Right. There are no cattle in the West Yellowstone area and the entire Hebgen basin from November to June of each year. The winters are too harsh for cattle so they are trucked out in the fall.

So why does the Montana Department of Livestock slaughter buffalo when there are no cattle present in the West Yellowstone area and no risk of brucellosis transmission? Good question. We urge you to ask the Montana Department of Livestock yourself by sending them an email <livemail@state.mt.us>.

In summer, less than 700 cattle are grazed on Gallatin National Forest and private lands in the Hebgen basin. These National Forest lands provide critical range and habitat for native wildlife including buffalo that migrate through the ecosystem. The Gallatin National Forest should close cattle grazing allotments in the buffalo's range to ensure no buffalo/cattle overlap and to manage the habitat to support indigenous wildlife populations as the National Forest Management Act and the Gallatin National Forest Plan requires the agency to do.

See Yellowstone Bison - Cattle Conflict Fact Sheet