Yellowstone bison numbers approaching record

[JoseCuervo]

I thought the Wolves were eating everything in Yellowstone? What is the deal with this?

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) A bison expert says Yellowstone’s buffalo population could break a record this fall even though it faces continuing challenges.


The record of 4,002 animals dates to 1994. “We’ll probably just barely top that this year,” said Rick Wallen, of Yellowstone’s Bison Ecology and Management Center.


Between 600 and 700 bison calves were born in the park this spring.


The park’s population continues to grow despite Montana livestock officials’ policy of slaughtering bison that leave the park out of concern that they could spread brucellosis to cattle.


The disease can cause cattle to abort and, in rare cases, causes undulant fever in humans. Officials try to prevent transmission to cattle by keeping bison and cattle separate.


Bison were hunted nearly to extinction in the early 1900s.


Around that time, a man nicknamed Buffalo Jones lobbied Congress to restore the park’s bison herd. He rounded up 25 bison and became the park’s first bison caretaker. The herd grew to 1,200 in just 30 years.


The park’s bison management plan calls for a population of 3,000. When the population falls below that number, bison that leave Yellowstone are captured and tested for brucellosis; those that test positive are killed.


Bison are killed without testing when the herd exceeds 3,000.


About half the bison tested currently test positive for brucellosis antibodies, and about half of those are believed to be infected.


Tuesday, July 8, 2003


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[dgibson]

Ban cattle from adjoining grazing allotments and give the buffalo to the ranchers to replace them! Viva la bison industry!

 

[dgibson]

Once again my brilliant logic has displaced any thoughts of rebuttal.

 

[ELKCHSR]

Sounds good to me, they eat a lot differently and can put on weight in some of the more inhospitable environs.....
Plus the meat is very good!!!

 

[BigHornyRam]

Gunner,

Bison are not the wolves first choice when it comes to dinner time. Not to say that they don't occasionally try. A couple years ago I was returning from a Cooke City hunt, and was going thru Jellystone. Near the Slough Creek turn off, a pack of wolves was starting to put a drive on a small herd of Bison. It was pretty cool to watch!

Dgibson,

Are you saying give park Bison to welfare ranchers outside the park? What should they do with them when it comes time for harvest?

Paul

 

[dgibson]

Paul, that was an idea that came up on another "welfare rancher" thread.

The general idea was that someone was proposing to pull the grazing allotments around Yellowstone from the ranchers so the buffalo could expand into that area. Of course, the ranchers aren't happy about it. Buzz mentioned along the way that he has been told by a ranching acquaintance that managing buffalo is, in many ways, easier than cattle. So I threw out the idea of kicking the cattle off the range, but giving the "surplus" bison to them to help them start their own bufflo ranching business. That would make the animal huggers happier (no more kills to thin the population), keep the ranchers in business, etc.

The admitted major obstacle that I could see was moving enough meat on the bison market to make it worth their while. There are folks doing it, but I don't know if the demand is there to support a lot of ranchers.

 

[JoseCuervo]

The only reason TOO many bison are a problem, is the fear of spreading Brucellosis to the Welfare Rancher;s cows. If we get rid of the Welfare Ranchers then we don't have the problem. Piece of cake.

And then if we still have extra Bison, how about letting hunters shoot them? We could call it hunting.