Buffalo Field Campaign http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org August 13, 2010 Dear Buffalo Friends, I made a mistake in yesterday's Update from the Field (8/12/10). I incorrectly reported that there were no representatives from the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) on the IBMP tour of lands outside of Yellowstone's western boundary. The DOL was, in fact, on that tour. The DOL did not, however, attend the public forum that was held the same evening, before local candidates. All other IBMP agencies were represented, but the DOL was a no-show for this important discussion. Buffalo Field Campaign would also like to report that the 2010 West Coast Road Show is full for this year! We will soon be updating the Road Show schedule to reflect more details about the dates and locations that BFC is coming to those areas. Please join us if you can and bring your friends! If you'd like to help get BFC to your west coast community next fall, please contact Mike Mease at [email protected] To find out what West Coast locations BFC will be visiting this fall visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/roadshow2010.html In wanting to offer you more than a correction with this email, we are including a special buffalo treat below. This is the season of the buffalo rut, or mating season. A time when buffalo families come together, and bulls battle one another for the attention of receptive cows. The sheer display of bull buffalo power is awesome in the true sense of the word. BFC Habitat Coordinator Darrell Geist happened upon some bulls challenging one another as he was making his way home from the IBMP meetings in Bozeman yesterday. Below are some of these photographs, followed by a very powerful poem. Enjoy! ~ Stephany https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/images/Get%20Out%20of%20My%20Space_BisonRut_dgeistBFC2010.jpg https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/images/BisonRut_before%20impact_dgeistBFC2010.jpg https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/images/BisonRut_this%20is%20serious_dgeistBFC2010.jpg https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/images/BisonRut_Challengers_dgeistBFC2010.jpg https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/images/BisonRut_musky%20male%20wallow_dgeistBFC2010.jpg THE BULL FIGHT Wild buffalo gathering for the rut in Lamar Valley, grasses green, silver gray sage, Artemis rising above rolling ridge. An ancient dance begins. Females and males wallowing in a mountain meadow. Kicking dust, legs reaching for Sky, rolling in Earth. Calves almost black now from the red pelage of their births, loafing and suckling still. The roaring bellows of bulls is answered by Thunder: Boom! Crack! Boom! A bull courts a female. Rubbing his chin over her head. Stretching and strutting before her, tail-flying: look at me! Clouds loom. Rain begins to fall. Lightning strikes. A bull chases a younger bull from his prospective mate, circling. The challenge is made. The bull fight begins. Earth flies under the struggle of bulls, heads locked, chests and humps straining, thrusting legs fighting to gain ground. The young bull takes his eye off his challenger in the charge. The old bull watches, waits. Turning and leaning his horns into the charging bulls chest. The bull fight is over now. The bellow is heard. Thunder rolls off the mountain, echo of an old war drum. --anonymous