Updating the brucellosis story, comes this story which has some very interesting facts.
The cattle testing positive came originally from a herd near Emigrant which is located in Paradise Valley, South of Livingston. Paradise valley is a natural corridor for animals coming north out of Yellowstone Park.
The Governor Assures us the Brucellosis does not come from Bison out of Yellowstone Park. How can he be so sure of this? With this occurring in Paradise Valley it is very easy to imagine the bison could be at fault. Don't get me wrong, there could be a lot of explanations for how this happened but I would like to know how the Governor is so sure it's not the Bison.
The really scary thing, is that a second herd near Emigrant is also being tested and all it takes is two separate herds testing positive for brucellosis in a 12 month period for the brucellosis free status Montana has to be lost which could really hurt cattle producers. Om a quick personal level, this doesn't really affect me because the only animals I ship out that might be affected by testing are my dries and they are going straight to slaughter usually and don't need tested.
We are in a wait and see mode now about the second herd. Hopefully the tests are negative. This really highlights the concerns I have about the Federal Governments reservoir of Brucellosis they maintain in Yellowstone National Park. Why is it the they require me to control brucellosis in the animals under my control but they don't have to under animals under their control?
He that lives upon hope will die fasting. Benjamin Franklin
Karen: If you felt I made light of the individual rancher whose cattle have tested positive and will be destroyed, I am sorry. I understand that the Feds are going to come in and destroy his whole herd for this and he will have to eat the loss which will more than likely put him and his family out of business. I know there are far reaching impacts to this situation but I was looking at a little bigger picture as a whole for all cattle producers in Montana, not just the affect on the producer involved at this time. This is all part of what upsets me about the situation. A cattleman's herd is destroyed for a few animals being positive but the elk and bison can have it and it is all fine and dandy. If Brucellosis is a threat to human health and needs to be controlled, it should be controlled in all animals and the government shouldn't pick and choose which ones to its benefit.
Tim: I don't know if the government can control Brucellosis in the park. There has been some pilot programs and studies done on vaccinating the bison, but it won't solve the problem as long as Wyoming maintains the elk feed grounds in the winter which helps spread brucellosis in the elk herd in the park. Cross contamination is bound to occur. Fences, injections, I don't know. Doesn't the Government have some responsibility to protect human health? That's why they force us to control Brucellosis in cattle. I will refer to what I said above, If Brucellosis is a threat to human health and needs to be controlled, it should be controlled in all animals and the government shouldn't pick and choose which ones to its benefit.
Rich: Excuse the fuck out of me for taking artistic license and using the word assure when the Governor said, "It seems almost impossible this was a direct transmission from Yellowstone bison to cattle" and "The likelihood of the source being Yellowstone bison is remote." These do sound like words of assurance to me but what the fuck do I know? I'm just an ignorant cowboy. I will point out I am not blaming the bison either. I would just like to know how the Governor can assure, excuse me, wrong fucking word again, comfort us by making these statements. Just idle curiosity since Paradise Valley is like a large highway out of the Park for wildlife. How the fuck do we know one way or the other whether it's Bison or not?
I will repeat myself,If Brucellosis is a threat to human health and needs to be controlled, it should be controlled in all animals and the government shouldn't pick and choose which ones to its benefit.