Yellowstone plans to capture more than 600 bison
BILLINGS — Yellowstone National Park officials plan to capture 600 to 900 bison to slaughter this winter for the continuing effort to manage the herd's population.
The Billings Gazette reports Interagency Bison Management Plan partners signed Monday the agreement outlining the winter operations plan for the bison.
Yellowstone counted about 4,500 bison this summer.
About 3,300 reside on the Northern Range and migrate into Montana where they can be trapped for shipment to slaughter or hunted once they exit park boundaries.
Mark Deleray, of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, says removing 600 bison keeps the herd numbers stable while removing 900 would lead to a slight population decline.
Through slaughter and hunting, 1,171 bison from Yellowstone were removed last year.