

IBMP APHIS / MT DOL Bison Hunting Tool Using Montana and Tribal Hunters as the APHIS / DOL

Brucellosis Eradication Gun,

to deflect eradication attention from themselves. (I am a hunter that advocates for ethical, Fair Chase hunting and the

North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. I also

respect Native American Nations sovereignty)

Petition for National Academy of Sciences

Review of Wildlife Brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area Help put a stop to the brucellosis politics! Please Petition for the peer reviewed science of wildlife management for our bison and elk. "As a result, the federal government and State of Montana agreed to an Interagency Bison Management Plan (lBMP) that established guidelines for managing the risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle by implementing hazing, test and-slaughter, hunting, and other actions near the park boundary (U.S. Department of the Interior [USDI] and U.S. Department ofAgriculture [USDA] 2000a)."- IBMP APHIS and the Montana Department of Livestock have sought to stall the restoration of wild bison onto Montana public lands. All bison entering have been shot, captured for studies, slaughtered at the boundary under the guise of hunting, or hazed back into Yellowstone National Park. All this done under the exaggerated statement that bison pose a disease threat to humans and livestock. The truth is that APHIS has an eradication of brucellosis agenda in widlife. Montana's Department of Livestock is more than willing to receive the APHIS eradication of brucellosis money (federal taxpayer dollars) to market their beef as Brucellosis Class Free and remove forage competing ungulates from the landscape MCA 81-2-120. The science being produced today reports that the transmission risk from wild YNP bison to cattle is 0.0-0.3% (the 0.3% being an academic safety net), elk representing 99.7%-100% of the risk (bison science at the end of page). Below are documents dealing with the APHIS / DOL shift from outright slaughter, which received the public's outrage and a public relations black eye, to seeking less obvious ways to eradicate wild bison which test positive for exposure to brucellosis - one tool being to use hunters to slaughter bison exiting Yellowstone National Park, rather than a true "fair chase" hunt, as other wildlife in Montana are required to receive. "Any hunt configuration approved would have to minimize bad publicity such as that generated by the public hunt authorized by the 1985 Montana Legislature and recinded by the 1991 Montana Legislature." "87-2-730. (Effective March 1, 2014) Special wild buffalo license -- regulation. (1) The public hunting of wild buffalo or bison that have been designated as a species in need of disease control under 81-2-120 is permitted only when authorized by the department of livestock under the provisions set forth in 81-2-120 ."

. The northern portion of the Yellowstone National Park, the Beattie Gulch area, is a bottleneck of very limited land, near a residential and commercial area. Hundreds of bison have been killed in this small area, just after they step out of the Park. In addition to hundreds of gut piles, the bison gestation is nearing completion, with advanced development of bison fetuses, which also are part of the gut piles. This is a disease issue, as well as a major attractant for scavengers and predators. "In 2000, the federal government and the State of Montana signed an agreement that established guidelines for cooperatively managing the risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle—primarily by excluding bison from areas used by cattle. This Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) also emphasized preserving the bison population as a natural component of the ecosystem and allowing some bison to occupy winter ranges on public lands in Montana. Five agencies were originally responsible for implementing the plan—the National Park Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Forest Service, Montana Department of Livestock, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, Nez Perce Tribe, and InterTribal Buffalo Council were added as members in 2009 due to their treaty hunting rights on some unoccupied federal lands in southwestern Montana and their commitment to restoring bison. " - YNP

Blackfoot Chief Earl Old Person, prayer for Buffalo; James St. Goddard, protest for bison slaughters to stop. Almost 7 minute MP3

EE-Suk-Yah (Sacred Holy Paint Gatherer), James "Jimmy" St. Goddard, Spiritual Leader of the Blackfoot Confederacy, spoke at a press conference hosted by the Buffalo Field Campaign, on March 1, 2014, asking the other tribes not to participate in these "misleading tactics of the White Man, making the Indian believe he is doing the right thing for the eeneewah (buffalo)...the political lie of saying, 'Well you kill the buffalo, we'll let you kill the buffalo, we'll let you take the meat."



On March 4th, James St. Goddard went to Helena to speak with Montana Governor Steve Bullock, to complain that MT is allowing hunters to kill pregnant buffalo. He said he just came from Gardiner and saw hunters killing pregnant buffalo and leaving the fetuses to rot in the snow. He said MT doesn't allow hunters to do this to other animals. (actually they did it to elk in Park Co. in the Elk Management in Areas With Brucellosis program 2013 and will probably do so again this season - 2014 - all in the name of brucellosis.)

Mont. bison harvest a ‘shameful disgrace’ - Todd Wilkinson, Part 6 of a series on

wildlife disease management in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Timeline 2003 - SB 395 - Sport hunting of bison as management tool. The proponents of SB 395 claimed bison hunts would not be a repeat of the slaughter "hunt" in 1985, recinded in 1991. Gov. Judy Martz supported the bill. "It's another tool that we have to be able to control the number of bison that are in the park," she said. There were no provisions in SB 395 to insure a "fair-chase" hunt. DOL was put in charge of determining where, when, and which animals would be hunted. Montana Wildlife Federation officially opposed SB 395. They claimed that in order to support a bison hunt in Montana, authority for bison management must be transferred to FWP, that all references to disease management must be separated from a hunt, and that bison management in the Yellowstone area must be re-evaluated to insure that a fair-chase hunt is possible. 2004 - Draft EA for Bison Hunt Impacts 2004 - Final Bison Hunting Decision Notice

"Any hunt configuration approved would have to minimize bad publicity such as that generated by the public hunt authorized by the 1985 Montana Legislature and recinded by the 1991 Montana Legislature." pg. 1 2008-2009 - A Concept Paper For A New Direction For the Bovine Brucellosis Program - APHIS VS 2009 - The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, Nez Perce Tribe, and InterTribal Buffalo Council were added as members to the IBMP 2013 - Tribal Slaughter North Boundary of YNP, Gardiner 2014 - Tribal Slaughter North Boundary of YNP, Gardiner USAHA (United States Animal Health Association) 2005 Brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area - "APHIS/VS agrees with the actions and steps included in this resolution. VS is providing resources for brucellosis surveillance and control activities. Eradication activities cannot occur until the other agencies agree on a disease eradication plan. To assure collaboration among the relevant agencies, VS is working and will continue to work with these agencies to develop MOU’s and agreements on a plan of action that includes eradication of brucellosis from the GYA. VS is willing and able to take the lead once a brucellosis eradication plan has been agreed to between the agencies." A Concept Paper For A New Direction For the Bovine Brucellosis Program - APHIS VS 2009 , "The goal of the program is to eradicate brucellosis from the United States." "Despite cooperative Federal-State-industry efforts to eradicate this disease and the significant progress we have made, final eradication will not become possible unless the country adopts new strategies to address current challenges. Eradication depends on finding the last remaining brucellosis-reactor animal, the last remaining brucellosis-affected herd, and eliminating the disease from wildlife reservoirs . All potential risks for exposure and transmission of brucellosis from infected wildlife populations must be mitigated and eliminated as well. Currently, the last known reservoir of disease is the wildlife populations in the GYA. A new direction is needed that will allow VS and States to apply limited resources effectively and efficiently to this unique disease risk."(pg. 2) Science - Bison Brucellosis Risk The science being produced today reports that the transmission risk from wild YNP bison to cattle is 0.0-0.3% (the 0.3% being an academic safety net), elk representing 99.7%-100% of the risk. A Risk Analysis of Brucella abortus Transmission Among Bison, Elk, and Cattle in the Northern Greater Yellowstone Area (2010) , 0.0-0.3%, which DoL's Dr. Marty Zaluski was one of 7 authors on. - page 41 Brucellosis Science Review Workshop Panelists Report 2013 ."To date, no documented transmission of brucellosis from Yellowstone bison to cattle has occurred." "The organizers' intent was that conclusions and recommendations from the panel would be considered by the National Park Service in decision-making on the potential implementation of future vaccination programs, and that the workshop report also would inform short- and long-term adaptive management decisions on and strategies for disease management activities associated with the IBMP." Documents MCA 87-2-730 Bison Hunting in Montana

"permitted only when authorized by the department of livestock under the provisions set forth in 81-2-120." "fair chase hunting of wild buffalo or bison, including requirements that hunting be conducted on foot and away from public roads and that there be no designation of specific wild buffalo or bison to be hunted; (e) means of taking and handling of carcasses in the field, which must include provisions for public safety because of the potential for the spread of infectious disease;" "87-2-730. (Effective March 1, 2014) . Special wild buffalo license -- regulation. (1) The public hunting of wild buffalo or bison that have been designated as a species in need of disease control under 81-2-120 is permitted only when authorized by the department of livestock under the provisions set forth in 81-2-120." Draft EA for Bison Hunt Impacts Final Bison Hunting Decision Notice

" 'Fair chase' hunts will be insured by defining large hunting areas (including areas where bison can move to escape hunting pressure), by limiting numbers of hunters in the field, and by prohibiting hunting from vehicles." "...hunters will be required to pursue bison on foot and will not be allowed to shoot bison from public roads (the same restrictions that apply to other big game species in Montana)." "Preferences for ethnic, racial, or gender groups would be illegal under the equal opportunity laws under which MFWP operates. Without legislative authorization, special consideration of ethnic preferences cannot be considered in this EA." " 'Fair chase' hunts will be insured by defining large hunting areas (including areas where bison can move to escape hunting pressure), by limiting numbers of hunters in the field, and by prohibiting hunting from vehicles." "...hunters will be required to pursue bison on foot and will not be allowed to shoot bison from public roads (the same restrictions that apply to other big game species in Montana)." "Sufficient acreage currently exists to allow 'Fair Chase' hunting. Please see Table 4. Potential areas available for public hunting of bison near the Yellowstone National Park boundary in Montana. Acreage (hectares in parentheses) for currently designated Zone 2 areas (where free-ranging bison are tolerated under specified seasonal restrictions) and total area where bison potentially could be hunted (Zone 2, wilderness areas where bison are tolerated. Acreages provided include: 21,019 in West Yellowstone Basin; 23,546 acres in Eagle/Bear Creek; and 98,870 acres on public lands in the Upper Gallatin drainage north to Taylor’s Fork (west of the Gallatin) and the Porcupine Wildlife Management Area (east of the Gallatin). In the future, as the IBMP is fully implemented in its final phase, significantly more tolerance and acreage will be available." What has occurred the last two winters is not fair chase; is in a small bottle neck, just as the bison exit the YNP; gut piles and unborn pregnancies from around 200 bison are on the landscape, right next to a residential and commercial area presenting a disease and scavenger threat; hunting from the road has occurred. IBMP 2008-2009 Annual Report

"ACTION 2.2B: IN ZONE 2 LANDS ADJACENT TO YELL, EMPHASIZE MANAGEMENT OF BISON AS WILDLIFE AND INCREASE THE USE OF STATE AND TREATY HUNTS TO MANAGE BISON NUMBERS AND DEMOGRAPHIC RATES, LIMIT THE RISK OF BRUCELLOSIS TRANSMISSION TO CATTLE, AND PROTECT HUMAN SAFETY AND PROPERTY." "Continue evaluating opportunities and constraints for (l) transferring "surplus" bison to quarantine facilities for further surveillance and eventual release onto suitable restoration sites or to terminal destinations on tribal or other lands for periodic harvest for food or ceremonial pnrposes, and (2) adjusting conservation zones to increase state and treaty hunting opportunities in habitat outside the park."

"Under their 19th century treaty rights (i.e., Steven's Treaty), members of the Nez Perce and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes can hunt bison on public lands, including USFS lands adjacent to YELL." pg. 16

2013 Beattie Gulch Slaughter PDF - Bonnie Lynn, PDF and maps created by Kathryn QannaYahu

Your Advertisement Here Site designed and maintained by Kathryn QannaYahu