Montana Wildlife Managers Make Progress on Elk Brucellosis

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana wildlife managers are making incremental progress in trying to manage the spread of brucellosis between elk and cattle surrounding Yellowstone National Park.

Earlier this month, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the 2015-16 elk brucellosis working plan that outlines actions the agency can take. It's the fourth such plan approved by the commission. This year, the plan would allow landowners to pick a portion of the hunters authorized to remove elk from their property.

The Greater Yellowstone Area is the last reservoir of brucellosis in the United States. Bison in Yellowstone National Park are also carriers of brucellosis. The Billings Gazette reports that last winter no cattle tested positive for brucellosis within an area of southwestern Montana that borders Yellowstone.