Keith Lusher 05.08.25
More than 300 bison have been removed from Yellowstone National Park this season as part of ongoing efforts to maintain the park’s herd at sustainable levels, officials reported this week.
According to the National Park Service, as of last Friday, the culling operation has removed 304 bison either through tribal hunting programs or capture-for-slaughter operations at the park’s Stephens Creek Capture Facility.
Of those animals, 96 bison were taken by hunters licensed through seven tribal nations, while 208 were trapped and consigned to slaughter. One bison died in the capture facility.
Park officials had planned to remove between 600 and 900 bison this season from a population that reached approximately 4,500 animals last summer. The current removal efforts represent a carefully calculated approach to prevent overpopulation while preserving the genetic integrity of America’s oldest wild bison herd.
Managing Disease Risk
The culling program addresses concerns about the spread of brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can cause infected animals to abort their young. While both bison and elk can carry brucellosis, park officials and state representatives maintain that bison present a more significant risk.
“Bison in Yellowstone Park present a much higher, much more significant risk to the state,” argued Rachel Meredith, an attorney representing Gov. Greg Gianforte, during a hearing before Judge Brian Morris in U.S. District Court last week. The statement came as part of ongoing litigation between Montana and the federal government regarding Yellowstone’s 2024 bison management plan.
At the heart of the dispute is the newly implemented plan that allows for a population range of 3,500 to 6,000 animals, significantly higher than Montana’s preferred cap of 3,000 bison. The state filed its lawsuit at the end of last year, arguing its concerns weren’t properly addressed and that Yellowstone’s analysis was flawed.
Meredith pointed to key differences in disease prevalence between species. “Bison seroprevalence in the park is as high as 60%,” she noted, compared to approximately 5% in elk in the Greater Yellowstone Area, though some elk herds show rates between 20% and 30%.
Yellowstone bison that wander outside designated tolerance zones on the north and west sides of the park are either killed or hazed back into the park. These zones also provide the primary regions where bison are harvested by tribal and public hunters.
A Balance of Interests
Advocacy groups like the Buffalo Field Campaign and Roam Free Nation have condemned the current culling operations, describing them as a process that sacrifices wild animals for the interests of the cattle industry.
These organizations claim that Montana is driving the killing with what they call “an aggressive zero-tolerance policy for wild bison” and opposition to the park’s efforts to maintain a larger population. According to these groups, the state’s lawsuit against Yellowstone National Park over its bison management plan demonstrates an unwillingness to allow these iconic animals to thrive in their natural habitat.
“All of it serves the human, not the buffalo,” stated Jaedin Medicine Elk, co-founder of Roam Free Nation, in a recent statement. “The buffalo need more protection, more room to roam, not this disservice by a conglomerate of selfish humans. Dead or in jail is no way to live.”
Processing the Meat
The process involves transporting captured bison to facilities like Tizer’s Meats in Helena, where they are processed by specialized teams. Matt Elvbakken, who leads a butchering team hired by the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, described the operation as physically demanding but well-organized.
“They’ve got a pretty good deal, a pretty good bunch of logistics going to where they got the trucking down. And they got the distribution down and all of that,” Elvbakken said in an interview. His 9-person team processed 26 Yellowstone bison in a single day earlier this week.
A 600-pound bull bison typically yields about 300 pounds of meat, which is then distributed to tribal members at cost, covering only processing fees and transportation expenses. This arrangement provides high-quality protein to tribal communities while supporting traditional cultural practices.
Elvbakken noted that this year’s bison appear to be in excellent condition. “These buffalo are in the best shape of any I’ve seen in all the years we’ve been doing it,” he said. “Usually they’re very emaciated. There’s not one bit of fat on them, and you can count their ribs.”
Trending Products
