Future of Montana bison migrations headed to trial

BILLINGS — Montana's newfound tolerance toward wild bison is heading to trial as cattle owners and local officials seek to prevent a repeat of last year's mass migration of hundreds of the animals out of Yellowstone National Park.

State District Judge Wayne Phillips has been asked to settle a fundamental question: Are bison in Montana free-roaming wildlife, or should they be kept out to protect private property and public safety?

AP Photo/Janie Osborne, File

Bison Roam roam outside Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner on March 17. The state of Montana's newfound tolerance toward...