Buffalo Field
Campaign
March 2018
Please USE OUR SAMPLE LETTER, and in your own words tell Montana and Yellowstone that they must take emergency action to protect what remains of the Central buffalo herd and close all buffalo hunting west of Yellowstone National Park and cease plans to capture for slaughter or any other reason.
Make some calls and then SIGN THE LETTER.
Montana Governor Steve Bullock
(406) 444-3111
(855) 318-1330 (toll free)
[email protected]
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Martha Williams
(406) 444-3186
Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk
(307) 344-2002
[email protected]
Yellowstone National Park Bison Biologist Rick Wallen
(307) 344-2207text
TALKING POINTS
Yellowstone's Central buffalo herd has declined by nearly half since last
year. When Yellowstone released their report on the status of the
Yellowstone bison, there were only 847 buffalo remaining. Now that hunting
has commenced, fewer than 800 remain. This subpopulation of the last
continuously wild, migratory buffalo has been in seriously dire straights
and is continuing to decline at a rapid pace due to the nefarious actions of
the State of Montana and Yellowstone National Park. In a little more than a
decade, government capture, slaughter, harassment, and hunting, has reduced
the Central Interior herd to less than one-fourth its size.
The status of the Central herd is so dire that Yellowstone bison biologists
are recommending that state and tribal hunting cease in the Hebgen Basin,
west of Yellowstone National Park, where the Central herd exclusively
migrates. This hunting closure suggestion will likely be met with resistance
by hunters and hunt managers, so it is imperative that we raise our voices
and be heard for the herd!
But, Yellowstone cannot place the conservation burden on hunters alone.
The Central herd migrates both west into the Hebgen Basin and also north
into the Gardiner Basin, where Yellowstone’s Stephens Creek buffalo trap is.
It is irresponsible and unjust for Yellowstone biologists to suggest hunters
cease to kill, when they intend to capture-for-slaughter or removal,
hundreds of wild buffalo this winter, knowing that many of these buffalo
will be from the Central herd. Aside from a few radio collared females, they
will not know which buffalo are from which herd. Yellowstone’s capture
operations kill hundreds more buffalo than hunters do on the west and north
side, combined. If Yellowstone moves forward with capture-for-slaughter
operations, they will be neglecting their responsibility to the buffalo,
ignoring the tragic shift that they recognize and have directly caused, and
will be placing the bulk of the conservation burden on hunters, especially
the five Tribes hunting under treaty right.
Finally, for the few survivors remaining in the spring, Montana must also
cease hazing or harassing buffalo and let them roam in peace.
Thank you for everything you do for animals!
Return to Action Alerts
Find
area codes
Find zip
codes
Find your United States Congressional Representative
Find your United States Senators
Find your state legislators
Find Embassies Worldwide