| BFC Buffalo Field Campaign
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| Reflections
from the Field- Roman Sanchez
4/26/05
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As
the sun begins to rise earlier with each passing day, so do
we. 4:15am wake up this morning to a cold wet air-light blanket
of snow dusts the Earth. Stephanie and I walk the human boundary
that stretches as far as the eyes can see to the south. This
man-made boundary continues to wreak havoc on the Buffalo each
time they cross over. The sky is still dark and only the sound
of a brisk wind can be heard. Ahead of us on the trail a grouse
scurries through the sage- brush. To our left and the East,
Yellowstone National Park, this area closed till mid-June due
to waking Grizzlies. We walk along the strip of National Forest
that separates Yellowstone from the Bison death trap. What other
words might I use to describe this green metal trap and it's
coldness? In here wildlife waits to be slaughtered, separated
from it's family, are pushed into chutes with bobcats, are squeezed
by the neck and clamped by the nose till they bleed-eyes bulging
in absolute terror! This all in the name of science. Anyone
with a shred of humaneness knows instinctually that this is
wrong! And so we post ourselves under a large evergreen and
start a small twig fire to warm our bones as bird life begins
to fill the air with morning songs. We huddle close to our fire
listening to Sandhill Cranes, Osprey, Ravens, Hawks, Loons,
Mergansers, Robins, Geese and Golden-eyes. This symphony is
nurturing.
Slowly with the passing of time, agent after agent begin to
roll in. In these past few days we have been blessed with the
arrival of new born calves-this time of year is bitter-sweet
for us. It is hope for the continuation of this unique herd-yet
painful in the knowing that this "management plan"
shows no mercy for even the newly born.
We listen to radio transmissions that they will use the chopper
today. We can hear it's steely blades beating in the distance
and are advised that it will be in our view shortly. The sound
soon becomes overwhelming-overwhelming because I am nestled
in sage brush on National Forest, pristine Yellowstone behind
me-How is this possible that a chopper's thundering sound is
right above me? (Watch
a video of helicopter hazing) Birds begin to scatter in
all directions-and I'm watching as a 2000 pound bull, foaming
at the mouth, tongue hanging from exhaustion is being chased
by this hovering and blaring metallic bird. He is being ran
straight at me! I'm positioned behind a fence post that I've
seen these bulls run through them like they were toothpicks.
It is difficult to describe my many emotions as I watch this
terrorized beast coming towards me. Adrenaline flowing-I am
filled with an outrage and sorrow that my mind and heart have
been grappling with for 5 years now. He escapes into the park
and his eyes are locked in my memory along with the many others
who have experienced man's ignorance and brutality. I am snapped
back into the moment of the craziness that surrounds me by the
sound of 2 more bulls being run into high-tension fencing. The
sound travels some 200 yards to where I'm posted. These bulls
are ran miles into the park, chopper hovering low above them.
These same agencies have this section of the park closed off
to all human and motorized machinery for "bear management"
- I'm wondering how sleeping Grizzlies might be reacting to
this violation of their habitat.
Eventually we are left to only the sound of the wind an occasional
ravens caw and the sputtering of the coals in our now smoldering
fire. Throwing more twigs back on, I lay myself next to its
warmth and allow the wind to slow my rapidly beating heart-transmissions
over the radio telling us the chopper refuels and is on it's
way to the Madison river. Again I find myself thinking, how
much is enough?
With the Wild---Roman |
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