Yakama Nation, Tsoo-thlum (Bison) Hunt Orientation

Gardiner and West YellowstoneMontana

Winter 2019-2020

Bison in Greater Yellowstone Area

• 1901 = 25 bison remaining in Yellowstone NP

• 1902 – 21 captive bison introduced

• 1930s – approximately 1000

• Early 1980s - increased to 2,300, bison began moving natural migratory behavior out of the Park

• 2016 = 5,500

• August 2019 = 4,829 (3,667 N. Yellowstone)

(IBMP September 2018)

Background – Tribal Bison Hunt ReinstatedOverview

• Treaty-reserved right to hunt “open and unclaimed lands”, considered federal public lands not set aside for uses incompatible with hunting (e.g. national parks). Many Forest Service and BLM lands constitute “open and unclaimed lands”

• 2005-2006: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Nez Perce Tribe per tribal treaty hunting rights

• 2010: Umatilla and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes reinstate hunt

• 2017: Yakama Nation reinstate hunt

• Winter 2017/2018 Blackfeet Nation reinstate hunt

• Winter 2018/2019: (Northern Arapaho) Seven tribes participating

Background – Yakama Nation Bison Hunt

• 2017-2018 Yakama members harvest 48 bison

• 8 in the West Yellowstone bison hunt unit

• 40 in the Gardiner bison hunt unit

• 2018-19 Yakama harvest = 0

RYC- 32.110.02 (p. 16)

.24 caliber or larger & 150 grain or largercenterfire

YN Bison Hunt Regulations 2019-2020

Yakama Bison Permit

• All hunters will be given a plastic case to carry their permit

• Permit must be carried on their person at all times during hunt (not left in the vehicle, or hotel)

• Keep your enrollment card and a copy of your permit on your person while hunting…transporting

New Permit Process

• Step 1 – Hunt Permit Request Form (YN Wildlife Office)

New Permit Process

• Step 1 – Hunt Permit Request Form (YN Wildlife Office)

• Step 2 – Attend full orientation or review online orientation (previous permit holders only).

Link for online

orientationLink for request

form

New Permit Process

• Step 1 – Hunt Permit Request Form (YN Wildlife Office)

• Step 2 – Attend full orientation or review online orientation (Previous permit holders)

• Step 3 – Get drawn and receive permit

Actual Permit example 2017

Permit Q & AQ: If I’m drawn, can I go on another’s permit?• If I’m on a permit, can I still be drawn? • Can I be on multiple permits?

A: No, the intention is to provide as many Yakamas as possible the opportunity to hunt and harvest a bison

Q: Can 1 hunter transport the meat for the group?

A: The number of hunters must be inline with the number of animals being transported. Example - meat from 5 bison being transported must have 3 hunters traveling with it in the group, and the 2 hunters left behind can only take a maximum of 4 additional bison.

Permit Q & AQ: Are all hunters required to hunt together?

A: No, but at least two (2) hunters required to hunt together and are limited to the two (2) bison per hunter rule.

Q: Can my non-Yakama spouse/child/parent be on the permit, or assist in the hunt?

A: No, they cannot be on the permit, it is the exercise of the Yakama Hunting Right and does not extend to non-Yakamas. This applies to the act of hunting/harvesting. They can assist in the retrieval/processing/transporting of your harvest, but cannot be with you during the actual hunt/harvest.

SAFETY

Safety- WeatherAverage temperatures Dec-Feb

Gardiner

High = 35°F, low = 15° F

Elevation = 5,259’

Wind chill will make it even colder

West Yellowstone

High = 26° F, low = -1° F

Elevation = 6,667’

Hunter Safety• Bison move quicker than you think, and can be

unpredictable

• “There’s only two reasons bison raise their tail, the first is to charge, the second is to discharge” – Wes Olsen Portraits of the Bison

Safety- Brucellosis• Brucellosis is a bacterial disease found in many species including

but not limited to elk, bison, and cattle in & around Yellowstone Park & elsewhere throughout the world

• Concentrated in lymph nodes and reproductive tract

• Some Bison may be infected with Brucellosis

• Brucellosis can be transmitted to humans

• Take caution when handling reproductive tissues when dressing your bison

• Recommend not to possess or transport reproductive tissue from kill site

Hunter Safety – Precautions in the Field

• Assume every bison is infected

• Wear eye protection and rubber or latex gloves (disposable or reusable) when handling carcasses

• Avoid bare skin contact with fluid or organs from the animal

• After butchering throw-away any disposable gloves

• Wash hands as soon as possible after butchering

• Clean all tools and reusable gloves with a disinfectant, like diluted bleach

• Thoroughly cook meat

• Freezing, smoking, drying and pickling do not kill the bacteria that cause brucellosis.

Safety-Safety-Safety

• Your Safety, the safety of other hunters, the safety of law enforcement, the safety of nearby residents, and the safety of bystanders is of paramount concern on this hunt

• Know your target, know what’s beyond your target, and shoot only in a safe direction

Large Carnivores in YNP

• Wolves, cougars, grizzly and black bears

• YNP reporting that early emergence of grizzly bears from dens sometimes in January-February

The Hunt/Harvest

• Avoid shooting a radio collared animal, due to contamination from handling drugs

• Brain/ear shot, or hear shot

• Thick hides that retain heat

• Field dress animal immediately: gut, skin and process quickly to prevent bone souring

The Hunt/Harvest

• There is to be no taking of any other game species in either of the bison hunt areas. This was directed very bluntly by TC during the discussion of the hunt

• Again this is a bison hunt, taking of other game in these two bison hunt areas will result in immediate revocation of your permit and may result in you and the other hunters on your permit being barred from receiving future permits (all types)

• One last time: the hunt in Gardiner, MT and West Yellowstone, MT is for bison only.

Yellowstone National Park (YNP)

• No hunting within the park boundaries

• No retrieval of animals that go into the park

• No driving through the park with bison parts in your vehicle. They’ll confiscate and ticket.

• No hazing of animals out of the park (includes honking)

• Part of Old Yellowstone Trail Rd runs through YNP

Gardiner, MT676 miles one-way

Gardiner, MT

Gardiner, MT (Pop. 875)

• North side of Yellowstone National Park

• Gardiner hunt area is comprised of four smaller hunt areas

• Beattie Gulch, Cinnabar, Cutler Meadows, and Eagle Creek/ Jardine

• 90% of the bison harvest occurs near Gardiner

Gardiner, MT

Gardiner- Beattie Gulch

• Most (around 80%) of the harvest occurs in the Beattie Gulch area

• It’s the most congested and scrutinized area

• It’s where about 75% of the perceived problems occur

• Small acreage

Gardiner, MT – Beattie Gulch

Gardiner – Beattie Gulch

Gardiner- Beattie Gulch MOU• If you plan to hunt Beattie, have a copy of

Appendix A of the MOU with you

• Only 25 hunters at Beatty Gulch at a time, equitably distributed amongst Tribes

• Yakama Nation Game Warden will be both ’Lead Hunter’ and ‘LEO Hunt Coordinator’

• In essence, listen to your Game Warden.

Gardiner- Cinnabar

Gardiner- Cinnabar

• Directly north of Beattie Gulch

• Small skinny strip of land West of the road

• Easily hunted- bison are either there or not

• No shoot zone on the east side of the road

Gardiner- Cutler Meadows

• Furthest area north in the “tolerance zone”

• Fair amount of acreage

• Easily scouted from the Highway (no shooting across the river)

• Bison must leave park, bypass being caught by YNP Stevens Creek Trap, make it through Beattie Gulch firing line, then move through private land and Cinnabar, more private land, then finally Cutler Meadows

• The road into CM may have areas of heavy snow

Gardiner - Cutler Meadows

Gardiner - Eagle Creek/ Jardine

• It’s the area Northeast of Gardiner up on the bench and on the “other side of the river” from the other hunt areas

• An area where the bigger bulls hang out

• Rougher country, more snow, much harder hunt

Gardiner- Eagle Creek/ Jardine

Hunter’s Bison in Eagle Creek

West Yellowstone, MT(pop. 1271 – in summer)

West Yellowstone, MT

• Northwest side of Yellowstone NP

• Most snow (measured in feet not inches), fewer animals, use snow machine or be in really good snow shoeing / skiing shape

• 2 general travel routes: I-90 route, I-84 route

• There is less traffic through West Yellowstone in winter and therefore, there are fewer places that are open.

West Yellowstone, MT

West Yellowstone

Caring for your Harvest• Adult bulls can be 2000 lbs.

• Their hides and hair are so thick the meat can spoil or sour even in cold conditions

• Recommend skinning, quartering, and boning out the animal

• Bring lots of knives and sharpeners

• Bone saws, battery powered sawsall, axe or hatchet

• Game bags

• Potentially a small trailer or truck racks

• Tarps, rope

Helpful Tools

Gut Piles

Travel Info & Expenses• Google is your friend

• ~1500 miles roundtrip

• 11-13 hours one-way

• At the minimum, one day there, one hunt day, and one day back

• Waiting 3-4 days for bison to come out is common

• Some folks are unsuccessful in harvesting a bison

Travel Info & Expenses• Hotel rooms for 2 people are $75-$175 per night plus taxes

• AirBnb: rent a house/cabin, for 5 people ~$275+/night (West Yellowstone) and ~$275-$400/night (Gardiner)

• Gas price at $2.75 - 3.20 (reg.) - $3.40 (diesel)

• Pick-up 10-15 mi/gal

• Total distance ~ 1500 miles

• Snow machine rental ~$100-$200 / day

• Add food and incidentals, adds up quickly: $1000-$2000

Example from winter 2017

• Total miles- 1490

• Gas $276

• Hotel $605

• Food $205

• Total $1131 (minimum cost)

Helpful Information - Gallatin NF Ranger District Office

• Stop by the USFS ranger district offices, maps & current updates on roads, weather etc.

Helpful Information

• Bison Hotlines-

Montana-(406) 994-5700

CSKT- (406) 275-2848

• CSKT Bison Hunt Orientation website

http://www.csktbisonhunt.org/

Q & A

Q: Can I hunt with other tribes?

A: No. RYC 32.110.53 prohibits any non-Yakama from participating or assisting with a Treaty hunt

Q: Do I have to listen to other law enforcement?

A: You are expected to be courteous and respectful to all law enforcement while on the hunting grounds. There will be YN, other Tribes, State and Federal law enforcement agencies on the hunting grounds

Q & A

Q: How many bison were harvested in the 2017-2018?

A: As of May, 2018:

Gardiner unit = 279 (251 by tribes). YN harvested 40

West Yellowstone unit = 89 (68 by tribes). YN harvested 8

A total of 1,171 bison removed during winter 2017-18, including 375 harvests, 694 sent to slaughter, 99 sent to quarantine facility

Q & A

Q: Do we have to wear hunter orange?

A: No. However, it is highly recommended that you wear some sort of highly visible clothing for your safety while harvesting and retrieving your bison from the field

There are many hunters concentrated in a small area, all with different levels of experience, and some may be overly eager to shoot. If it’s a grey day with low visibility, it’s better to be seen

There isn’t going to be much need for camo, especially in the Gardiner Areas

Questions?