Bison Kill Can Go On, But Judge Sets Limits

A federal judge refused Tuesday to stop the killing of bison, many infected with disease, that wander out of Yellowstone National Park in search of winter forage.

But he limited the number that may be killed, ordered weekly reports filed with him on bison deaths during the winter, and vowed to hold a hearing on the park’s border if necessary to gauge the situation.

U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell, in a hearing, refused to prohibit the U.S. and Montana governments from using a bison management plan that relies on a combination of trapping, hazing, testing and slaughter to control the animals.

But he said no more than 100 bison can be killed without another court hearing. He said he does not want a repeat of last winter, when almost 1,100 Yellowstone bison were shot or shipped to slaughter.

Lovell’s rulings came in a lawsuit filed by several conservation groups and the Inter-Tribal Bison Cooperative, a coalition of 45 tribes in 17 states trying to restore bison to Indian lands.

The suit challenged continued use of an interim management plan in which most bison leaving the park in search of winter forage are either shot or shipped to slaughter. The plan was drafted as a short-term measure while federal and state experts debate a long-range solution.

The interim plan is designed to keep the animals from spreading brucellosis to cattle. The disease, which is common in Yellowstone bison, causes cows to abort their calves. In humans, it can cause undulant fever.