"While Interior Secretary Deb Haaland wants to restore more bison across the country, Yellowstone’s famous herd suffered through one of the deadliest winters on record, with the animals easy prey for hunters as they sauntered across the park’s northern border in search of food.

During three years of mild winters, few bison migrated outside of the national park to escape deep snow, allowing the herd to swell to a record high of 6,000 in 2022. But more than 1,000 were harvested by hunters during the winter, and park officials expect the population to drop to as low as 4,800 in the next couple weeks.

Rather than watch so many bison get slaughtered, Yellowstone officials would prefer to send more of the animals to Native American tribes or relocate them to other public lands, but it’s a tough sell for many ranchers in Montana who have little interest in the federal government’s plans to protect them."

Rob Hotakainen reports for E&E News March 22, 2023. [2]