The bison management season is coming to an end in Yellowstone country. As this year’s harvest numbers have come in Yellowstone officials are reporting low bison harvest and cull numbers.
Currently, the staff is reporting that only 41 bison have been culled so far. In addition to these cull numbers, hunters have taken 4 animals this year off of Parklands.
These numbers fall far short of the target set by federal, state, and tribal agencies that manage the herd. Last year, officials agreed to cull between 600 to 900 animals this winter. However, unstable weather patterns and low snowpack allowed many of the bison to stay within Yellowstone Park’s boundary this winter.
Because of the low bison harvest and culling the bison herd can explode in Yellowstone. as a result of this population growth officials use three tactics to manage the herd. Firstly, each year state and tribal hunters harvest some bison as they leave the park for lower elevations in the winter. Secondly, some bison are rounded up near the Park’s border every year. These bison are then culled and the meat and hides are given to the various tribes that participate in the cull program. Lastly, some bison are trapped and transported to several tribal land herds.
Focusing on Transporting Bison
Last year officials stated that they wanted to build upon the third tactic in their management plan. That means they wanted to move away from the harvesting and culling of bison somewhat and instead focus on the transport of the bison. Last year, 56 park bison were transferred to the Yakama Nation’s lands in Washington and the Modoc Nation’s lands in Oklahoma as part of the program.
Last year, the Park had a low bison harvest as well. Likewise, no bison were trapped and none were sent to be culled. As a result of these changes, Yellowstone has announced that it will be updating its bison management plan soon.
You can read more about these low bison harvest numbers by clicking here. Likewise, you can read more hunting news by clicking here.
