---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 10:24:07 +0100 From: Buffalo Folks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Greetings! List-Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> News Submissions or Problems: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ************************************************************************ This update: *********************** * Technical notes * 5/13/98 words from Mike * Jake speaks about Buffalo hazing * Buffalo Nations year round Campaigns **************************************** Technical Notes We have converted the Stop-the-Slaughter update list over to a listserve. There is still a human at this address though for personal correspondence. (Hopefully this will free me up a bit to update the webpages.) This list serve will continue to send out 3-5 updates regarding the Yellowstone buffalo every month. This list serve passes on information from a number of groups and individuals working for the buffalo! Since this was a "quiet" winter (except to the 11 who were killed), we had a steady but slower growth of concerned folks joining the list. If you can pass this on to a few people each...it would be great to keep our numbers of concerned folks growing. This issue is far from over. Hats off to the dedicated work of the Buffalo Nations volunteers! This field season showed that a dedicated group of people working towards a common goal can indeed affect a positive change. Having people in the field daily made all the difference. Thanks to everyone for each and every effort, from prayers to phone calls to long skis at dawn, may the buffalo roam wild and free. for the earth, su ***************************************************************** * 5/13/98 by Mike.... Two weeks ago, the Montana Department of Livestock did their major military like hazing operation in west Yellowstone Montana (see article below). They used two helicopters, three all terrain vehicles, a motor cross bike, several four wheel drive trucks and two horses. It was a very expensive, loud operation involving alot of manpower as well as alot of taxpayers dollars. Meanwhile three pregnant buffalo ignored them and quietly ducked off into the woods to have their babies. For the last two weeks these mothers and their calves have lived in a small area north of the Madison river, a quarter mile west of highway 191. This morning the mothers and children awoke with one thing in mind, to test the calves' new legs. After two weeks of strengthening the legs, the journey to return to the herd began. Within minutes of awakening, they were up and off toward Yellowstone National Park. Our first concern was their crossing Highway 191. Buffalo Nations placed the first traffic warning volunteer in position as they were nearing the first bluff, overlooking the highway. Then, faster than the helicopter chased buffalo two weeks before, they crossed the final obstacle to freedom. Up and down each 40 foot bluff they crossed the highway and didn't stop. Moving at speeds adult buffalo could be proud of, they continued past the safety line of the park. They continued on for at least 1/2 a mile not even breaking for a mouth full of the fresh new green grasses. Finally, they did stop and look at us, before going out of view. We take note of this simple stress free journey back into the Park. No helicopters, ATVs, etc. or multi thousand dollar budget was necessary. Simple but effective. Our smiles were reflected in the safety of the new calves and their moms. ******************************************************* * Jake speaks about the April Hazing fiasco....... Its been a long couple of weeks here at Buffalo Nations. Certainly the loudest thing that's happened lately was the Montana Department of Livestock's (DOL) big haze. At the time there were almost 300 buffalo on and around Horse Butte, a big hill several miles west of Yellowstone Park that the buffalo get to by following the north shore of the Madison River. The buffalo were gathering there as they have for generations to birth their calves. They were enjoying some of the best spring grazing in the area. Now, a thing like that made the DOL nervous. Their main concern seemed to be for a a rancher from Idaho who runs 240 head of cattle on Horse Butte (which is public land) during the summer. So instead of waiting for the natural birthing cycles and then migration of the buffalo to the Park, the DOL felt they should carry out a military hazing operation. As we all know, there has never been a proven transmission of the DOL's big fear, brucellosis, in the wild. Many of the buffalo on the Butte were bulls which couldn't transmit it anyway. But stressing pregnant and new born calves and young bulls with an motorized assault and full tilt run seem to be the right decision to the DOL. So, first the DOL sent Buffalo Nations a long letter written in legalese, asking us not to try and stop their hazing operation, and threatened to kill any buffalo left outside the park if the haze was unsuccessful. It was a hard decision to make, whether or not to try and stop the DOL. We didn't like them running buffalo with their aggressive methods just days before the kids were born, and why do cows have more of a right to Horse Butte than buffalo. As one local resident put it, "The buffalo have probably been having their calves on Horse Butte for a few thousand years..." We decided that while the hazing was pretty lame, it wasn't killing buffalo, and the reason Buffalo Nations exists is to prevent the killing of buffalo. So, we decided to monitor the hazing operation with hidden and obvious cameras, ready to turn to direct action if the buffalo were in mortal danger. We quickly put out an alert and grew from our core group of 6 people at that time to 30 plus people showing up from all over. Our numbers filled the house and spilled out into the yard, as well as allowing us to double numbers and increase patrols in the field. I know some of you are reading this, so thanks! <bold>B</bold>efore the haze, activists slipped in and stationed themselves in small teams along the hazing route. The DOL showed up about an hour after sunrise riding 2 horses, several ATVs, a pickup or four, a helicopters, and a dirt bike. Every one of these vehicles, except the dirt bike, carried a shotgun and cracker-barrel shells, which are basically M80s launched out of a shotgun, scientifically designed to scare the hell out of animals. And believe me, they shot their cap guns off fast and furious all day, in true cowboy style. Buffalo Nations was watching over the first buffalo moved that day as well as the one last hazed into the park, and just about every one in between as they were running in front of the wall of noise. The DOL pulled some cheesy stunts that day, like running buffalo through a barbed wire fence, and the Yellowstone Village and Bear Trap housing areas. Tina who lives in the Bear Trap subdivision said, "It was crazy, they flew their helicopter right over my house, and there were buffalo running everywhere." They also violated a federal closure by flying directly over a bald eagle nesting area and chasing an eagle off in a flurry (thankfully the eagle was not physically injured.) In addition to that violation, they broke Endangered species provisions and flew over the eagles open feeding water before 10am and they even landed their helicopter in the closure area (yep, we got it on video.) We were glad our numbers were strong so that we could monitor their actions. By the end of the day, no buffalo were killed. So the DOL had gone and the woods got quiet again, we found quite a few straggling buffalo, including a newborn calf and its shell shocked mother. Since then we've been watching the small groups that wander in and out of the park when they feel like it. The DOL continues to try to haze them into the park, we haven't heard anything more about their threat to shoot the buffalo who are still out of the park. In fact Larry Petersen, the chief executive of the DOL, sent us a personal letter the other day saying he looked forward to working with us next year. One activist called it "pretty damn cordial" of him. In a few days were only going to have 4 people here. Though the buffalo don't seem to be in as much danger as they were this winter, our patrols are probably the only thing making the DOL play nice. We also have to keep the office running, which is more work than it looks like as well as doing our educational tables again this summer. We still need a few volunteers for the months to come. Buffalo Nations is much bigger than just those of us at the cabin. Thanks for your support and for spreading the word. Happy traveling to the Swedes, wherever they are. ****************************************** * CNN Earth Matters recently did a piece on the hazing. ******************************* * Buffalo Nations will be continuing our work year round until this madness stops. Although it is early to be thinking about the next field season, the hazing action did point out that we can definitlely use some more good field radios, batteries, rechargers, a home base cb, cbs and antennae, video camera gear and batteries as well as some good feild tape recorders. Any help with fulfilling this wishlist will be most appreciated. Thanks so much for all of your continued support. Any and all help from radios to donations to spreading the word is important. Thanks and happy spring! Today, the snow is melting off in the mountains of Yellowstone, but as they say about Montana springs..."if ya' don't like the weather...wait 5 minutes." *********************** Please check out http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo for updates from the only group working every day in the Park: Buffalo Nations and find out what you can do http://www.wildrockies.org/bison Please pass these URL's on Also check this out! sign on to the code of silence! http://www.wildrockies.org/quiet/ no more helicopter hazing!...
