Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Is Governor Bullock sanctioning test and slaughter of Montana's elk, bison, moose and deer?


At the Interagency Bison Management Program on November 21, 2013, MT DOL's State Veterinarian stated, during the Brucellosis Seroprevalence discussion, that they would be conducting a capture, test, slaughter and vaccination program with the wild bison exiting Yellowstone National Park, beginning this February. Familiar with the academic papers on the unrealistic and uneconomical subject, as well as the 0.0-0.3% risk that wild bison could possibly transmit the livestock disease brucellosis, back to domestic cattle (no documented case of wild bison to domestic cattle transmission has ever occurred in the wild), I emailed Governor Bullock, to share the science with him, in hopes that he would stop the DOL's 2014 slaughtering of thousands of bison as they exited the Park, as they did in the winter of 2005/2006 and again in 2008. The reply I received, which turned out to be canned, was such a factual, politicized disappointment involving elk and bison, I had to write a rebuttal to correct all the literal bullshit. Below is my reply, with Governor Bullocks email following. I have also included my original bison vaccination citations email below his. So if you like to read in chronological order, start at the bottom. I have received no reply from the Governor's office from this Dec. 26th rebuttal email.

Additional notes, I have repeatedly requested Montana's official position on brucellosis in wildlife, including the Governor's office, and received no such policy statement. I have also researched and uncovered documents that show the State has signed onto USDA APHIS's Brucellosis Management Plan (posted soon) with APHIS, whose current mission statement is the eradication of brucellosis in wildlife - the elk and bison (as well as other cervids) of the the GYA. 

Governor Steve Bullock's Email on Elk and Bison Brucellosis

Montanan's public and our public trust wildlife deserve better!


Please contact Governor Steve Bullock and voice your concern that test and slaughter/vaccine programs are not efficient, economical, nor socially acceptable management tools for our treasured and public trust wildlife.

Governor Steve Bullock
406-444-3111
Toll Free: 855-318-1330
FAX: 406-444-5529
Email: governor@mt.gov
Mail: Office of the Governor
PO Box 200801
Helena MT 59620-0801