Bison Facts

Bison 101: Day 1.
Did you know that there are more than one species of bison?

The Plains Bison (genus: Bison, species: bison, subspecies: bison)

The Wood Bison (genus: Bison, species: bison, subspecies: athabascae).

The European bison featured two distinct subspecies – a lowland bison, Białowieża bison (Bison bonasus bonasus) and the mountain Caucasian bison (Bison bonasus caucasicus.)

Facts from http://Allaboutbison.com (and you should follow Rhonda.. she knows ALL about bison) pic by T

Bison 101: Day 2 The greatest comeback story in history.

How it started: 30 – Estimated North American herd size prior to 1900 was 30-60 Million animals.

Enter European settlers, the U.S. Army, and bison hunters, for reasons we will get into later... we came very close to eradicating the species.

How it went: Estimated number of bison prior to 1900, less than 1000.

Enter a collaborative commitment among private ranchers, public herd managers, tribal leaders, First Nations communities, conservationists, government agencies, all dedicated to preserving this wonderful creature.

How it's going now: As of the most recent available census data, there are approx 480,000 bison on private ranches and native lands in the U.S. and Canada, and another 20,000+ in National and State managed conservation herds.

Tomorrow, "who saved the bison?"

pic from 777ranch

Bison 101: #3 Where do the buffalo roam?

Note: this will be on the quiz.

Their natural range extended from Alaska to central Mexico and from New York to Oregon. there are estimates that there were 30-60 million bison roaming the country. They are extremely well suited to a wide range of environments... (which is why we are able to do what we do)

American bison live in river valleys, and on prairies and plains. Typical habitat is open or semi-open grasslands, as well as sagebrush, semiarid lands, and scrublands. Some lightly wooded areas are also known historically to have supported bison. Bison also graze in hilly or mountainous areas where the slopes are not steep. Though not particularly known as high-altitude animals, bison in the Yellowstone Park bison herd are frequently found at elevations above 2,400 m (8,000 ft) and the Henry Mountains bison herd is found on the plains around the Henry Mountains, Utah, as well as in mountain valleys of the Henry Mountains to an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). Reintroduced plains bison in Banff National Park have been observed to roam mountainous areas including high ridges and steep drainages, and archaeological finds indicate some bison historically may have spent their lives within mountains while others may have migrated in and out of mountains.
For the last 10,000 years, the Athabascan people of Alaska relied on the wood bison for food, clothing, and shelter.

The southern extent of the historic range of the American bison includes northern Mexico and adjoining areas in the United States as documented by archeological records and historical accounts from Mexican archives from 700 CE to the 19th century.

Thanks for reading this, we truly appreciate it.

Bison 101: People who saved the bison, Buffalo Jones.

Charles Jesse Jones, known as "Buffalo Jones" (January 31, 1844 – October 1, 1919), was an American frontiersman, farmer, rancher, hunter, and conservationist.

Bison 101: #7 What sound does a bison make?

The answer may not come to you as fast as "moo" for a cow or "baa" for a sheep, but that is because bison make a variety of sounds. These sounds include anything from the low rumblings of male bellows heard during mating season to the high-pitched bleats of a calf looking for its mom. Other common sounds consist of "snorts," "coughs," "roars," and "grunts."

During mating season, known as the rut, male "bellows" are commonly heard. These bellows have been compared as to revving up an old Chevy truck! It is believed that these bellows announce the male's presence and establish dominance within the herd. The frequency of these sounds increase during male-male competitions or when they are trying to find mates. Scientific studies indicate that the acoustic qualities such as the frequency, length, and volume of the bellows demonstrate which males are more dominant, and therefore, a better mate to females. These vocalizations may reveal information about the male's competitive ability, physiological quality and condition, and sexual receptivity---in other words, the bellows denote fitness-related information.

Calves also produce a variety of sounds such as higher pitches grunts and bleats. These vocalizations are commonly associated with when they are searching for their mothers or when they are playing with other calves. As calves grow older, they will not stay as close to their mothers and when calves have traveled too far, their mother will utter a series of low-pitched grunts and the calf will respond with higher-pitched ones. So next time you find yourself in a national park or wildlife refuge, tune into listening for the classic sounds of bison!

blatently swiped from NPS's Bison Bellows.

What could go wrong? Scientists Are Thinking About Cloning an Extinct, Mummified Bison

Maybe don't?

In 2022, Russian researchers found a young bison from over 8,000 years ago in Siberia. Now, they want to clone it. The bison was likely no more than two years old when it died, and is a member of an extinct species. Outside experts don't believe the DNA is preserved well enough for cloning.

Cloning extinct animals seems to be all the rage right now. From a woolly mammoth to an arctic wolf, scientists are continuously crafting ways to take DNA from known specimens of extinct animals and edit genes bring them back as closed creatures. Now, Russian researchers want in on the fun, and they plan to do so with a long-lost bison species, thanks to a 2022 find.

The newly discovered bison from an unknown extinct species is thought to have been around 1.5-2 years old when it died between 8,000 and 9,000 years ago, according to scientists at the Mammoth Museum of North-Eastern Federal University in Russia.

Found by locals in the summer of 2022 in the Verkhoyansk district of the Arctic Circle, the bison was preserved in the permafrost. The remains included a head, forelimbs, and part of the chest. Scientists conducted a necropsy—an autopsy for animals—and took samples of soft tissue, muscles, skin, wool, and even the brain.

from Popular Mechanics.

Bison 101: Orphan Calves

Occasionally bison producers find themselves in a situation where they have an orphan calf. It is not very common, but it does happen. When a cow has twins, more often than not, she will reject one of the calves and keep the other. Sometimes a cow rejects a single calf for unknown reasons, or producers have to intervene to save a sick or injured calf.
Regardless, as good stewards of these creatures, we do our best to care for these calves. Commercial lamb replacer most closely resembles bison milk composition and is the usual choice for bottle-feeding these young calves. The calves typically require a bottle four times per day, feeding approximately 10 to 20% of their body weight per day. As the calves grow, the feeding frequency decreases, and the amount fed increases.
Despite their small size, these calves can be a handful! Many producers halter-break them for the ease of moving them or catching them for feeding or treatment. As they mature, many of these bottle calves are able to integrate back into a herd situation, which is the ultimate goal.

From the NBA

Bison 101: Red Dogs

Did you know that baby bison are called “red dogs?” For the first few months of their lives, these little guys are actually orange-red in color! It’s like they’re a walking traffic cone. But don’t worry, their hair will eventually turn dark brown.