expansion of bison hunt." Department
of Livestock headquarters, across the street from the
Capitol Building. Helena, Montana
Can't attend? Speak your mind: Board of
Livestock, 406-444-9321.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007, 4:00-8:00 p.m.
- Interagency Bison Management Plan Open House and Workshops.
The IBMP is utterly failing wild bison. Since
the Plan's inception nearly two thousand wild Yellowstone
buffalo have been killed. Livestock interests call the
shots and dictate harassment, capture, slaughter, quarantine
and now a "hunt" of our country's last wild
bison. Please attend this event and speak out
for our wild buffalo brothers and sisters! Bring
your friends!
Can't attend? Let the agencies responsible for the bison
slaughter hear from you! http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html.
Friday, February 2, 2007, all evening
- Join us in Missoula, Montana, for a thought provoking,
informative and entertaining event about the meaning
of wildness, and how it is being jeopardized by our
state and federal agencies. This event is being
organized to alert the public about the horrendously
misguided "quarantine feasibility study" involving
Yellowstone bison calves. The evening will begin with
Missoula's First Friday Artwalk, followed by a bike
parade and street theatre, climaxing at 8:30 with speakers,
video and more at the Stensrud Community Center, located
at 314 N. 1st W., north of tracks, next to the Gold
Dust Gallery in Missoula, Montana.
Dance party to follow event.
Visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/events/quarantine_event.html
for a complete announcement or contact Drea 726-0040
or Dru 542-5165 for more information.
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* Last Words
When the animals come to us,
asking for our help,
will we know what they are saying?
When the plants speak to us
in their delicate, beautiful language,
will we be able to answer them?
When the planet herself
sings to us in our dreams,
will we be able to wake ourselves, and act?
~Gary Lawless
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