2020 12 17 01 001 Update 1 BFC Stephany Seay photo

A family group of buffalo takes up residence in Yellowstone Village, where they know they are safe from human-caused threats. Photo by Stephany Seay, Buffalo Field Campaign.

The situation in the field has stayed relatively quiet since we last wrote, though we did lose one more adult female from the imperiled Central herd to a state hunter over the weekend. The rest of her family group continues to be savvy to hunting pressures and are staying safe on buffalo friendly private lands for now. Snow is finally starting to accumulate but the grass the buffalo need remains unburied and easy to access. We’ve gotten enough snow, however, that we are finally skiing instead of hiking as we venture into the buffalos’ migration corridors. Even so, the serious thrust of real winter with heavy snowpack has yet to come.

2020 12 17 01 002 Update 2 BFC Stephany Seay photo

A cut out of a playful baby buffalo dons the street signs within Yellowstone Village, where the buffalo have many friends. Photo by Stephany Seay, Buffalo Field Campaign.

We’d like to take this time to give a big shout out to the good folks of Yellowstone Village / Hebgen Lake Estates. This is the small subdivision on Horse Butte that we constantly talk about, where the buffalo have many devout friends. Residents of Yellowstone Village are outstanding watchdogs for our friends the buffalo, keeping a close eye on hunters who troll their neighborhood, and letting us know when things are amiss. Over the lifetime of this Campaign, the residents of Yellowstone Village have been a tremendously strong voice for the buffalo. They literally lead the nation in demonstrating that humans and wild buffalo can peacefully live among one another. There is no question that this housing area is *the* perfect living classroom of co-existance. We are humbled by the great love the residents have for the buffalo. They show it in so many ways, by putting up Buffalo Safe Zone signs, using the buffalos’ images in their street signs, contacting us with information, sharing their stories, keeping an eye on hunters, or advocating for them with the powers-that-be. We always know the buffalo are in good hands when they are in this community. There is no other place like it on the entire planet. The buffalo, too, know they are among friends there. Let this set the standard across the continent as we continue to realize our collective vision of wild buffalo roaming freely all over this land!

WILD IS THE WAY ~ ROAM FREE!