5/14/09 Montana Department of Livestock chasing baby buffalo with broken leg.

Though a day early, the dreaded time has come: All the buffalo have been cruelly forced off of Horse Butte.

All week patrols have been documenting the Montana Department of Livestock, Yellowstone National Park, Gallatin National Forest and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks agents carry out massive and relentless hazing operations, harassing and harming America's last wild bison population.

On Tuesday, agents were set to haze bison within Yellowstone National Park to "make room" for the bison that would be hazed off of Horse Butte. But Mother Nature had different plans: one group of bison the agents planned to target consisted of forty bulls who would follow none of the agents' orders. An incredible hail storm assisted and the haze was called off for the day. But such luck was momentary.

Every day this week agents chased bison family groups, including newborn calves and pregnant mothers, off of the south side of the Madison River, and today they set their sights on cattle-free Horse Butte. In fact, all of the Gallatin National Forest lands where the buffalo roam are cattle free, yet livestock interests insist on assaulting them with mounted cowboys*, ATVs, local and federal law enforcement and the DOL's helicopter.*

BFC volunteers documented some heartbreaking scenes this week: Yesterday, patrols documented a radio-collared bison female with a calf who had suffered an injury in her attempts to flee a cowboy in pursuit of she and two other buffalo moms and babies. Today, patrols discovered a calf who was orphaned, having been separated from its mother during a hazing operation. Typically, bison mothers will return to look for their calves, yet agents are pushing bison deep into Yellowstone - nearly 20 miles - so it is unlikely that the calf's mother will be able to return, or find her baby before it dies. Today, patrols following the buffalo being hazed off Horse Butte witnessed a calf with a broken leg. The little calf, in spite of it's likely fatal injury, still somehow managed to keep up with the herd for a long distance. Finally, the calf and its mother dropped behind. Nevertheless, a DOL agent insisted on flexing his authority over the bison and tried to push them forward. The mother charged the agent numerous times. After prompting by the bison mother and BFC, the DOL agent finally left the scene. The calf was last seen still trying to keep up with mom, as she made her way in the direction that her family was pushed.

The DOL and other agents violated private property rights* on Horse Butte today as well. They flew their helicopter low to the ground inside the Galanis' Yellowstone Ranch Preserve, Montana's largest "Buffalo Safe Zone." Agents on horseback and an ATV, accompanied by a Forest Service law enforcement officer, also patrolled the housing area of Yellowstone Village; for years the majority of residents in Horse Butte's Yellowstone Village have been resisting the DOL's intrusion upon the bison in their neighborhood.
Agents are pursuing these tormented, exhausted buffalo deep into Yellowstone. By the end of the day, bison from Horse Butte will have been hazed for approximately 20 miles.

Please continue to speak for the buffalo by writing to President Barack Obama and urge him to stop allowing U.S. tax dollars be wasted by Montana's livestock industry to harass and kill America's last wild bison population. Choose wild bison, not cows or condos!

ROAM FREE!

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[jsb400]

freakin bastards! It's their fault the baby broke it's leg! Leave wild animals on the land they were meant to be on!! Leave Bison alone! Leave the wolves alone! Leave the wild mustangs alone!!

[jsb400]

Cattle ranchers are helping destroy wild horses as well with the full help and blessing of the corrupt and evil BLM. Bastards all of them!

[Pieceshtcar97]

@ryunkoon these aren't rednecks, they're part of the government.

[FowlLady]

These jerks should be put in jail! Not only are they animal abusers, they are also polluting and wasting gas! It is bad when a helecopter goes over my house, but if one kept it up & kept it up like these jerks, they should be STOPPED! Buffalo/Bison are a beautiful symbol of America, and was here long before the white man was! These monsters must be STOPPED! What has happened to our country, they are destroying America in every way they can, one day America will be the pits and full of TRASH!

[lakota123max]

poor little calf..u would think at least the ppl would have the courtesy of shooting the baby to put if out of its misery..omg

[dressagepinky]

good luck getting Barry Obama to do anything- he won't do anything for the humans that live in America, except the illegals- they are special to him- they're voting machines!

It's time Americans stood up for thier own country and vote these scumbags out!

[iamearthbornami]

too sad~ this is just too sad

[mercifulmama]

OMJitsme - HEY - YOU PIECE OF CRAP - YOU shut the f-up!

You STUPID teens are not old enough to KNOW what you are talking about!

THIS is WRONG what they are doing!

[OMJitsme]

jsb400 shut the fuck up!!!!!!!!!!

[feathers666]

It's a bit confusing. What does either 'party' suggest to do with the badly injured calf?

Again personal politics gets in the way of sense. Where a warden would have quickly destroyed the animal, that is denied for egos to strop and waffle in a battle for control. Anyone who genuinely cared about the creature would have ensured it be relieved from it's suffering regardless.

At least you are making it clear exactly who and what you support.