And now:Sonja Keohane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: IMO, nothing will deter the MDOL slaughtermen from their efforts, except public scrutiny and outrage. Thank God for the Buffalo Nations folks. <http://www.billingsgazette.com/regionframe.htm> MIGRATION SEASON Buffalo hazing begins in park By JOE KOLMAN Gazette Bozeman Bureau BOZEMAN - Snow is flying, bison are roaming and the accusations are starting to pile up. It is winter in Montana. State Department of Livestock officials say recent hazings of Yellowstone National Park bison back into the park are successful efforts to protect the animals. Under an interim management plan, hazing is the first option, then the animals may be captured and sent to slaughter or shot. But critics of the agency say the hazings have been unwarranted and could eventually kill the buffalo. Thirty-six bison were hazed back into the park Friday from the Duck Creek area near West Yellowstone, the agency's fifth and largest such operation in the last two weeks. "The Department of Livestock continues to claim they are saving the buffalo by hazing them back into the park," said Mike Bowersox of the group Buffalo Nations. "But these same buffalo will continue to come out of the park to their traditional winter forage grounds regardless of where the DOL tries to make them go. However, as the snow accumulates, continual hazing stresses the buffalo unnecessarily and increases the potential for winter kill." Members of the group, who observed some of the hazing, said many of the bison were bulls - which are deemed at a low risk for transmitting brucellosis. But Arnold Gertonson, the state veterinarian, said there were bulls and cows and it was impossible to determine the risk level of the cows. Buffalo Nations members and other conservationists said bison should be allowed to stay outside the park. The arguments are familiar to those who have been following the bison controversy over the last several years. Many of the park's bison have been exposed to the disease brucellosis, which causes abortions in cattle. While there has never been a documented case of transmission of the disease between wild bison and cattle, state officials and others have said any risk is too great. Eradicating the disease from state cattle herds cost millions of dollars and losing the brucellosis-free status would be crippling to Montana's largest industry, said Marc Bridges, the livestock department's acting director. Only 11 bison were killed for disease control last winter, but the prior winter saw 1,100 bison - about one-third of the park's population - shot or sent to slaughter. Many more starved and critics of the park service said a lack of management had resulted in too many bison and not enough food. Bridges said in a Thursday news release that recent bison migrations out of the park are due to a lack of forage to support the current herd, which stands at about 2,200. But Yellowstone spokeswoman Marsha Karle said bison are naturally roaming animals. "There's plenty for them to eat, they are just ready to move," Karle said. -----end of article-----