Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

It turned out to be a fairly quiet week in the Madison River Valley as no bison have been captured. DOL agents were out on snowmobiles on Monday and Tuesday disturbing wildlife and wasting taxpayer money, but most of them left the valley on Wednesday afternoon. The bison and BFC volunteers were greeted by a stunning sunrise this morning, made all the more beautiful by the absence of the bison killers.

On Tuesday evening, BFC volunteers attended two informational public meetings. One, in Gardiner, Montana, was a discussion of the current drought and its effects on wildlife and water. It was stated that this drought is the longest and driest on record for this region. The impacts on wildlife are potentially devastating and the full effects may not be seen for years to come. While we are experiencing near normal snowfall this winter, we are desperately in need of more snow and a very wet spring. Snow dance anyone?

The other meeting, in West Yellowstone, Montana, outlined a ten year study on elk and bison behavior along the Madison River in Yellowstone. One interesting finding of the study is that even though elk and bison mingle during calving season, there has been little or no transference of brucellosis between the species. Common sense should show that it would be even more difficult for brucellosis to be transmitted between bison and cattle, especially if there are no cattle in the area. It is still unclear, however, if the bureaucrats in charge of bison management have any common sense.

To be in the company of these bison beings, to observe and learn from them, is to witness an awesome force of nature alive, wild, and free. Perhaps it is that spirit of uncontrollable wildness and defiant freedom about the bison that the authorities cannot handle. In many ways the wild bison is a living mockery of our hypocritical American ideals of unbounded freedom, adventure, and opportunity sacrificed for the lonely dullness of material wealth, security, and control.

- Tim Gannon, BFC Volunteer