Bison face roundup; some bulls to be killed

HELENA – State and federal officials rounded up a group of nearly 50 renegade bison near West Yellowstone on Friday and shipped most of them to a Yellowstone National Park corral north of Gardiner.

But bulls in the herd were still expected to be slaughtered, angering bison advocates who accused the state of reneging on a recent federal agreement to spare the animals.

The 41 bison are part of a herd hazed from West Yellowstone back into the park last week. The herd, which numbers about 300, was nearly sent to slaughter until the state reached an agreement with the National Park Service to truck them into the park if they resisted the latest hazing efforts.

Tom Daubert, a spokesman for the state Department of Livestock, said officials began capturing the stray bison early Friday. The operation was expected to take most of the day, since officials were trucking the bison around the park instead of through it to avoid heavy tourist traffic.

Up to 12 bulls captured Friday will be slaughtered next week instead of being sent back into the park because the Stephens Creek holding facility cannot accommodate them, said Christian Mackay, Livestock Department director.

The meat will be donated to American Indian tribes that have requested it, he said.

News of the planned slaughter angered members of the Buffalo Field Campaign, a group that advocates for a free-roaming wild bison herd.

Spokeswoman Stephany Seay said the holding facility handled “scores” of bull bison just last year, and added the trucking operation was presented as an alternative to killing any of the animals.

“Montana said they would not slaughter any buffalo, and here they intend to slaughter bulls,” campaign coordinator Mike Mease said.

Tensions are heightened after brucellosis was found in a herd of cattle in the state last month. Another case would cost the state its brucellosis-free status, requiring more testing of cattle for the disease, which causes cows to abort. It could also lead to restrictions on out-of-state transport of cattle.