A buffalo nation is coming! Almost all of the snow is gone now, save for a few shady north-facing slopes and mountain peaks. Hebgen Lake is opening up, turning back into water. Buffalo families continue to migrate through the Hebgen Basin and they dance with no snow to hold them back. Adult females are showing off enormous bellies and the first calf was just spotted by our lucky patrols early this morning! Here they come! The next generation of wild buffalo, and most of them will grow strong peacefully in their new year-round habitat!  

We've seen Montana Department of Livestock agents driving around the Basin with more frequency as they search for buffalo to bully. So far they have been coming away mostly empty handed. The groups of buffalo we were concerned about along the south side of the Madison River, where they are not allowed to be, have gone elsewhere. There was, however, an unfortunate incident over the weekend. Buffalo had walked onto the private land of hobby rancher Pat Povah, and one bull was promptly shot and killed. Aside from this unnecessary killing, all is now quiet on the western front.

Have you saved the date?  In addition to running daily and nightly patrols, we are also busy gearing up for our 20th Anniversary Party that will take place in West Yellowstone on May 26 and 27. Everyone is invited! It’s going to be a great event with home-cooked food, music, lots of buffalo family from over these many years, a field trip to see the buffalo and their brand new babies on their native habitat, a wolf-watching tour, and presentations on wolves, grizzly bears, bison, and their interrelationships. We will also have a silent auction featuring very special items. If you have any items you would like to donate to our auction, we would be honored to receive them. For more information about the event or about donating items, please visit HERE

Thank you for keeping us in the field with the buffalo for the past twenty years! It is such an honor and privilege to be here with them, even during the most difficult times. Without our presence, things would be so much worse. Thank you for giving us this opportunity. We have made some incredible progress but we have a long way to go. With your help, the next two decades will bring more positive changes to these gentle friends.