National Bison Range roundup postponed amid smoke

HELENA (AP) — Wildfire smoke and the danger of new fires have prompted federal wildlife managers to postpone the annual roundup at the National Bison Range in western Montana.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday the roundup was scheduled for Oct. 2 and 3. No new date has been set.

Range manager Jeff King says the smoke makes the air unhealthy for humans and the horses used in the roundup. He says new fires could ignite from sparks created when horseshoes strike rocks or from the all-terrain vehicles used in the roundup.

Up to 500 bison live on the range. They are rounded up annually to check their health, and surplus animals are donated or sold.

The range covers about 29 square miles on the Flathead Indian Reservation.