YELLOWSTONE BISON conserving an AMERICAN ICON in modern society EDITED BY P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, and David E. Hallac YELLOWSTONE BISON Yellowstone Bison: Conserving an American Icon in Modern Society Editors P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, and David E. Hallac Contributing Authors Katrina L. Auttelet, Douglas W. Blanton, Amanda M. Bramblett, Chris Geremia, Tim C. Reid, Jessica M. Richards, Tobin W. Roop, Dylan R. Schneider, Angela J. Stewart, John J. Treanor, and Jesse R. White Contributing Editor Jennifer A. Jerrett YELLOWSTONE ASSOCIATION YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, USA, 2015 P.J. White is the Chief of Wildlife and Aquatic Resources at Yellowstone National Park. Rick L. Wallen is the Bison Project Leader at Yellowstone National Park. David E. Hallac was the Division Chief of the Yellowstone Center for Resources at Yellowstone National Park between 2011-2014. The Yellowstone Association, Yellowstone National Park 82190 Published 2015 Printed in the United States of America All chapters are prepared solely by officers or employees of the United States government as part of their official duties and are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Foreign copyrights may apply. National Park Service (NPS) photographs are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Foreign copyrights may apply. However, because this work may contain other copyrighted images or other incorporated material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary. Cover image: NPS/Neal Herbert. Half title image: NPS/Jacob W. Frank. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Yellowstone bison : conserving an American icon in modern society / edited by P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, and David E. Hallac ; contributing authors, Katrina L. Auttelet [and 10 others] ; contributing editor, Jennifer A. Jerrett. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-934948-30-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. American bison--Conservation--Yellowstone National Park. 2. American bison-- Conservation--United States. 3. Wildlife conservation--Yellowstone National Park. 4. Wildlife conservation--United States. 5. Wildlife management--Yellowstone National Park. I. White, P. J. (Patrick James) II. Wallen, Rick L. III. Hallac, David E. IV. Auttelet, Katrina L. V. Jerrett, Jennifer A. QL737.U53Y45 2015 599.64’30978752--dc23 2015004628 The authors gratefully acknowledge the generous contribution of the Yellowstone Association, whose publication grant enabled the production of this book. Contents Preface ix Daniel N. Wenk, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park Introduction xiii P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, and David E. Hallac Chapter 1: The Population 1 Douglas W. Blanton, P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, Katrina L. Auttelet, Angela J. Stewart, and Amanda M. Bramblett Chapter 2: Brucellosis 19 P.J. White, David E. Hallac, Rick L. Wallen, and Jesse R. White Chapter 3: Historical Perspective 45 Rick L. Wallen, P.J. White, and Chris Geremia Chapter 4: Seasonal Distributions and Movements 67 Chris Geremia, P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, and Douglas W. Blanton Chapter 5: Reproduction and Survival 83 Chris Geremia, P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, and Douglas W. Blanton Chapter 6: Nutritional Ecology 97 John J. Treanor, Jessica M. Richards, and Dylan R. Schneider Chapter 7: Ecological Role 107 Rick L. Wallen, P.J. White, and Chris Geremia Chapter 8: Adaptive Capabilities and Genetics 119 Rick L. Wallen and P.J. White Chapter 9: Cultural Importance 131 Rick L. Wallen, P.J. White, and Tobin W. Roop Chapter 10: Current Management 141 P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, David E. Hallac, Chris Geremia, John J. Treanor, Douglas W. Blanton, and Tim C. Reid Chapter 11: The Future 159 P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, Chris Geremia, John J. Treanor, and David E. Hallac Acknowledgments 179 Glossary of Terms 181 References 197 Index 243 Abbreviations used in citations: APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service MDOL Montana Department of Livestock MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks NPS National Park Service USDA United States [U.S.] Department of Agriculture USDI U.S. Department of the Interior USFS U.S. Forest Service YNP Yellowstone National Park Recommended citation format: Entire book.—White, P. J., R. L. Wallen, D. E. Hallac, and J. A. Jerrett, editors. 2015. Yellowstone bison—Conserving an American icon in modern society. Yellowstone Association, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Individual chapter.—Wallen, R. L., P. J. White, and C. Geremia. 2015. Historical perspective. Pages 45-65 in P. J. White, R. L. Wallen, D. E. Hallac, and J. A. Jerrett, editors. Yellowstone bison—Conserving an American icon in modern society. Yellowstone Association, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Photograph courtesy of National Geographic by Michael Nichols Bison in winter, Yellowstone National Park. Preface Daniel N. Wenk, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park MY ASSOCIATION WITH bison management in Yellowstone National Park began in the early 1980s when I worked for Superintendents John Townsley and Bob Barbee. Back then, there were fewer than 2,500 bison and the central herd was the largest herd in the park. Also, bison were not yet making seasonal migrations past the north and west boundaries of the national park. Because bison were not leaving the park, brucellosis within the population was less of a concern. Bison contributed greatly to the enjoyment of the park by visitors as part of the incredible wildlife display. Much has changed. About three decades later, when I was prepar- ing to return to the park as Superintendent beginning February of 2011, I was made aware of a court-mediated settlement regarding the management of bison signed by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior and the Governor of Montana. But my knowledge came from a distance, and I did not yet fully understand or appreciate the complexity of management or the intensity of emotion and conflict that was occurring on the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. x YELLOWSTONE BISON: CONSERVING AN AMERICAN ICON IN MODERN SOCIETY My education came quick. The winter of 2010-2011 was harsh and bison were moving into the Gardiner basin of Montana in large num- bers. Within two weeks of my arrival in the park, I was in Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer’s office in the state capital to discuss bison management. The Governor suggested methods to control population numbers and brucellosis, including a proposal to hunt bison within the national park. I rejected this proposal because it was contrary to law, regulation, and policy of the National Park Service and Yellowstone. It was also unnecessary; the park could ecologically support the bison population and we were successfully managing the population without hunting in the park. In an unexpected turn of events, and what would become my first lesson in the politics of bison management, Governor Schweitzer issued an Executive Order prohibiting the shipment of bison on state high- ways. The hands of the National Park Service were tied. That winter, approximately 850 bison were held in capture facilities until early May when they migrated back into the park. What I learned in my first weeks as Superintendent is that the science, so well-highlighted in this book, must be joined with the strength and commitment of people to successfully manage a wide-roaming bison population and prevent brucellosis transmission to cattle. Many of these individuals are the authors of this book: wildlife biologists, law- enforcement officers, and others who are the experts in the field of bison management. Herein, they clearly articulate not only the science, but also, the cultural and political significance of bison management. During my time in Yellowstone, I have watched with great inter- est — and some amazement — that bison are vilified as the primary threat or vector for brucellosis transmission in the ecosystem. There is an illusory belief that if brucellosis were eliminated in bison it would be eliminated from the ecosystem. The authors show clearly that this sce- nario is unlikely, and that bison make up a small portion of the overall risk for brucellosis transmission to cattle. Bison are a wildlife icon in America, and Yellowstone bison represent one of the greatest wildlife conservation stories in our nation’s history. PREFACE xi The authors provide a compelling history of the conservation of bison from the early 1900s to the management of bison in modern society. This book is based on the best available science, understanding the importance of bison in the American Indian culture, understanding brucellosis and the role bison play in the ecology of the Greater Yel- lowstone Area, and an understanding of the stakeholders and local community issues. It informs our collective management and commit- ment to wild bison on the landscape. The iconic bison deserves our best efforts to assure its place on the American landscape. I am grateful to the authors for clearly articulat- ing the issues we face as we collectively determine the future of these animals. The authors have given us a chance to advance our discussions based on a common understanding of the science, culture, and politics surrounding bison. NPS/Neal Herbert Clouds and bison across Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park. Introduction P.J. White, Rick L. Wallen, and David E. Hallac THE PLAINS BISON (Bison bison or Bos bison), also commonly known as buffalo, once numbered in the tens of millions and ranged across much of North America, from arid grasslands in northern Mexico, through the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains into southern Canada, and eastward to the western Appalachian Mountains (Lott 2002; Gates et al. 2010; Bailey 2013). Plains bison are symbolic of the American experience because they are an inherent part of the cultural heritage of many American Indian tribes and were central to national expan- sion and development (Plumb and Sucec 2006). Only a few hundred plains bison survived commercial hunting and slaughter during the middle to late 1800s, with the newly established (1872) Yellowstone National Park providing refuge to a relict, wild, and free-ranging herd of less than 25 animals (Meagher 1973).