Minimize Stress to Maximize Animal Health and Productivity

Story and photos by Karen Conley

Reprinted with permission from Bison World, Fall 2023, p26-32.

Working with bison can be stressful for both the animal and the handler. A difficult situation may be unavoidable, but it can be mitigated or avoided with the right mindset and proper handling techniques. Taking the time to understand the animals and how they perceive the world around them can pay dividends in herd health and ease of handling as well as economically for the producer.

Animals that are under stress can suffer from a compromised immune system, opening the door for disease susceptibility. Stress can also cause behavioral changes such as stampeding, herd aggression, or even “suicidal” actions, in which the animal becomes so panicked that they are a danger to themselves and everything around them. Fear, panic, or stress can trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol into the bloodstream, which can ultimately influence the quality of the meat if that animal’s destiny is for meat production.

Bison are wild animals and they are always naturally on guard. They are highly responsive to stimuli and will react to that stimulus accordingly. One animal may vocalize more than another. One animal may react so powerfully that it shuts down and enters a state of shock, sometimes called tonic mobility.

As caretakers of the bison, the goal is to keep the stress to a minimum and work with the animal’s natural fight or flight response to get the desired outcomes.

777 Bison Ranch Herd Manager Cody Smith is one of the best at working with bison. His quiet and calm demeanor and ability to read the animals have paved the way for successfully managing the large herd at the ranch near Fairburn, SD.

Working on the ranch since high school, Smith learned from the ground up and continues to educate himself and those around him about the benefits of low-stress handling.

“When handling bison, stress is a huge deal,” says Smith. “It can lead to sickness or injury or even worse. Those signs of sickness won’t show until the stress is at a high level. Look for things like droopy ears, their tongue hanging out, a runny nose, or something as simple as a head hanging down. I also see a lack of focus when the bison are stressed out.”

Smith says it’s a matter of mutual respect, not dominance when working with bison. “Bison hold grudges, so you need to be nice,” he jokes. “But really, it’s about shared emotions and being empathetic. I want to understand what the animals are thinking and feeling. I try to put myself in their place and look at things from their point of view. Their reactions make sense when you put yourself in that scenario.”

Smith says handling bison is like being in a state of controlled chaos. He emphasizes being quiet and calm around them. Above all, he says, don’t panic. “Learn to flow. The animals will flow like water. Especially in a group, they ebb and flow and you need to do that, too. Don’t go against the flow, but work with it.”

Successful handling is all about getting the animals to go where you want them with the least stress. Pressure is the key to making that happen. “Every movement you make as a handler puts pressure on the bison. Watch your posture. Don’t be aggressive, but don’t be too timid,” explains Smith. “When it comes to eye contact, I feel like they respond when I do that, but again, don’t be aggressive about it.”

Understanding the flight zone and that bison have a larger one than domestic livestock is crucial to using pressure.

 Temple Grandin, noted author and speaker on autism and animal behavior and professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, explains the flight zone as that distance from the animal to a threat that causes the animal to begin to move away from the threat. If the threat is outside the flight zone but still “nearby,” the animal will turn and face the threat. As the threat approaches and reaches the boundary of the flight zone, the animal will turn and begin to move away.

 Increasing pressure on the animal’s flight zone effectively creates animal movement—however, too much pressure and the animal panics. The optimal handler position is at the boundary of the flight zone. Knowledge of the flight zone allows the handler to manipulate animals in a low-stress manner.

 When do you apply pressure? Smith says it’s all about timing. “You use different pressure for different goals,” he explains. “Patience is a virtue when working with bison. Slow IS fast, and you don’t have to make fast moves; keep effective pressure on until they do what you want. Good judgment comes from experience, and much of that comes from bad judgment.

Learn from your mistakes!”

 Handlers should use the minimum amount of pressure to invoke the desired response. Slow movements and slight increases in pressure until the animals respond, will create a calm and relatively positive experience for the bison. Be careful not to apply too much pressure, which can cause the animal to panic. Knowing the animal’s flight zone will allow you to manipulate the animals as desired.

 Grandin says the biggest handling mistake she sees when running animals through a handling facility is too many animals in the crowd pen. She says when that happens, there is not enough room for the animals to move freely, making it more challenging to get them to move and adding another layer of stress to an already stressful situation. Grandin feels the crowd pen should be at most one-third to half full.

 Less crowding also helps alleviate animals becoming aggressive toward each other. She also encourages them not to push animals tightly with the crowding gates. She looks at that gate as the emergency brake. You only need to use it if you have a couple of balky animals that you need to encourage their forward motion by using the gate.

What kind of equipment is needed to work with animals? Not much, and less is better. Smith uses flags and a plastic paddle, with a hot shot being the last resort. “Don’t let the hot shot become your primary tool,” he cautions. “Putting the right people in the right place when working bison is the best tool.”

A sorting stick with a flag or even a plastic bag on the end is usually enough to get the animal’s attention and get them moving. Crazy waving of the flag or bag or yelling is not necessary. Quiet movements and using the flag to guide the animals is the desired action. Sometimes subtle, novel noises such as snapping your fingers, rustling the bag on the end of your sorting stick, or even lightly shaking a few coins in a can will do the trick and get them to move.

Shadows are scary to bison. They prefer to move from dark to light areas and avoid going into dark places like trailers. Using tight tarps to create a solid visual barrier can help encourage animals to find the “light” or the opening to where you want them to go. Handling systems that are tarped or have solid sides offer the illusion of restraint. The bison are less likely to try if they cannot see a place to escape.

Smith touched on another situation where stress heightens if not managed. Loading and transporting bison can be a very trying experience for both the handler and the bison. Working with your hauler ahead of time can significantly reduce the amount of stress and time needed to load the bison. The trucker knows what his trailer can do; defer to their experience when planning a load.

 Be transparent and let them know how you think your animals might react when trying to load them. Do your sorting ahead of time in the corrals and not on the trailer. Throughout the process, be flexible and understanding. Your liability ends where the trucker’s begins.

 Finally, have a transport safety plan. Things can and do go wrong, so be prepared. Give your hauler contact information for each end of the load so they can inform everyone in case of an emergency or an accident.

Minimizing stress in your bison herd paves the way for healthy, content animals performing well in the pasture, finishing pen, or rail.

Story and Photos by Karen Conley, Communications Director at Bison World (25 years in Bison Industry) Bison World Editor and Advertising Manager, Karen@bisoncentral.com

Reprinted from Bison World, Fall 2023, p26-32. Used with permission from National Bison Association. For more information contact www.BisonCentral.com ((303) 292-2833)

Francie M Berg

Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog

Guest Article, Photos and Illustrations courtesy of Gene Gade

Introduction of horses into the cultures of bison-hunting Plains Indians caused changes at least as rapid and profound as did the introduction of automobiles and trucks into early 20th Century America.

How incredible it must have been to people who had hunted for millennia on foot.

Entire paradigms of travel speed, distance, load-carrying capacity, communication, trade and warfare were transformed within a very short time. Now Indians could hunt year-round from horseback. Hunters could range much farther from camp to find their quarry.

A skilled rider with a good mount could now run with the bison and pick individual animals to kill. They could load the meat and hides onto much larger and stronger animals for the journey home.

They didn’t have to feed any of the meat to their beasts of burden as they had for the thousands of years when dogs served that role.

As the numbers of available horses increased, tribes were less dependent on communal hunts in the fall. Within a generation or so of the arrival of horses, “buffalo jumps,” including the Vore site, essentially became obsolete.

As usual, archaeology at the Vore Buffalo Jump provides inferential evidence about this major cultural shift. In all of the early, deeper cultural levels at the VBJ, the buffalo carcasses were broken down into relatively small pieces of meat and bone.

Presumably this pattern was necessary because a human being (possibly an adolescent) had to manually lug them out of the sinkhole and transport them on a dog-propelled travois to a processing camp that may have been several miles away.

The butchering pattern changed in the last couple of times the Vore site was used. Basically, these carcasses were broken into much larger segments, too big to be carried out of the sinkhole by an individual human of any age, gender or stature.

 Almost certainly this change was made possible by the arrival of a larger beast of burden—namely the horse. The archaeological record at the Vore site indicates that this dog-to-horse transition happened in the late1780’s or 1790’s .

 Presumably during the early stages of transition, any given tribe would have had few horses and they would probably have been in the hands of high-status males.

 As more horses became available, more of them would have been used for important, but relatively mundane tasks like dragging quarters of bison carcasses out of a sinkhole and carrying them to camp.

 By about 1800, activity at the Vore site stopped fairly abruptly. Possibly because, by then, the regional tribes had enough horses so they could hunt for fresh meat in all seasons and no longer needed to acquire massive amounts in autumn communal hunts using buffalo jumps.

 Origin of Horses

 Horse-like animals appeared in the fossil record over 50 million years ago. After separating from their relatives, rhinos and tapirs, during the Eocene Epoch, the horse family tree radiated into a number of forms, most of which became extinct leaving no ancestors.

 Originally a forest animal less than 20” tall, horses had four toes on their front legs and three toes on their hind appendages and teeth adapted to browsing woody plants.

The climate of North America became drier during the Oligocene Epoch. Forests shrunk and grasses became more abundant. Horses adapted by becoming larger and faster and by becoming more of an open country animal.

By the Miocene, about 24 million years ago, large grasslands had appeared. One of the three main branches of the horse family expanded into this new niche and, over time and with many failed experiments, became the large, fast, single-toed, grass eater that we know as Equus, the modern horse.

During their development, horses successfully spread to Eurasia. Ironically, they became extinct in their continent of origin—North America–during the late-Pleistocene only 10 to 20 thousand years ago.

Some people believe that, along with rapid and major climate change at the end of the Ice Ages, horses and some other by species were extremely stressed and that hunting by the newly arrived human population tipped a number of Pleistocene mammals over the edge and into extinction here in North America.

A Legacy of the Conquistadors

There are legends that the horses that Plains Indians acquired were descendants of half a dozen feral animals that escaped from the would-be Conquistador, Coranado.

Following the example of Cortez and the Aztecs and Pizarro and the Incas, Coranado went all the way to Kansas in 1540 looking for another rich Indian culture to pillage and plunder.

There are also stories about horses escaping from a Spanish ship that wrecked on the coast of Texas.

It’s possible that a very few horses escaped in such a fashion, but they did not propagate the hundreds of thousands of horses that ended up with the Plains tribes.

The Spaniards were indeed the folks who brought horses north from Mexico to their missions and settlements near Santa Fe and in California.

However, they understood how much of an advantage horses provided and they tried very hard not let their horses fall into Indian hands. In fact, it was illegal under their rule for Indians to ride or own horses.

However, some Indians who were slaves on Spanish Rancheros learned to handle the speedy and powerful new animals.

Comes the Revolution

The event that changed the entire situation was the Pueblo Rebellion of 1680. Having chaffed under the heavy hand of the Spanish for over a century, the normally peaceful farming villages along the Rio Grande River and its tributaries, rose up and violently chased the Spanish back to Mexico.

As the Spaniards retreated in disarray, much of their livestock, including many horses, were captured by regional Indian tribes. The Pueblos apparently did not keep the Spanish animals, but some of their more nomadic neighbors, especially the Utes and Comanches took as many horses as they could catch, capture or trade for.

When the Spaniards returned a dozen years later, the Comanches on the Plains and the Utes in the Mountains were committed horse people. Moreover, those tribes had relatives and trade partners.

The genie was out of the bottle. The cultural revolution was on.

The Spanish colonial horses that the Indians acquired were derived from several European breeds including Spanish Barbs, Arabians and Lipizzaners. They came in a wide variety of color, size and conformation.

The average Indian horse was small in stature, but strong and wiry. They probably stood only 13.2 to 14 hands high and they probably weighed about 700 pounds on average. (By comparison, modern quarter horses are usually 15 to 17 hands high and weigh over 1,000 pounds.)

Indian horses are described as having a “large head with a good eye; short thick neck; large round barrel; relatively heavy shoulder and hip; fine limbs and small feet.”

By trading (and probably raiding) horses were transferred from tribe to tribe. The transfer occurred on both sides of the Rocky Mountain chain.

The Utes apparently took horses across the mountains and into the Great Basin. The Comanches and their trading partners took them north via the Plains, east of the Rockies.

The Shoshone Connection

Both the Utes and the Comanches were relatives of the Shoshone, so the Shoshone were among the first of the more northern tribes to acquire horses.

For a generation or so in the middle 1700’s, the Shoshone gained power and expanded their territory to include large areas of the buffalo country. During this period and, perhaps later, they probably used the Vore Buffalo Jump.

Most of the Great Basin groups were linguistically and culturally Shoshonean. Horses kept moving with them through the Basin to the Palouse Prairie in what is now eastern Oregon, Washington and Idaho where they were acquired by the Nez Perce.

The Nez Perce became famous for developing a distinctive breed of spotted horses—the Appaloosa—a somewhat distorted name for the Palouse region where they lived.

The trade continued north and east from there, bringing horses to the Flathead, Blackfeet and Cree Indians over the next 20 to 30 years.

Written history from the fur-trapping War Chief—A Nakota horse thought to have conformation typical of Indian horses from the pre-reservation period documents that the Blackfeet had few horses during the early decades of the1800’s.

Postulated Pattern and Time-line for Distribution of Horses Among Indian Tribes in the Western United States

Spanish colonialists brought numerous horses to rancheros and missions in New Mexico and California in the 1600’s.

The Pueblo Rebellion of 1682 allowed regional Indian tribes to capture horses abandoned by the Spanish.

The were two major dispersal paths: from the Utes through the Rockies and Great Basin and from the Comanche northward and eastward from the southern Great Plains, but mostly east of the Rockies.

It took over half a century for trade and warfare to disperse horses from the southern to northern Plains, but horses created a cultural revolution everywhere they went.

Dispersion to the Northern Plains

The Crow or Absoraka tribe are often cited as among the first and best horsemen of the northern Plains. However, they probably acquired horses from the Shoshone about 1740. Being relatives of the Hidatsa, they probably also exchanged horses and other trade items with them as well.

The main branch of the Plains trade route was north from the Comanche in Texas and Oklahoma.

Around 1720, the Pawnees acquired horses. The Pawnee along with most of the Missouri River Indians made their living partly with farming (corn, beans, squash, etc) and the rest with hunting (bison) and trading.

They lived most of the year in earthlodge villages along river valleys. They were centrally located with a cultural center in eastern Nebraska and from there were also important in trade and warfare both up the Missouri River to the north and west along the Platte River.

The Arikara [or Rees], who lived farther up the Missouri, were closely related to the Pawnees and were also integral to regional trade.

The Arikara almost certainly got horses from the Pawnee sometime in the middle of the 1700’s. They, in turn, would have traded with the other earthlodge-dwelling/farming-hunting cultures farther up the river—the Mandan and Hidatsa.

Linguistically and culturally, the Mandan and Hidatsa are similar (Siouan language) and they were renowned in their day as entrepreneurs.

Until they were decimated by smallpox, the Mandan and Hidatsa were at the hub of tribal trade in the northern Plains. They traded farm goods (corn, etc.) for the meat and hides brought by the bison hunters.

As European goods started to arrive via the river and lake transportation routes of southern Canada and as the fur trapping enterprise expanded, the Mandans and Hidatsa were central in that trade as well.

It is likely that, when horses arrived, the Mandan and Hidatsa were central to their dispersal to regional tribes including the Cheyenne, Sioux and Assiniboine.

Once horses were available, the switch to the nomadic lifestyle of following the buffalo herds was swift and complete for the Cheyenne and Sioux.

By the time most of the Anglo-American journals were written, just a few decades later, the Cheyenne and Lakota were the consummate and most powerful buffalo hunting/tipi dwelling/horse riding Indians on the northern Plains.

Only the oldest tribesmen could really remember life without horses by then.

For Caucasians moving west, it was an easy assumption that the tribes had possessed horses and practiced their 1800’s culture for a very long time.

Good buffalo runners and war ponies were among the most prized possessions of 19th Century Plains hunters and warriors. The relationship between Indians and horses seemed inextricable.

 For most northern Plains tribes, the era of free-roaming, horse-mounted buffalo hunters lasted little more than a century, but it was, for them, a glorious period indeed!

 Guest Article by Gene Gade. As the County Extension Agent in Sundance Wyoming, Gene Gade served 20 years as president of the non-profit Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation, helping to develop and guide the research, education and economic potentials of the Vore Buffalo Jump site until his retirement. He has continued to write for the VBJF Newsletter. Reprinted from the VBJF Newsletter with permission: Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation, 369 Old US 14, Sundance WY 82729; Tel: (307) 266-9530, email: <info@vorebuffalojump.org>

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Francie M Berg

Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog

It’s coming up! Buffalo Day is November 4, 2023—Always the first Saturday in November. Get your family ready to celebrate!

Remember, in the US and Canada we use the terms Bison and Buffalo interchangeably. And that’s OK. Either fits!!

Some would have us use only the scientific name, Bison. But just think how many cities and towns, counties, creeks, rivers and majestic buttes across this North American continent are named for Buffalo! Would the so-called “experts” have us change them all? Impossible, of course. And how petty to be so limited in our vision!

We’ve been using that term since 1616 when the French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, used it to describe the animal. A few years later, in 1625, Buffalo first appeared in the English language in North America, from the French word, boeuf, a Greek word given to Buffalo by French fur trappers here. Not until 1774—a century and a half later—was Bison first recorded to refer to these mammals in a scientific sense. So are we OK with that?

“We want to go full Buffalo and embrace their unique appearance, calming personalities, and utterly cute shapes. Get ready to learn more about them and why we should all try and be more like bison,” says one Buffalo Aficionado.

Anyway,—no apologies. Use whichever you prefer. (Except of course in a scientific discussion.)

How Will You Celebrate?

1. Wear a Buffalo T-shirt

Select a T-shirt that shows your love of bison—and wear it proudly! Your kids will enjoy a new Buffalo shirt if they don’t have one! So will Grandpa and Grandma.

2. On National Bison Day—Change your profile picture to Bison

On National Bison Day—November 4, 2023—Change your profile photo on social media to a Buffalo silhouette. It’s an annual event that falls on the first Saturday in November. All Americans can reflect on the impact bison have as a part of our environmental and cultural heritage.
Keep it up for a full month! November is Native American month–you can honor Native Americans at the same time with a nice Buffalo photo. Buffalo are especially revered by Native people—They’ve been central to their survival for centuries as both food and spiritual inspiration.

3. Visit a Buffalo herd

A vast number of wildlife parks, tribal herds, and buffalo ranches showcase Buffalo across the US and Canada. Find out if any are located close to where you live. Your children will be delighted to experience the wonder of our latest national icon—the Bison, or Buffalo!

However, take care! Don’t get too close—75 feet or more is recommended! Buffalo are stoic—but don’t try to push them around!

4. Plan a Party

Celebrate with a family party, kids party, young adult party, or just friends getting together!

Buffalo are easy to draw. Design and paint or color a stand-up place card for each guest. Or design some dark brown bushy beards. Tie them on your guests with a shoestring around the ears. Know any Buffalo games?

5. Eat some Bison—yum, yum! Tastes great!

Delicious! Buffalo Producers celebrate (bold) National Bison Month in July as a great time to grill bison meat. Select any tender cut from Prime rib steak to hamburger! You might be amazed that it’s healthy as well as tasting great!

Producers want you to know that bison is the leanest protein available to consumers today, boasting 26% more iron than beef and 87% lower in fat. Bison has 766% more B12 vitamins than chicken, and 32% less fat, based on nutrient data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

6. Watch a Buffalo video

There are several good possibilities, both short and long videos, on the National Park Service (nps.gov), Public TV, and Wildlife Parks websites. Or you might decide to review some of our Blogs. We’ll have more suggestions for you after our Website goes live in November!

Fun Facts About Bison

1. Buffalo Survive just fine through long, cold Winters

Their hump is composed of muscle supported by long vertebrae, which allows them to use their heads to plow through deep snow and eat grasses below. They also thrive on cottonwood leaves and browse.

Fierce blizzards don’t faze them. Buffalo face into a storm rather than walking away from it. Or they lie down, letting it blow over. Thus they avoid being trapped by fences, water holes and creeks as happens to cattle and sheep—which travel with the wind.

2. Calves are born a Different Color than their Moms

Buffalo calves are called ‘red dogs’ by Forest Rangers. When born they are orange or cinnamon colored. It takes 3 to 4 months to grow a
hump and spike horns, shed their baby hair, and change to a darker color like their mothers. Their heads turn blackish first.

3. Buffalo can outrun most Mammals

Buffalo bulls may look big, slow, and lazy. But don’t be fooled! They can spin on a dime, jump straight up and over a 5- or 6-foot fence, leap
a 7-foot long jump, run up to 35 miles per hour, and are strong swimmers.

In addition, it seems, a Buffalo bull on the fight can tear down most any fence that is in his way! So be sure to place something large—like a
pickup truck—between you and that bull!

4. Moms are fiercely Protective of their Young Calves

Mothers stay close by their buffalo calves and fight off predators. However, if she has twins, a mother might select only one, walking away
from the other. Does she perhaps realize she can care for only one lively calf? Or maybe she instinctively knows she won’t have enough milk
to raise two healthy calves?

5. Dads and Uncles still Guard the Herd when they feel Threatened

When predators threaten, Buffalo bulls may circle the group into a tight herd, facing out and pawing dirt, with mothers and calves protected inside the circle.

6. Who really Saved the Buffalo from Extinction?

Those who really saved the Buffalo were ordinary people—westerners, ranchers, all buffalo hunters, with boots—or moccasins—on the ground. Separately, these families cared for and brought buffalo back in significant numbers for survival—onto the western plains and grasslands.

Without them, American bison would likely have gone extinct! These 5 family groups saved calves one at a time. All had hunted buffalo, both Native American and white. They saw what was happening to the buffalo and cared about saving them.

· Samuel Walking Coyote (or his son-in-law), and herd purchasers Charles Allard and Michel Pablo in western Montana

· James McKay and neighbors in Manitoba, Canada

· Pete Dupree and herd purchasers, the Scotty Philips in South Dakota

· Charles and Molly Goodnight of Texas

· Buffalo Jones of Kansas

At crisis time—in the 1880s and 1890s—these families were the only ones standing between live buffalo and determined hide and trophy hunters who poached even the few remaining Yellowstone Park herds down to fewer than 25!

7. A President helped Save the Buffalo

The Buffalo Conservationists we know best are President Theodore Roosevelt, William Hornaday, and George Bird Grinnell. Together they made a significant impact on wildlife conservation—particularly on buffalo.

Teddy Roosevelt, a frail child, built up his strength and endurance and helped restore buffalo after he traveled to Dakota Territory to hunt them in 1883. He shot an old bull and stayed to set up a cattle ranching enterprise. On his western ranch Roosevelt soon realized that the elk, bighorn sheep and buffalo that he so admired would not survive relentless overhunting. He grew increasingly convinced of the need to protect the buffalo and provide large, safe places for them and other wildlife to live.

As president—from 1901 to 1909—he became one of the most powerful voices in the history of American conservation and earned himself a place on Mt. Rushmore, SD, as this country’s greatest champion of public lands. Roosevelt created the United States Forest Service and established 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, 4 national game preserves and set aside 230 million acres of public land. He worked with Congress to establish 5 national parks and dedicated 18 national monuments.

8. Native Americans are Interrelated culturally with Bison

The history of Native Americans and bison is culturally interrelated. Bison have been integral to tribal culture, providing Native people with food, clothing, fuel, tools, shelter, and spiritual value from time immemorial.

Established in 1992, the InterTribal Buffalo Council works with the National Park Service to transfer excess Buffalo from national parks to tribal lands. It also gives assistance in management of herds and how to integrate traditional values to the experience.

9. Bison have poor Eyesight

Buffalo cannot focus well and are known to have poor eyesight. But with one eye on each side of their heads they are said to have good peripheral vision, able to keep track of 90% of the area that surrounds them. Handy for checking on lurking wolves!

Buffalo do have excellent senses of smell and hearing and communicate well with their herd. Cows and calves communicate using pig-like grunts and during mating season, bulls can be heard bellowing across long distances.

10.  Bison have been around for Ages

These giants have such a special place in the country’s history and Native American cultures and for good reason. They are fiercely protective yet calm animals that will do anything to protect their herds and their calves. They are truly North American treasures!

11. Buffalo are Social Creatures

They like living together in herds. But not just any group—their own herd. And not too large a herd—30 to 60 seems a good size. For most of the year, the buffalo sort themselves into “cow groups,” or maternal herds, and “bull groups.”

An older grandmother is the usual leader of the herd. She leads them to water at the time that seems right to her. Bull calves are allowed to stay in the herd with their mothers until they become too large and aggressive. Then they are kicked out of the maternal herd to join bachelor groups that wander at a short distance from the main herd.

In the wild herds of long ago, with roughly equal numbers of males and females, bachelor herds were known to be large.

Historically in late July and August, the great herds came together for rut, or breeding season. Today in managed herds, young bulls are usually sold off long before age three. They sell well in the market place for meat or as potential herd bulls. In Native tribal herds young bulls are especially desirable to provide meat for naming feasts and community gatherings. By giving of their meat, they honor the person celebrated, especially when the honored one is a young man.

This prevents buffalo herds from out-growing their pastures. Otherwise, the herd will double and redouble in a few years, soon over-grazing their pastures. Having fewer bulls also means less fighting, and makes breeding easier for the dominant bulls. The oldest bulls often range far from their home herd.

12. Buffalo Enjoy a Wallow

A little dust or mud won’t hurt. Called wallowing, bison roll in the dirt to get rid of biting insects and help shed their winter coat. Male bison also wallow during mating season to leave behind their scent and display dominance.

13. Watch Buffalo’s Tail for Warning

You can judge a Buffalo’s mood by its tail. When it hangs down and switches naturally, the buffalo is usually calm. If the tail is standing straight up, watch out! It may be ready to charge. No matter what a bison’s tail is doing, remember that they are unpredictable and can charge at any moment. Every year, there are regrettable accidents caused by people getting too close to these massive animals. It’s great to love the bison, but love them from the distance of at least 75 feet.

14. Buffalo eat Grass, Weeds, Browse

Pass the salad, please. Bison primarily eat grasses, weeds, and leafy plants—typically foraging for 9-11 hours a day. That’s where the bison’s large protruding shoulder hump comes in handy during the winter. It allows them to swing their heads from side-to-side to clear snow — especially for creating foraging patches. Learn how bison’s feeding habits can help ensure diversity of prairie plant species after a fire.

15. Average Lifespan 10 to 20 Years

Bison can live up to 20 years old, but some live to be much older, especially with good care on ranches.

A buffalo cow may weigh 1,000 pounds, while the bull weighs twice as much, or up to 2,000 pounds! Cows begin breeding at the age of 2. For males, the prime breeding age is 6 to 10 years.

16. Improving Soil

Bison are known to play an important role in improving soil and creating beneficial habitat while holding significant economic value for private producers and rural communities.

17. Ancient Bison came from Asia

The American bison’s ancestors can be traced to southern Asia thousands of years ago. Bison made their way to America by crossing the ancient land bridge that connected Asia with North America during the Pliocene Epoch, some 400,000 years ago. These ancient animals were much larger than the iconic bison we know and love today.

Francie M Berg

Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog

The Buffalo Treaty is an agreement of cooperation, renewal and restoration of the ways that Native Americans envision the past and future with buffalo.

It is designed by Native American tribes to help create a national agenda that will return bison back to the land and allow them to roam freely between the United States and Canada.

The treaty originated when, following the advice of Elders, Blackfoot professors Leroy Little Bear and Amethyst First Rider of the University of Lethbridge envisioned a Buffalo Treaty and began to generate interest among the leaders of the InterTribal Buffalo Council.

Little Bear and First Rider organized a network of non-governmental organizations, corporations and others of the business and commercial community, to form partnerships with the signatories to bring about the manifestation of the intent of this treaty.

It took 10 years as a grassroots effort, designing the document, determining what to include and coordinating the network.

Then history was made. For the first time in 150 years, 13 nations from 8 reservations came together on Sept 23, 2014 and signed the first cross-border indigenous treaty on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana.

Four additional First Nations signed the treaty in Banff, Alberta the next year in August 2015.

This treaty, often referred to as the “Buffalo Treaty,” is an agreement of cooperation, renewal and restoration. It represents a significant step by indigenous people to preserve prairie ecosystems and their culture.

Since that time, hundreds of First Nations across North America have signed the Buffalo Treaty. To achieve the treaty’s vison, collaboration between researchers, governments and conservation groups is considered a must.

One of the most recent was when several First Nations from Canada and the U.S. came together at Wanuskewin in July 2023 to sign the Buffalo Treaty.

This treaty established an intertribal alliance to restore bison to 6.3 million acres of land between the United States and Canada—an area the size of Massachusetts!

Chief Daryl Watson of Mistawasis Nehiyawak first signed the treaty back in 2017. He asked, “How do we incorporate this knowledge and develop curricula’s around it so that our children have the ability to understand what the bison meant and what they’re going to mean in the future.”

James Holt from the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho flew to Canada for the first time to make his mark and sign his name.

“It’s refreshing to see so many people from so many different walks of life come together for our love for buffalo,” Holt said.

It represents a significant step by indigenous people to preserve prairie ecosystems and their culture depending on restoration of the buffalo in both Canada and the US.

The treaty is aimed to help create a national agenda that will return bison back to the land and allow them to roam freely between the United States and Canada.

Initial signing of Buffalo Treaty with Blackfeet in Montana. Photo NPS by Keith Aune.

“Creator gave us many gifts and teachings to survive this world. One of those teachings is everything is interrelated. In the Indian practice, the interrelated world is realized through Treaty-making with all my relations.”

THE BUFFALO: A TREATY OF COOPERATION, RENEWAL AND RESTORATION 2014

Fort Battleford National Historic Site

RELATIONSHIP TO BUFFALO

Since time immemorial, hundreds of generations of the first peoples of the FIRST NATIONS of North America have come and gone since before and after the melting of the glaciers that covered North America. For those generations, BUFFALO has been our relative. BUFFALO is part of us and WE are part of BUFFALO culturally, materially and spiritually. Our on-going relationship is so close and so embodied in us that Buffalo is the essence of our holistic eco-cultural life-ways.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE OF THE TREATY

To honor, recognize and revitalize the time immemorial relationship we have with BUFFALO, it is the collective intention of WE, the undersigned NATIONS, to welcome BUFFALO to once again  live among us as CREATOR intended by doing everything within our means so WE and BUFFALO will once again live together to nurture each other culturally and spiritually. It is our collective intention to recognize BUFFALO as a wild free-ranging animal and as an important part of the ecological system; to provide a safe space and environment across our historic homelands, on both sides of the United States and the Canadian border, so together WE can have our brother, the BUFFALO, lead us in nurturing our land, plants and other animals to once again realize THE BUFFALO WAYS for our future generations.

PARTIES TO THE TREATY

WE, the undersigned, include but not limited to BLACKFEET NATION, BLOOD TRIBE, SIKSIKA NATION, PIIKANI NATION, THE ASSINIBOINE AND GROS VENTRE TRIBES OF FORT BELKNAP INDIAN RESERVATION, THE ASSINIBOINE AND SIOUX TRIBES OF FORT PECK INDIAN RESERVATION, THE SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES OF THE CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI INDIAN RESERVATION, TSUUT’INA NATION, along with other nations.

ARTICLE I – CONSERVATION

Recognizing BUFFALO as a practitioner of conservation, WE, collectively, agree to: perpetuate conservation by respecting the interrelationship between us and ‘all our relations’ including animals, plants, and Mother Earth; to perpetuate and continue our spiritual ceremonies, sacred societies, sacred languages and sacred bundles to perpetuate and practice as a means to embody the thoughts and beliefs of ecological balance.

ARTICLE II – CULTURE

Realizing BUFFALO Ways as a foundation of our ways of life, We, collectively, agree to perpetuate all aspects of our respective cultures related to BUFFALO including customs, practices, harvesting, beliefs, songs and ceremonies.

ARTICLE III – ECONOMICS

Recognizing BUFFALO as the centerpiece of our traditional and modern economics, We, collectively, agree to perpetuate economic development revolving around BUFFALO in an environmentally responsible manner including food, crafts eco-tourism and other beneficial by-products arising out of BUFFALO’s gift to us.

ARTICLE IV – HEALTH

Taking into consideration all the social and health benefits of BUFFALO ecology, We, collectively, agree to perpetuate the health benefits of BUFFALO.

ARTICLE V – EDUCATION

Recognizing and continuing to embody all the teaching we have received from BUFFALO, We, collectively, agree to develop programs revolving around BUFFALO as a means of transferring intergenerational knowledge to the younger and future generations and sharing knowledge amongst our respective NATIONS.

ARTICLE VI – RESEARCH

Realizing that learning is a life-long process, We, collectively, agree to perpetuate knowledge-gathering and knowledge-sharing according to our customs and inherent authorities revolving around BUFFALO that do not violate our traditional ethical standards as a means to expand our knowledge base regarding the environment, wildlife, plan life and the role BUFFALO played in the history, spiritual, economic and social life of our NATIONS.

ARTICLE VII – ADHESION

North American Tribes and First Nations, and NATIONS, STATES, AND PROVINCES may become signatories to this treaty providing they agree to the terms of this treaty.

ARTICLE VIII – PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORTERS

WE, collectively, invited non-governmental organizations, corporations and others of the business and commercial community, to form partnership with the signatories to bring about the manifestation of the intent of this treaty. Organizations and Individuals may become signatories to this treaty as partners and supporters, providing they perpetuate the spirit and intent of this treaty.

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS

The treaty may be amended from time-to-time by simple majority of the signatories.

SIGNATORIES AND RESOLUTIONS

Map, Resolutions and Official Letters

• Buffalo Treaty Map – High Resolution
• The Treaty – High Resolution image
• 2021 Letter from USA DOI office of the Secretary to Montana American Indian Caucus
• 2021 Letter from Montana American Indian Caucus to Secretary of Interior
• 2021 Canada Federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change – Letter to the Buffalo Treaty
• 2021 Buffalo Treaty letter to Canada Minister of the Environment and Climate Change – finding ways and means to work together
• 2021 Buffalo Treaty letter to U.S. Secretary of Interior – DOI Bison Conservation Initiative
• 2020 Buffalo Treaty letter to Canada Minister of the Environment and Climate Change – Bison Conservation Initiative
• 2016 Buffalo Treaty all supporters Resolutions
• 2016 Buffalo Treaty Alberta Wildlife Bison letter and resolution signed
• 2016 Buffalo Treaty Badger Two Medicine letter and resolution signed
• 2016 Buffalo Treaty National Bison Range letter and resolution signed
  2016 Buffalo Treaty Tunnel Mountain Name change letter and resolution signed
  2016 Buffalo Treaty Yellowstone Bison Quarantine letter and resolution signed

What Signers of Buffalo Treaty Say

“I grew up without having a herd. As far as the cultural side, we missed the buffalo all these years and the younger kids were losing interest. But, with us getting the buffalo back now, I hear a lot of talk among themselves and that’s why we do it. We have to keep the culture alive, we have to keep the language alive and the buffalo has that spirit.”– Wyman Weed, Eastern Shoshone Tribe, Wind River

“The herd has grown. The work now is to create more space and make more of our lands available for them to exist on, and to grow a population to a sustainable level where we can begin harvesting them again. We can begin utilizing them in ceremonies, have an education program to work with our youth, bring our elders together with our young people, and to reinvigorate our language to learn about how we use all the parts of the buffalo. That’s part of the cultural revitalization. We are just glad to be part of this effort and to be with these other tribes that are working on bison conservation.” – Jason Baldes, Eastern Shoshone Tribe, Wind River

“Some of our creation stories are around the buffalo. I think it’s our time now as the two-leggeds help our four-legged silent nation, the buffalo nation, that was almost extinct. And to continue the teaching of our ancestors, our grandmas and grandpas and pass that on generation to generation. The more we help each other nation-to-nation, tribe-to-tribe, the more powerful we’re gonna be. The stronger voices we’re gonna have. The more relationships we’re gonna build.” –  Ricky Grey Grass, Fifth Member Oglala Lakota Nation

“I’ve seen maps of the buffalo and how wide a range they used to have. But with this Buffalo Treaty, the two-legged have to do their part. We have the intelligence to be able to combat these things. A lot of it is storytelling – we have to compel people to try to understand.

“Back in the day, policies were put in place to eradicate us from our ceremonial, hunting and medicine grounds and that severed our connection to parts of the continent. Wherever the buffalo went, that’s where our territory is. But it took allies, it took people of compassion, people like yourselves, the allies and the NGOS that have seen something different, seeing that those policies are not good for their hearts…

“I think today with the Buffalo Treaty signers, they’re all allies together to find other options. We shouldn’t be treating the buffalo like livestock and trying to have so many restrictions on them. All they really want is their own place to go, they can take care of themselves. We used to be that way, we can’t be that way anymore because of our own fences that we’re stuck in too. We can’t go out and hunt or prepare for the winter.

“It kind of gives us hope if we can help the buffalo to be happier, more at peace and maybe that’ll help heal us. That’s the big message you hear with a lot of tribes—maybe if we can help them, it’ll help us.” –  Mike Catches Enemy (Lakota name Sacred Thunder Buffalo), Oglala Lakota Nation

“We were established in 1992 and our mission was and is to return buffalo to tribal lands. Ideally, the way I see ITBC and the Buffalo Treaty working together is to heal across the land and bring the buffalo across the landscape. It’s a beginning and it’s a start to something new and better, for the buffalo and our future generations, not just us.” –  Arnell Abold, Executive Director, Intertribal Buffalo Council

“The Buffalo Treaty is a testament to the agency and sovereignty of Indigenous nations. This international treaty unites diverse Nations and Tribes across North America by acknowledging the sacred relationship we have all had with the buffalo since time immemorial. The buffalo is our relative and our source of life. Nations recognize that by working together to restore and renew this relationship with our relative, we will grow stronger. Each year this treaty has welcomed new signatories and supporters. I am confident this momentum will continue to accelerate and that we will once again see the buffalo roam free on our homelands.” –  
Marlene Poitras, Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations Alberta Region
https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/sk/battleford/culture/Buffalo

The college professors generally focused their efforts on increasing buffalo on tribal lands and to educate young people around bison culture.

Native tribes are being challenged to bring back and strengthen the Buffalo Culture as in the past.

The treaty commits the nations to ongoing dialogue and compelling advocacy for buffalo conservation, restoration and the reintroduction of buffalo to the grasslands.

At the same time, the treaty wisely leaves it up to each signatory to decide how to approach buffalo
and ecological restoration.

Honoring Relationships, Teaching Youth

There are so many great ideals in this treaty and we applaud them. Learning the old languages, songs and positive culture and customs. Teaching youth how to respect and take pride in their heritage and culture.

To honor, recognize and revitalize the time immemorial relationship tribal people have with BUFFALO, culturally, materially and spiritually. To perpetuate the health benefits of BUFFALO.
Continue economic development revolving around BUFFALO in an environmentally responsible manner including food, crafts eco-tourism and other beneficial by-products.

Perpetuate knowledge-gathering and knowledge-sharing according to their customs and inherent authorities revolving around BUFFALO that do not violate their traditional ethical standards.

‘Being environmentally responsible. Not violating ethical standards.’ Surely this means moving ahead with peaceful and positive attitudes and intentions—not glorifying anger, violence, bitterness, resentment, pain and other harmful or self-defeating activity. 

However, some people also wonder if there might be negatives.

If the corridors for free movement of buffalo are established, will tribal buffalo migrate and perhaps never come back to the people who have nurtured and cared for them for so many years? Will Canada again be depleted of its Plains Buffalo? How can that be sorted out?

We wish them all the best in restoring the good things of traditional buffalo culture. If there are negatives, we would hope that the wiser heads will prevail. And any negatives that might better go by the wayside are avoided. Are there possible negatives here?  

Of course we need to rise above the old cultures of warfare. Be accepting of all persons, rather than moving certain groups of people out of their homes as more powerful groups move in and force them out.

But we still see that happening.

Personally, I am mourning the deliberate breaking up of historic 5- and 6-generation neighborhoods and small towns by the American Prairie Reserve group in Montana, led by Silicon Valley consultants who aimed to “move fast and be nimble” in the manner of high-tech start-ups. And they did.

Their target is the Missouri River Breaks where I was born, where my family lived and loved, celebrated with friends and neighbors and survived through the terrible droughts of the 1920s and 1930s.

Now their lands are considered empty as these friends get pushed aside, their history, hard work and conservation projects obliterated from the face of a vast, empty wildlife playground for world-wide benefactors and “environmentalists.”   (See my MT Blogs 8 and 17, June 23 and Oct 6, 2020.)

Letters Attached to the Buffalo Treaty

Some of the letters attached to the Buffalo Treaty can strike fear in cattle-ranching families. For example, one letter comes from members of the Montana Legislature’s American Indian Caucus.

It asks Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is “the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary and other federal officials” to begin a dialogue with the Tribes to restore buffalo to public lands in general, as well as to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in central Montana and Glacier National Park in northwest Montana.

“As Montana legislators and members of the Montana American Indian Caucus, we also urge you to take action to work with Montana Tribes to restore buffalo on public lands in the state,” says the American Indian Caucus letter.

Montana has a great deal of public lands. What of these 5-generation families who have worked hard to establish the recommended irrigation projects in the area? Who have sons and daughters ready and eager to take over their ranches?

The town of Malta, MT is losing its population of 2,000, say ranchers. They worry that each ranch lost to the community drains taxes from the county treasury, children from schools and business from stores.

The properties purchased by American Prairie Reserve are all strategically located near two federally protected areas: the 1.1 million-acre Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and the 377,000-acre Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Other Federal and State lands intersect as well. Most of these lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a division of the Department of Interior (DOT).

Needless to say, cattle ranchers and many local townspeople—who have been watching the inevitable disintegration of formerly close communities, as one rancher after another sells out and families and businesses leave—are not pleased with what is happening.

Marko Manoukian, Phillips County Extension Agent of Malta, represents the Phillips County Livestock Association in presenting the cattle ranchers side of the Montana controversy over Prairie Reserve.

“They are crowding out the ability of ranchers to compete economically for agricultural land—in this case grazing land. Because they are a 501C3 charitable organization they get tax-free dollars to compete,” Manoukian says.

“Because American Prairie pays a premium for the property—more than a neighboring rancher could pay off with cows—this doesn’t allow for young people to come back and engage in livestock production.”

Who wins?

_____________________________________________
NEXT:_______________________________________

Francie M Berg

Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog

We’re excited that you chose to become a member of the Howdy! 4-H Bison project.

 We hope you have a great time this year making new friends, taking part in 4-H activities, and learning more about Bison—also known as Buffalo—and their agricultural value!

To complete your Project year in 4-H Bison:

• Complete 4 to 6 of the units of this manual material per club year
• Take part in at least 70% of club activities
• Do a communication project
• Complete a record book
• Take part in your achievement day
• Have a lot of FUN!!!

About the Bison project material

Congratulations! You have made the decision to do the Alberta 4-H Bison project. We hope that you find the information in these manuals to be educational and fun!

Prepare yourself to learn about the colorful past and inspiring future of bison. Today’s bison industry is relatively new despite the long history in North America.

Because this industry is going through rapid evolution, information may change as more research is developed. We encourage you to add to the information provided in these manuals as it comes available to you.

The project material will be covered in three member manuals, this is the first of those manuals.

By placing this material in a three-ring binder, you will be able to create your very own “Bison Handbook.”

In years to come, this book will be a valuable reference, as you witness the progress of this growing industry.

About your record book: You will be using the Alternative Livestock Record Book for this project. You must complete all applicable information in this book by the date specified by the club.

Achievement day requirements

For achievement of this project, you may be required to prepare a display of the information depending on the individual project you have selected. This may be done using pictures, words or even demonstrations.

 Provincially, you are strongly encouraged to attend the Wild Rose Show and Sale held in the spring at Camrose. At this show members can meet other youth interested in bison from across the province.

 Members will also learn valuable skills and info needed in the industry.

Other Opportunities in 4-H

Your bison project is only a small part of 4-H. There are many fun and exciting activities that are offered at club, district, regional and provincial levels.

 These activities will provide you with the opportunity to attend social events, where you can meet other people your age. Clubs are encouraged to invite special guests, plan fun activities, tours and trips.

 Your district and regional 4-H councils may sponsor workshops, camps and exchanges as well as fun events.

 At the provincial level, members are encouraged to attend camps, shows and development programs. Many scholarships are also available to 4-H members who choose to continue on with their education.

Why does 4-H have a Bison project?

Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development along with the Alberta Bison Association have worked together to bring you this golden opportunity to learn about one of the greatest land animals of North America.

The Bison was a major human economic resource for thousands of years! The recovery of these magnificent animals is not only important from an agricultural perspective, but it is also an important aspect of the history of this great province in which we live.

 The Bison project does not follow the traditional 4-H livestock rules! It can’t be rode, It can’t be showed!

 The Bison project is a truly unique livestock project that will allow you, as a member, the opportunity to learn about the role that the bison played in our history, and the value they will continue to have in the new millennium!

What is the “Bison Advantage”?

Your challenge, as you work through this project year is to answer this question.

 Actually, this is a question that is nearly impossible to answer!!

 However, one thing that all people in the Bison industry do completely agree on is the fact that a Bison advantage really does exist.

 Are you confused? Let’s try to make sense of this. The Bison advantage is all the benefits people gain from Bison. This affects everyone from producer to consumer, and all those in between.

List a few Bison advantages

 There are many advantages, a few that you may have come up with include:

• Healthy food value
• Benefits to the ecosystems
• Inspiration to many artists
• Naturally adapted to our province
• Major part of our history

And the list goes on…

 What are the project possibilities? The possibilities are endless! Here are three major categories that your project can fall under.

Exploring Bison

Exploring Bison

This is the ideal project for those members who are interested in the bison industry, but do not have access to a bison herd. Interested members may choose to get involved in a number of self-directed projects that will allow them to learn about the Bison Industry.

The options include items such as Bison history, folklore and the value of the numerous Bison products and by-products. Achievement day for this project may require a display on one aspect of the industry they have studied, including their project book.

Bison Herd Observations

Members, who have access to a Bison herd, may choose to do a Bison observation project. With this project, members will monitor a specific herd and record their observations in a record book.

 Within the herd project, 4-H members may choose to select one project animal that they will observe and record its behaviour.

 They will then monitor the social order of the entire herd, and determine the role of the selected animal within the herd.

Other possibilities under the Bison Herd project may include the effects of the herd on the environment, methods of marketing a Bison operation, developing a management system or raising a novice bison project.

 Senior members may even choose to develop a research project that will provide valuable information to Bison producers.

Carcass Bison

Members may choose a weanling bull, or market heifer, for their project animal. This animal will be fed until it is ready for market.

At that time it will be sent for slaughter and the carcass information will be obtained.

 The member is responsible for choosing the time to sell their animal, so that it obtains the optimum carcass grade.

A 4-Her with the Carcass project may choose to market the meat—or develop recipes for cooking it.

The carcass project may also include marketing the meat, or even developing recipes for a variety of meat processing methods such as burgers and jerky.

 Achievement of this project may be a wide range of things from preparing a meal to a display of photos, carcass data and marketing strategies.

 The best part of any 4-H project is that you will “learn to do by doing.”

 There are a variety of fun activities to help you learn.

Alberta 4-H Bison – Level 2

Welcome to the 4-H Bison Project

We hope you were challenged with the first manual and you are excited to learn more about Bison in this second level manual. Once again, this project year will be a great opportunity for you to make new friends, take part in 4-H activities, and learning more about Bison and their native value!

Howdy!

To complete your project year in 4-H Bison, you must:

• Complete four to six of the units per club year of the manual material
• Take part in at least 70% of club activities
• Do a communication project
• Complete a record book
• Take part in your achievement day
• Have a lot of FUN!

About the Bison Project material

Congratulations! You have completed the first manual and you are about to begin the next level. We hope that you find the information in these manuals to be both educational and fun!

 Prepare yourself to learn about the colourful past and inspiring future of today’s Bison.

 Today’s Bison industry is relatively new despite their long history in North America. It is important to remember that this industry is going through rapid evolution, and information may change as more research is developed.

 You are encouraged to add on to the information provided in these manuals as it comes available to you. The project material is covered in three member manuals, this is the second of the manuals. By placing this material in a three-ring binder, you will be able to create your very own “Bison Handbook”.

 In years to come, this book will become a valuable keepsake, as you witness the progress of this growing industry.

About your Record Book

 Depending on the project you wish to do, you will have a choice in what record book you can complete.

If you decide that you would like to do a project involving the Exploring Bison you may wish to use a craft, sewing or generic record book available at the 4-H office, or create your own record book that explains your project from the beginning of the 4-H year through to your achievement.

If you wish to create a record book of your own you would need to include the components that are listed at the back of this chapter.

If you choose to do the Bison Herd Observations project, you can use the Alternative Livestock Record Book to complete this project.

In general the 4-Her will not be handling the Bison close up.

All applicable information would need to be completed in this book by the date specified by the club.

The Carcass Bison project is another project that you may wish to create your own record book for, or you could use the generic record book depending on the nature of your specific project.

Once again, if you choose to create your own record book for this project, please refer to the last page of this chapter for a guideline of required topics.

Achievement Day Requirements

For achievement of this project, you may be required to prepare a display of your information depending on your individual project you have selected to do.

This may be done using pictures, words or even demonstrations. Provincially, you are strongly encouraged to attend the Wild Rose Show and Sale held in Camrose.

This show will provide all members with the opportunity to meet other youth from across the province, and will teach you valuable skills needed in the Bison industry.

For more information you can contact the Bison Centre of Excellence web page at www.bisoncentre.com or phone toll free using the rite line at 310-0000 then coding in 780-986-4100.

Member Level 3

The 4-H Motto

“Learn to Do By Doing.”

The 4-H Pledge

I pledge:

My Head to clearer thinking,

My Heart to greater loyalty,

My Hands to larger service,

My Health to better living,

For my club, my community and my country.

The 4-H Grace

We thank thee, Lord, for blessings great on this, our own fair land. Teach us to serve thee joyfully, with head, heart, health and hand.

Table of Contents – Level 3

Revised May 2003/css

Welcome to the 4-H Bison Project

 Welcome back!  We’re excited that you chose to return as a   member of the 4-H Bison project.  We hope you have a great time this year making new friends, taking part in 4-H activities, and learning more about bison and their native value!

To complete your project year in 4-H Bison 

• Complete four to six of the units per club year of the manual material
• Take part in at least 70% of club activities
• Do a communication project
• Complete a record book
• Take part in your achievement day
• Have a lot of FUN!

About the Bison project material

 Congratulations!  By now you have learned a great deal about Bison and their value.  We hope that you have been able to keep all of your past manual information and updates all together in one place. 

 Now you will have the opportunity and challenge of working through the information in this manual.  As you know, this industry continues to evolve, and as a result new information is constantly coming in.

 This is your third and final member manual.  You are well on your way to having your very own personalized “Bison Handbook”.  In the years to come, this book will become a valuable keepsake, as you continue to witness the progress of this growing industry.

 Because you have completed the other manuals, and you have a good understanding of the basics, your role as a senior member is going to change this project year. 

 The activities covered in this manual will become more involved and will require greater effort than the past manual activities.  

About your Record book

 Depending on the project you wish to do, you will have a choice in what record book you can complete. 

 If you decide that you would like to do a project involving the  Exploring Bison you may wish to use a craft, generic record book available at the provincial 4-H office, or create your own record book that explains your project from the beginning of the 4-H year through to your achievement. 

 If you wish to create a record book of your own you need to include the components that are listed at the back of this chapter. 

 If you choose to do the Bison Herd Observations project, you can use the Alternative Livestock Record book to complete this project.  All applicable information would need to be completed in this book by the date specified by the club.

 The Carcass Bison project is another project that you may wish to create your own record book for, or you could use the generic record book depending on the nature of your specific project.  Once again, if you choose to create your own record book for this project, please refer to be last page of this chapter for a guideline of required topics.

Achievement day requirements

For achievement of this project, you may be required to prepare a display of your information depending on the individual project you have selected to do.  This may be done using pictures, words or even demonstrations.   Provincially, you are strongly encouraged to attend the Wild Rose Show and Sale held in Camrose.  This show will provide all members the opportunity to meet other youth from across the province, and will teach you valuable skills needed in the industry.

For more information you can contact the Bison Centre of Excellence web page at www.bisoncentre.com or phone toll free using the rite line at 310-0000 then coding in 780-986-4100.

Other Opportunities in 4-H

Your Bison project is only a small part of 4-H.  There are many fun and exciting activities that are offered at club, district, regional and provincial levels.

These activities will provide you with the opportunity to attend social events, where you can meet other people your age.  Clubs are encouraged to invite special guests, plan fun activities, tours and trips.

Your district and regional 4-H councils may sponsor workshops, camps and exchanges as well as fun events.   At the provincial level, members are encouraged to attend camps, shows and development programs.

Many scholarships are also available to 4-H members continuing on with their education.  You deserve to get the very most you can out of the entire 4-H program!!

The Ultimate Challenge!

 Explain what you believe to be the most important points of the Bison advantage and why?  Remember, everyone has their own beliefs about what the Bison advantage is.  

 Based on everything that you have learned up to now, why do you think that the preservation of the Bison as an agricultural industry is important.

Your challenge is to prepare a short 5 – 10 minute activity, presentation or story about the “Bison advantage.” You will be responsible for presenting this activity at your club meeting to introduce others to the Bison advantage. Have fun with it and the others will too!

 Write a summary of your 4-H year and project just to summarize everything  that you did. You can include photos and news articles, etc.  (If you do use  news articles remember to reference and date them.) 

Alberta 4-H Bison Project – Leader

Welcome to the 4-H Bison Project

We’re excited that you chose to become a leader of the 4-H Bison project.

LEADERS MANUAL- Nutrition for 3 levels

 Nutrient Requirements

Roll Call:

Name a nutrient. ____________________________

 Name a feed item that is a good source of this nutrient.

 This roll call will provide a good introduction to this topic. Some of the answers you should hear are:

Nutrient              Good source of this nutrient

Water                                    clean, fresh drinking water, available to the animals at all times

Protein                                  soybean meal, canola meal, corn gluten meal, fish meal, meat and bone meal         

Energy                                   grains, forages

Vitamins                                forages, grains, sunshine, manufactured in the rumen, vitamin supplements

Minerals                                forages, grains, mineral supplements

Objectives

Level 1

1. To introduce the members to the concept of essential nutrients.
2. To create an appreciation of the importance of these nutrients.

Level 2

1. To understand that different animals require different amounts of nutrients.
2. To learn more about the different vitamins and minerals and their importance.

Level 3 

1. To learn some of the effects of deficiencies of vitamins and minerals.
2. To understand about energy and how the body uses it.

 We have provided the level 3 members with some interesting information about vitamin and mineral deficiencies and energy. As activities to accompany these topics, we ask that they share the concepts with the club members.

 Use these level 3 members!

AND THERE’S MORE!

 WHAT A GREAT START for many STATES IN THE US and more PROVINCES IN CANADA to Follow up!

 JUST IMAGINE WHAT ELSE you could do with a BUFFALO  4-H PROJECT!!!

Published by: 4-H Branch

Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development

Room 200, 7000-113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6H 5T6

Check out our web site at http://www.4h.ab.ca

 4-H Branch of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

Drafted by Leila Milne, 2002.

NEXT: THE BUFFALO TREATY

______________________________________________________________

Francie M Berg

Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog

What does 4-H stand for? Head, Heart, Hands and Health!

Today nearly six million children and teens are learning important values through the 4-H program. But how did 4-H find its humble beginnings?

The 4-H program began in the late 1800s when researchers learned adults in the farming industry did not readily accept new developments but also learned young people would accept those new ideas, according to the 4-H.org history page.

The 4-leaf clover is simplicity itself: Head, Heart, Hands and Health—since 1910!

In 1902 A. B. Graham started the first youth program in Clark County, Ohio, called “The Tomato Club” or the “Corn Growing Club.”

It seems others had the same idea about the same time, as T. A. Erickson, Douglas County, Minnesota started an agricultural after-school club.

Jessie Field Shambaugh developed a clover pin with the 4-H on each leaf in 1910. By 1912 they were called 4-H clubs.

1914 saw the Smith-Lever Act passed, which helped the US Department of Agriculture create the Cooperative Extension System. Extension offices combined the knowledge and resources of federal, state and local governments to meet the needs of educational programs through 4-H.

Today, in the US 4‑H serves youth in rural, urban and suburban communities in every state across the nation. 4‑H’ers are tackling the nation’s top issues. Projects range from cooking to cattle, from entomology to electricity, archery to art and from sewing to skateboarding.

4‑H out-of-school programming, in-school enrichment programs, clubs and camps also offer a wide variety of STEM opportunities—from agricultural and animal sciences to rocketry, robotics, environmental protection and computer science—to improve the nation’s ability to compete in key scientific fields and take on the leading challenges of the 21st century. There are so many excellent opportunities in 4-H to improve life for your children.

4-H members gain confidence through practicing skills like public speaking, presentation, demonstrations and expressing a point of view as club members during meetings.

Also exciting social events such as 4-H Fair, 4-H Camp, Congress and more. They learn to be organized, problem solvers and volunteers through local, state and national leadership positions on 4-H Council, 4-H Foundation and 4-H Youth Council.

Each member enrolls in projects of their own choice to learn more about topics of interest to them. They can even design their own projects if they choose.

A Buffalo Rancher-Leader

With a long list of over 200 4-H projects available, why not include BUFFALO—our magnificent NATIONAL MAMMAL?  YES!

If you’re a 4-H Leader or parent maybe you have a 4-H member or two who would love to take an “Exotic Animal” project. Why not encourage them to learn about Buffalo, as the species is commonly known?

Even though Buffalo have lived in North America since before the last ice age, there’s much of interest to learn about our magnificent new National Mammal.

4-Hers can design their own program even without owning a bison themselves. They can study, each at their own level, other aspects of buffalo—for example, their history, their long and unique cultural relationship with Native American peoples, how buffalo were saved from extinction, their social order, or how to handle a herd.

Or they might “purchase” an animal from a neighboring herd, either in reality or by figuring out realistic costs and conditions on paper. They can write and exhibit that report at the county level and even state fair.

A rancher with a buffalo herd is a potential 4-H club leader. If you have such a person in your community, why not see if you can interest him or her with being a buffalo project leader?

Or if you own or are familiar with buffalo maybe you will enjoy the challenge of sharing your knowledge with young people?

Yes, its true—4-H Project books that include Buffalo are rare!

Research on Buffalo is rare as well. But that could change, now that we have in the US a Center of Excellence for Buffalo Studies, as of Sept 2020. It’s headquartered at South Dakota State University’s West River Research and Extension facility in Rapid City, SD.

Teaching about our National Mammal can be an enlightening and fun experience for the entire 4-H Club!

One Girl’s 4-H Bison Experience

Ashley McFarland showed her Buffalo calf at age 12, at our County Fair in Hettinger, ND. She lives just south a few miles into SD. Photo submitted by Roxann McFarland.

Ashley McFarland, a 4-H girl in our community developed her own Buffalo Project when she was only 12! And became a 5^th generation Buffalo rancher!

Ashley’s great-great-grandfather, Frank McFarland, came to South Dakota and homesteaded near the North Grand River in 1909. He began to hear about buffalo for sale in the Black Hills State Park and got the idea he’d like to start a buffalo herd.

But first he had to raise a family, build a beef herd and survive the desperately dry years of the 1920s and 1930s. Then, in 1959, he and his son Roy bought four buffalo, according to “Wind and Waving Grass,” the history of Northwest Perkins County, Lodgepole Community.

They ran them with their beef cattle for awhile. But by 1974 the family had a stable buffalo herd and their 3^rd Production sale of buffalo calves and meat.

Ashley grew up on the family homestead with buffalo, her younger brother Paden, Dad Steve, Mom Roxann and Grandpa Eugene and Grandma Verna.

One spring a buffalo cow in the family herd birthed twins and as often happens on the buffalo range, the mother claimed only one.

Steve found the extra little tyke lying alone in the pasture and brought her home for a bottle of colostrum.

Dad, Steve McFarland expertly feeds a bottle of colostrum—rich in nutrients and protective antibodies– to a skeptical buffalo calf.

Ashley named her calf ‘Sienna’ and took over the bottle feedings.

They bonded and soon Ashley had a halter on her buffalo and could lead her anywhere.

In August Ashley brought her well-behaved little calf to show at our County fair in Hettinger, ND. At four months Sienna was still the bright red-gold color of young buffalo calves, but turning dark.

She entered her exhibit under the category ‘Exotic Breed’ and won a purple ribbon. Awarded the best (and only one) in her class.

Ashley’s advice to other 4-Hers who want to show a buffalo calf?

“You have to spend time with your calf,” she says. “Work with it and teach it to be calm with a halter on.”

Remember all those possessive mother buffalo?!  We can imagine a big shaggy mother being all too willing and able to run off a small girl or boy who tries to interfere with her calf!

So If you hope to show a buffalo calf, its probably pretty important, as well, that you have an orphan calf available, as Ashley did—at the age of 12!!

Steve McFarland has been active in the Dakota Territory Buffalo Association since it was started in 1996—deep in the heart of buffalo country—by a group of buffalo producers from a 12-state area and two Canadian provinces.

His family has shown buffalo most every year at the DTBA Show and Sale in Rapid City, SD where they won Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies, and two years ago the High Selling Bull Calf. They have also showed at the Gold Trophy Denver Show.

4-Hers Sharpen Communication Skills.

4-H members have many opportunities to present to a group and interview one on one with an adult throughout the 4-H year. These experiences allow them to develop above-average confidence and skill in communicating with both peers and adults, in both prepared and spontaneous settings.

 4-H brings youth together with caring adults and peers, both face to face and virtually, to ensure belonging and a connection to their community. Youth who are connected to their  community are less likely to suffer from severe depression or attempt suicide.

Best of all they learn to communicate and listen—and “Learning by Doing!” An easy way to learn.

One interesting facet is that 4-Hers of every age help each other—older members help the younger ones. So everyone has a good chance to shine.

That’s very different from sports and school competitions in which young people compete every day with youngsters their own age. In 4-H they likely have even more leadership opportunities.

4-H offers a network of caring peers for young people to reach out to during challenging times.

4-H is a community that allows for building trust and relationships that are not always replicated in other areas of a member’s life. These relationships are built on common interests and are strengthened by the bond of belonging and inclusion.

A recent study indicated that participation in 4-H programming during the COVID-19 Pandemic contributed to keeping communities connected during times of isolation.

This might have been a virtual club meeting, 4-H project work to keep kids engaged, a call from a 4-H volunteer, or an organized service project done at home. 4-H’ers helped themselves, their friends and their community during challenging times.

4-H Promotes Positive Citizenship

 4‑H programs empower young people to be well-informed citizens who actively engage in their communities and the world. Youth become involved in their community, build decision-making skills, develop a greater sense of understanding and increase their confidence in connecting to others.

4‑H members contribute hundreds of thousands of hours back to their community every year. In Montana over half of 3^rd through 6^th grade 4-H members indicated they had more opportunity to help plan a community service project since joining 4-H, while 24% reported having led a community service project as a member of 4-H.

Since I grew up with 4-H in Montana, worked as a County Extension Agent there, was an IFYE, 4-H Leader and am a huge supporter of 4-H for life, I’m enjoying sharing this Montana report with you. (italic) (FMBerg)

Citizenship and community connection are especially impactful in underserved communities, including Montana’s reservations. (14% of 4-H youth served in 2019-2020 identify as Native American. This is double the average participation level statewide.

42% are more aware of important needs in their community after joining 4-H. Over one-third of 7-12th grade 4-H youth report being likely to talk to their friends about issues affecting their community, state or world.  (Ital) Survey Data from Montana 4-H Citizenship Impact Survey 2019.

Quotes from Montana 4-Hers and Parents

“4-H has helped me grow up and be a person who can be confident and well-spoken in a group setting. I can relate to younger 4-H members to help them grow in their projects by using the experience I have had with my own projects. [Because of 4-H] I have also had several successful job interviews.” (ital) Hill County 4-H’er age 17

“I have participated in multiple presentations, from one person in the audience to hundreds. If I had not done 4-H I would not have had these opportunities to develop my speaking and listening skills.” (ital) Gallatin County 4-H’er age 13

“The communication skills my children have gained in 4-H is one of the great benefits that they received from their participation. As they attend college classes, they are amazed at how easy it is for them to complete public speaking assignments and what a difficult time other students have had.” (ital) Parent of Carbon County 4-H Alumni

“Because of 4-H my children have gained the confidence and experiences from the structured and non-threatening environment to excel in most speaking situations.” (ital) Parent of Richland County 4-H members

Alberta 4-H Bison Program

Not many 4-Hers take Bison as a project. I think that’s only because they haven’t thought about how it can work!

My congratulations to Leila Milne and the Province of Alberta, Canada, for creating their unique Alberta Bison 4-H project! Developed in 2002-2003.

It’s the only one I’ve ever seen in either the US or Canada! Surely one of a kind!

It is a truly unique livestock project that allows you, as a member, the opportunity to learn about the role that bison played in our history and the value they will continue to have in the new millennium.

Note that the Bison 4-H project does not follow the traditional 4-H livestock rules! As they say, “It can’t be rode, and it can’t be showed!” Well, not usually!

It’s a great start pioneered in one Canadian Province–Alberta. The third year of their 4-H Bison project, gives a lot of food for thought—and includes this suggestion:

“Your challenge, as you work through this project year is to answer the question:
What is the ‘Bison Advantage!’

“Explain what you believe to be the most important points of the bison advantage and why?  Remember, everyone has their own beliefs about what the bison advantage is. 

“Actually, this is a question that is nearly impossible to answer!! However, one thing that all people in the Bison industry do completely agree on is the fact that a Bison advantage really does exist. Are you confused?

“Let’s try to make sense of this. The Bison advantage is all the benefits people gain from bison. This affects everyone from producer to consumer and all those in between.”

Don’t try to learn everything all at once! To the Alberta 4-Her, Bison becomes a very flexible program.

There’s a great list of contents at each of the 3 levels. At first it seems as if the 4-Hers are expected to look up all that information from buffalo sources on their own.

But as they begin at the first level—the first year— they will want to be selective. Which topic or topics to focus on? Who will help—older members? Adult leaders? The Alberta Bison Association? Maybe all of the above.

In Part 2 of this Blog we’ll bring you more about this amazing Alberta 4-H Program.

Thanks Canada, for your leadership in suggesting many ways 4-Hers can shape their own exciting Bison project!!

Ashley did it! You can too!

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NEXT: Part 2 – 4-H Bison Project Alberta

Francie M Berg

Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog

There is at least one more Historic Buffalo place that I’ve been wanting to visit in our area of historic Buffalo sites. Or actually two—Buffalo Trails and Buffalo Wallows!

My family has been friends for at least 40 years with ranching families who live north on Cedar Creek. For all those years we’ve been invited to drive up and see their buffalo trails and buffalo wallows.

Was I always too busy to go? I don’t think so—but somehow it just didn’t happen. Besides, I never thought there’d be so many of them.

As their veterinarian, my husband Bert might have seen those historic trails and buffalo wallows, but never described them to me! Now he’s gone—but I had another opportunity.

So now I’ve been there! And they are impressive! Honest to goodness Buffalo Trails trod centuries ago, and Wallows rubbed and scratched (and we’re pretty sure, enjoyed) by generations of migrating Buffalo herds. Dozens—maybe hundreds of them!

When they got wind of our Buffalo Grande mission, Allan and Virginia Earsley, ranchers in the Cedar Creek area, offered a motorized side-by-side ride for Dr. John Joyce and me to that special hill and ravines in their pasture where original buffalo trails show up best in spring.

Earsleys live only a few miles north of Hettinger, in the general area where Cedar Creek crosses under Highway 22 on its way east to the Missouri River.

Now we have photos. We plan to shoot more in fall, too. And maybe some more in early spring, when the grasses are just peeking through.

It does make an impact to actually see these trails, note how many there are! And to re-live what was going on in those days! Probably 7,000 years ago.

Older neighbors and Allan’s grandparents identified the Buffalo Trails before cattle began making their own trails. Early settlers told their families these were NOT cattle trails.

They told stories of trails made by big buffalo herds—had to be wild buffalo, they said! Maybe in the thousands! How else would there have been so many Wallows??

Where’s the Research?

On Apr 20 and May 4, 2021, in Blogs 30 and 31 Ronda Fink and I published our first blogs on Buffalo Trails—in Indiana, where they are called Buffalo Traces.

On Jan 11, 2022), in Blog 49, we wrote another blog—this time about “Buffalo Trails in ND” written by a North Dakota Geologist. Made me wonder where other researchers are looking at these features of the landscape. Turns out they may not even be looking??

Unlike our western trails—which were used by wild buffalo more recently—the Indiana Traces have not been used by buffalo since the early 1800’s.

There, local historians are trying to put the buffalo traces back together, after nearly two centuries of intensive farming, invasions of cities and towns and highway building.

In the forested lands of southern Indiana the traces had become welcome travel lanes, swept bare of trees by great annual Buffalo migrations.

Civilization had moved in and the buffalo that had congregated at the Kentucky salt licks were mostly killed off. Survivors moved on to safer pastures west of the Mississippi.

In some places what was called the Vincennes Buffalo Trace was 12 to 20 feet wide and worn down to a depth of 12 feet, even cutting down through solid rock.

John Bluemle: ND Geologist

A North Dakota geologist who wrote about  Bison Trails in North Dakota is John P. Bluemle. He was employed by the North Dakota Geological Survey from 1962 and served as ND State Geologist 14 years from 1990 until 2004. Bluemle cited research by Lee Clayton, also a North Dakotan.

Bluemle said he adapted much of his report from an article by Lee Clayton: Bison trails and their Geologic Significance published in the national magazine Geology, Sep 1975.

The trench-like features seen throughout ND from airplanes were initially interpreted as caused by glacial action, with bedrock joints and faults.

They have also been listed as glacial disintegration trenches, a kind of long, narrow depression resulting from the melting of an ice-cored crevasse filling.

However, the disintegration-trench hypothesis was proven wrong when it was pointed out that these trenches are found throughout southwestern North Dakota—well beyond the limit of the last glaciation.

“An unusual kind of landform found in several places in North Dakota was created by once huge herds of bison. The bison trampled shallow grooves across the prairie, forming trails that appear as lines on air photos,” wrote Bluemle.

“These bison trails were first recognized in North Dakota in the 1960s by former University of North Dakota geologist, Lee Clayton.

“The trails are shallow grooves or trenches, generally a few feet deep, several feet wide, and several hundred feet long. Where they cross narrow depressions, the trails sometimes change to low ridges.

“The ridges probably formed as sediment [solid fragmented material such as gravel transported and deposited by wind, water, or ice] tracked downslope by thousands of hooves.

“Bison trails are common throughout the grasslands of the northern plains, and, in fact, many have been misinterpreted as bedrock joints [a brittle area of a large rock body with pressure-induced fractures with the same orientation] or glacial features such as a small washboard ridge that forms from material along the leading edge of a glacier.

“Bison trails are straight or gently curved and they show up on aerial photographs as dark lines,” says Bluemle.

 “The trails tend to be parallel to high-relief features such as bluffs and steep slopes, and otherwise they typically trend northwest to southeast, parallel to the prevailing wind directions.”

He writes that the trails were probably formed when large numbers of bison converged on water holes or were funneled along a particular path by the constraints of topography.

How Can We Find Buffalo Trails and Wallows?

Early homesteaders noted them first and some correctly identified them as buffalo trails and passed that knowledge down to their descendants who still work the land.

So if you’d like to find out where buffalo trails are in your area, start by asking old-timers and listen to what they have to say.

Some local people—ranchers, pilots and people with an interest in history—already know where there are honest-to-goodness buffalo trails.

And there are probably many more just awaiting our discovery.

The big hooves of buffalo dig deep trenches. And in the right kind of soil their feet pick up big chunks of mud, fling them around and build the trails higher causing a ridged portion of thick topsoil. Not fluvial sand and gravel as would be evident if they had been disintegration trenches.

We can find parts of these trails and the wallows in western North Dakota, if we know where to look. And no doubt in other areas too.

There’s still clear evidence of great buffalo herds!

Here are ‘best ways’ to find Buffalo Trails, according to geologists:

• In Spring when the grass is short (or winter days between times of snow cover)
• Throughout the plains and prairies in pasture lands which have not been plowed
• In soft and permeable soil (where rainfall soaks in readily—instead of draining off, which erodes slopes and destroys trails)
• The trails are like trenches, about 3 feet deep—but on steeper slopes may be 9 to 12ft deep. As wide as 6 to 60 ft across—typically 15 to 30 feet. Stretched out in varying lengths depending on soil and terrain—may be as much as ½ mile long
• In some areas trenches show up in combination with higher ridges of topsoil as if clumps of dirt have been kicked up and gobs of mud released after being stuck to hooves
• Where they cross depressions the trenches may be replaced by ridges
• Trails are usually straight or slightly curved
• They may run parallel to prevailing winds—such as on the diagonal from Northwest to Southeast
• May lead around bogs, to water or salty areas
• The trenches tend to cross ridges, small hills and valleys
• They might be identified on hikes, from high points, low-flying airplanes or on Google maps

I assumed that Buffalo Trails and Wallows would be researched many other places—especially in National Forests and BLM Lands (Bureau of Land Management).

Surprisingly though, other states than Indiana/ Kentucky and ND—even here in the western states—seem not to have researched buffalo trails or wallows.

Looking for confirmation, I requested information from state and federal researchers with the Bureau of Land Management and other US departments.

The typical replies I received are similar to this one:

“Good afternoon, Francie. Thanks for sending your inquiry. I checked with others in the office and no one with BLM Colorado has investigated Bison Trails and Buffalo Wallows in any states in the US, or is aware of any BLM work on the topic. Best of luck with your project!”

From Malia Burton, Branch Chief, Lands, Realty & Renewable Energy, BLM Colorado State Office.

Perhaps others will find this an interesting topic for research, before the evidence disappears entirely.

But as Tom Schoeder attests, the Wallows near Cedar Creek are not as clearly defined as when he was a child, even in that undisturbed School Section near his home. And Buffalo Trails maybe even less so . . .

Trekking down to water in the Cedar Creek, day after day. Cutting deep narrow grooves in the hills as they apparently went single file—with a matriarch cow leading, just as buffalo tend to do today when the herd is headed somewhere—such as to water.

Down the hill they went—single file–then back up onto the grassy plateau where the herd spread out to graze again

In another season and yet another, they returned to follow the same trails—ancient trails that seemed to cut across new fences the newcomers built.

I wanted to take that ride to see the trails. Could hardly wait till spring when grass began to green up and reveal these mysterious trails. Known first to original settlers who refused to plow them up—and passed their stories on to grandkids—although unfortunately they didn’t write them down.

Yet we can still see and document these historic buffalo trails!

Buffalo Wallows

Back up on the plateau where the grazing is good the herd would have scattered to fill their bellies.

One hundred and 50 years ago after a quenching drink it may be that many individuals sought a nice comfortable wallow.

The wallowing evidence is here as well. There’s a School Section—which has never been plowed and is now divided into 4 pastures for rotational grazing of cattle—with many old buffalo wallows.

Tom Schoeder took Connie Messner and me on another “side by side” vehicle to see the wallows in that school section.

They tend to be almost round—perhaps 9 to 10 feet in diameter and perhaps as much as 2 ft in depth. And there are lots of them, nearly all filled now with grass, but clearly noticable. Perhaps made by thousands of buffalo during their many migrations.

In her report of the Buffalo Wallows Conni Messner wrote, “On the evening of 13 July Francie and I drove to meet Tom Schoeder northwest of Hettinger to look at the buffalo wallows that were still visible on land that was owned by his grandfather since 1907.

“Driving west on Hwy 12 and north on Hwy 22, we met Tom not far from the turn on 18^th Ave. He led us to a section of land that is being used for grazing but since it is ‘School Land’ it has not been used for agriculture.

“We jumped onto his 4 by 4 and drove to many sites that Tom remembered his grandfather telling were made by buffalo rutting in the dirt.

“We must have seen approximately 50 depressions. Some of these wallows were on flat land and some were up on what he called the knolls—or ridge line. Tom said the Wallows were more visible when he was a child.

“Cedar Creek was flowing and he related that the buffalo would drink here before heading south to their grazing area. As the buffalo returned, they would go single file so there are supposed to be ‘trails’ that can still be seen but difficult to find right now due to the vegetation.

“Tom was very clear in the fact that he was not an expert on this history and this information he was sharing with us was from his childhood memories.

“He also stressed that this land is Our Land owned by the State of North Dakota and can be visited without permission.

“Other than dealing with the mosquito population and the hard-to-close-gate we had a very pleasant evening.”

Thanks Conni for sharing our Wallow experience with the Bufalo Grande group! I regret not going up there long ago, when invited to see this by Tom’s parents—only a few miles away. I never realized there would be so many visible trails and wallows up there along the Cedar Creek!

I had expected maybe 1 trail—and 1 or 2 buffalo wallows at the most.

As it is, there must have been something like perhaps a thousand buffalo grazing there at once.  Why else would they need so many wallows!

We estimated perhaps 60 or more wallows in a single pasture (which was ¼^th of a section, or 160 acres). They seem to be clustered more heavily together along somewhat higher land than down on the Cedar Creek itself, where the single-file trails came down to water.

Tom tells us his family called the wallows “knolls,” evidently to recognize their placement on higher ground.

Jim Strand, local Buffalo Herdsman of the Blair Johnson herd in SD, tells us that when flies are bad, or it’s hot, his buffalo will seek higher ground where they can catch a breeze.

For a wallow they like sandy soil and will throw  dirt and dust up over their backs. If a wallow happens to contain rainwater—well, splashing mud around and onto their own hides makes it even better!

Now our Buffalo Grande group has done it. We took photos of the buffalo trails and the wallows.

And we heard the remembered words from hardy pioneers who saw them first—and recognized the trails and wallows as ancient evidence—where likely thousands of buffalo once tramped the ground and thrived.

These majestic trails and wallows are one more link in our Buffalo Legacy. They fit in perfectly with the Historic Buffalo sites we celebrate in our Hettinger/Lemmon/Bison/Buffalo area.  

So whether your family has been here 7,000 years or just a few—if you’ve put down roots in this community, this is your Legacy—yours and mine! It’s a Buffalo legacy of which we can all be proud.

Sources

Berg, Francie M, Apr 20/May 4, 2021 Blog 30 & 31: BuffaloTrailsandTales.com. “Buffalo Traces, Part 1 & Part 2.”

Berg, Francie M, Jan 14, 2022, Blog 49: BuffaloTrailsandTales.com. “Can you Find Buffalo Trails where You Live?””
Clayton, Lee, 1970b, “Bison trails and their geologic significance,” Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 2, p. 381.

Clayton, Lee, 1975, “Bison trails and their geologic significance,” Geology, p.498 – 500.

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NEXT: ALBERTA 4-H BISON PROJECT

Francie M Berg

Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog

The Banff buffalo had a dramatic history. And the most famous buffalo of all was Sir Donald, named for his donor Sir Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona.

Smith was famous in Canada for helping build the Trans-Canada Railway.

Plains buffalo have been in Banff National Park almost from the beginning—in a small pasture by the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad.

They became famous with tourists and lived there in a display herd along the new railroad for nearly a century, from 1897 to 1997.

In 1907 the Canadian government—suddenly realizing they were bereft of buffalo—purchased the Pablo Herd of over 700 from the western plains of Montana.

Banff received 77 of these animals, and a new paddock of 300 acres (only!) was built north of the railroad to hold the increasing herd.

How Banff National Park Began

It was a time of railroad building. The Canadian Rails had a major challenge—to link the busy Pacific Coast area, with all its ships filled with Asian produce and returning with high quality timber, with the rest of Canada.

In between stood hundreds of miles of spectacular—but nearly impassable Rocky Mountains. Icy and often snow topped, these rugged mountains are just north of US Glacier Park. Which are also formidable lands, filled with huge glaciers, ice and rocks.

During the 1870s, construction started on the ambitious Canadian Pacific Railway, a coast-to-coast railway across Canada. The planned route tracked through the Bow Valley in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

On October 21, 1880 a group of Scottish Canadian businessmen formed a viable syndicate to build a transcontinental railway.

Many of the workers in the tracklaying crew were immigrants from Europe; many others were Chinese.

Often up to 200 men would be working together to move the track forward and many of them lost their lives laying track in those icy mountains.

Construction began on several fronts.

It was there, at ‘Siding 29,’ that three Canadian Pacific Railway workers in 1883 stumbled on a series of natural hot springs on what is now called Sulphur Mountain. 

The Cave and Basin hot springs were quickly identified as potential hot tourist attractions.

By the end of 1883, the railway had reached the Rocky Mountains, just eight kilometres (five miles) east of Kicking Horse Pass.

Competing claims by ‘discoverers’ of the springs for the right to develop them prompted the Canadian government in 1885 to create a reserve to protect the hot springs and surrounding area.

Enlarged in 1887 and named the “Rocky Mountains Park of Canada” (later to be renamed Banff National Park), this was Canada’s first national park and the world’s third.

The park now occupies 2,564 square miles (6,641 square km) along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and abuts the border with British Columbia.

The townsite of Banff was established; a grand hotel quickly built, and the area was soon promoted as an international resort and spa. 

In Canadian history, four provinces joined together on July 1, 1867, to form the new country of Canada. The four provinces—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario—were joined three years later by Manitoba and the Northwest Territories.

In 1871 British Columbia decided to join Canada, but only if the Canadian government promised to build a transcontinental railway.

British Columbia set a 10-year deadline for the completion of this critical link to the rest of the country.

But this incredible engineering feat was completed on Nov 7, 1885, six years ahead of schedule, when the last spike was driven at Craigellachie, B.C. The rest, is history.

Sir Donald Smith helped stitch the country of Canada together with the railway, but beyond his industrial actions, he had an interesting role to play in the early history of bison conservation.

McKay: A Métis who Saved Calves

The Banff buffalo herd arrived in 1897, with the first gift of three—1 bull and 2 females—from T. G. Blackstock, a Toronto lawyer, who obtained them from the Texas herd of Charles Goodnight.

 Soon after came 13 genuine Canadian Plains Buffalo that originated from calves rescued by James McKay and friends of Winnipeg. 

A Métis leader, McKay had often joined the large semi-annual Métis hunts in the Plains of western Canada and into Montana.

He was celebrated as one of the five people who rescued calves—the only Canadian. Perhaps because the big Métis hunting parties had swept Canada bare of Plains buffalo. There were no buffalo left to save.

Living near Winnipeg, Canada, Tonka Jim McKay began his career working for the Hudson Bay fur trading company, as did his Scottish Highlander father. His mother, Margarete, was Métis.

McKay served as postmaster and clerk, managed small trading posts mostly in what are now southwestern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan and established two Hudson Bay posts in US territory.

Moving into Manitoba politics, he represented the Métis people and helped them negotiate treaties. He served Manitoba as president of the Executive Council, Speaker of the Legislative Council and Minister of Agriculture.

With his knowledge of the prairies and indigenous people, McKay also excelled as a frontier interpreter and guide.

Often McKay wore the popular Métis attire—a hooded blue capote with pants of homemade wool, moccasins and a colorful sash.

McKay became alarmed at the scarcity of buffalo. With each hunt, he noted his friends were going farther west and south into Montana with their Red River Carts to find buffalo herds, which became scarcer and scarcer with each big hunt.

On an 1873 Métis hunt he captured three young calves with the help of friends and the next year, another three, bonding them with nurse cows on his Deer Lodge ranch some 28 miles west of Winnipeg.

He purchased a few more calves from Métis hunters who went west to hunt and returned through Winnipeg.

In about 1877 McKay sold five calves to Colonel Sam Bedson, a penitentiary warden, for $1,000. Bedson’s buffalo thrived. By 1888 he owned nearly 80 full-breed buffalo and 13 half-breeds.

Unfortunately, in 1879, just as his buffalo herd was gaining some natural increase, Tonka Jim McKay died at the age of 51.

After his death some of McKay’s buffalo went to the Canadian government. But 13 went to a neighbor who then donated all his 13 buffalo to Rocky Mountain Park in Banff for that special exhibition herd.

The successful rescue of buffalo calves happened in only five known places in the north American hemisphere—at a time when the species was nearly exterminated by hide hunters.

The five families were able to catch newborn or young buffalo calves, nurture them with range cows or the colostrum that newborns needed to survive and raise them into a viable herd—with enough numbers to ensure herd survival.

The rescuing families were:

1. James McKay and friends in Manitoba, Canada;
2. Samuel Walking Coyote and herd purchasers Charles Allard and Michel Pablo in western Montana;
3. Pete Dupree, Fred Dupris and herd purchasers, the Scotty Philips in South Dakota;
4. Charles and Molly Goodnight of Texas;
5. CJ (Buffalo) Jones of Kansas.

Separately, these people brought buffalo back in significant numbers—onto the western plains and grasslands where they have always thrived so well.

They were ordinary people—westerners, ranchers, even buffalo hunters—with boots on the ground. Or more specifically, in over half the cases—moccasins on the ground.

Most realized buffalo were rapidly disappearing and did what they could to help.

The first three had Native American roots: James McKay in Manitoba, Canada, Samuel Walking Coyote and herd purchasers in Western Montana, the Duprees (with their father Fred Dupris and Scotty Philip (herd purchaser) in South Dakota.

Sir Donald Spikes Tourism

Reportedly, McKay rescued Sir Donald in the Battleford area of Saskatchewan around 1872.

Although one report has it that he was rescued as a 2-year-old bull on the western plains of Canada, it is much more likely—as in other reports—that he was captured as a young calf.

That was McKay’s normal style—saving young calves in a hunt—as had been the others of his growing herd. At his home ranch near Winnipeg, he ‘mothered up’ the calves with dairy cows until they bonded.

Capturing and taming a nearly full-grown buffalo might sound easy to those who haven’t tried it, but was extremely difficult to accomplish successfully.

Older bison when roped often fought viciously. Many simply lay down and died, apparently of a heart attack.

By contrast, young calves certainly required careful attention to nutrition—they needed rich colostrum milk and quickly—but when handled carefully and coaxed with a willing milk cow, they tended to bond well with their nursing mothers.

When Tonka Jim McKay died in 1879 his herd of 13 buffalo were auctioned off at a well-attended sale. They were purchased by Samuel Bedson, warden of the Stony Mountain Federal Penitentiary near Winnipeg for $1,000.

Since he was short of money, Bedson borrowed part of it on that day from Sir Donald Smith, also known as Lord Strathcona.

Near the prison Bedson had built a pen for his bison herd. Locals called this enclosure ‘the Castle,’ and its owner, ‘King of the Castle.’

As a side note: One of Bedson’s new cows gave birth just after the auction and the newly-enlarged herd was driven by cowboys to their new home at the penitentiary.

They escaped during the night, fled back to familiar home ground, then next morning were rounded up again and returned to their new home.

It was recorded that the little newborn buffalo calf kept up with the herd for the entire journey—a total of 63 miles in 36 hours—averaging nearly two miles per hour for a day and a half!

Originating in the western Plains of Canada, the little tyke was hailed as being of ‘hardy Canadian stock!’

The herd was kept at the Penitentiary near Winnipeg, soon growing to the unmanageable size of 118 head. Some were given to Sir Donald Smith as pay back for Bedson’s initial debt conservation.

A Handsome Bull: Winner of Many Battles

Sir Donald was said to represent the ideal that Native hunters favored. With huge forequarters and head, and smaller hips. Glenbow Archives.

Sir Donald was a handsome bull. It was said he represented well the ideal that Native hunters preferred—a bull with well-built forequarters and large head.

The big bull known as Sir Donald became the dominant bull in the popular herd near the visitors’ Center at Banff.

Known as the ‘Last Wild Buffalo in Captivity,’ the famous Sir Donald was apparently rescued from the wild in a Métis buffalo hunt by James ‘Tonka Jim’ McKay and friends of Winnipeg, Canada.

He was hailed as the last of the great wild herds

Many tourists purchased Sir Donald postcards and mailed them throughout the world.

“A grand specimen of the breed,” he was called. The build that Native Americans admired most in a buffalo bull.

As the mightiest bull in the herd, he fought many battles over the years to establish and defend his place at the top of the buffalo pecking order.

For some 33 years Sir Donald reigned as supreme.

Then he was bested by an equally large young Texas bull.

“The fight began early in the morning, the great heads lowered and red eyes glaring, tearing up the turf with their hooves and with tails straight up in the air. With a crash like colliding engines

they met over and over again,” it was reported.

“Several mounted men endeavored to separate the infuriated animals, but were themselves charged and put to flight.

“Sir Donald at last lost his left horn in one of the shocks, at the same time getting a blow in the left eye which destroyed his sight.

“After being thrown on his back and pummeled while down by his victorious challenger, he gave up the struggle and retired from the gaze of the watching herd to begin his lonely wanderings.

Even after he lost one horn and an eye, it was said, “Short and very thick and deep in the body, with an extremely massive head in front. . . undoubtedly a really pure-bred bison!

“The remaining horn is 18½ inches long and its girth around is 14½ inches. Grand specimen that he was, when fully-grown, Sir Donald measured about 49 inches across the widest part of his horns and 15½ inches between the eye sockets across the forehead.”

Another well-known buffalo in the herd was Highland Mary, an early daughter of Sir Donald’s. A smaller ‘bright-colored’ buffalo, she was easily recognized and well known to visitors.

A Retirement of Lonely Wanderings

The fight that finally took Sir Donald down was described in a news story as “a terrific battle for supremacy between him and a young bull of almost equal size imported from Texas.” Glenbow Archives.

“Since that time he has seldom been seen with the rest, preferring to wander and wallow alone in some favorite sand hole.”

Sir Donald’s lonely wanderings lasted 5 years during which the herd largely ignored him.

Although still in one of the small paddocks, he stayed some distance from the herd.

As he began to feel his age, the Commissioner of Canadian parks Howard Douglas, of Banff, announced that as this last of the known buffalo survivors of the immense herds roamed the plains of the Canadian west, “Sir Donald . . . will within a few weeks be put to death, and later mounted” in full-size to be placed in a museum.

On March 12, 1909,  The Wainwright Star at Wainwright, Alberta, reported:

“This veteran bull still grazes with the ancient bulls of the herd at Banff, but he has long since been driven out from the main body by the younger bulls.

“Lately he has shown such signs of age that the authorities have decided to end his career, not only out of mercy to himself, but to keep his hide and fur intact for exhibition purposes.

“Sir Donald is the only living buffalo in captivity who ever roamed the prairies of Canada with the aboriginal herds.

“He was captured in 1872, as a calf, by the late Hon. James McKay, who was a noted figure in the early history of Manitoba and the Canadian west.

“Mr. McKay was collecting a herd for his private ranch, and captured the calf amongst a dozen others. The herd was kept at Silver Heights, near Winnipeg, for a number of years, and later transferred to Warden Bedson of the Stoney Mountain penitentiary, with whom Lord Strathcona had considerable interest in the preservation of the buffalo.

“Sir Donald Smith on the division of the herd, presented this bull with 12 other buffalo, to the dominion government and they were sent to the national park at Banff, where they became the nucleus of the present herd of about a hundred animals.”

About a month before his death, the Commissioner Howard Douglas had gone out with a local taxidermist to the paddocks to inspect him.

At that point, the old bull seemed quite lively. In fact, Sir Donald charged vigorously at his distinguished visitors, and they hastily scrambled over the high fence.

This seemed to indicate plenty of reserve strength in his body, despite the fact he had lost his left eye and left horn in his last desperate fight.

So again Sir Donald was allowed to wander away from the herd—which was unfortunately in a rather small pasture with little chance of escape from raging young bulls.

Then came news of his death.

The cowboy in charge of the paddocks saw Sir Donald walking around at five o’clock on a Monday afternoon, and on looking for him next morning saw that he was down and apparently dead.

He covered the carcass with tarps to keep it safe from prowling wolves and coyotes.

Steps were taken at once to bring the taxidermist Ashley Hine into the paddock.

At this time I won’t go into the details of what actually happened. Let’s just say that it was not a happy ending for Sir Donald.

Some newspapers of the day reported simply that Sir Donald died in a stampede.

That wasn’t exactly what happened. Let’s just say that the details of his death and final tribute are distinctly gory, perhaps considered too much for casual readers at the time.

One newspaper headlined their story: “Old Sir Donald, the Patriarch of the American Bison, Trampled and Gored to Death in Corral at Banff.”

I did quote at length from that paper in my early blog titled: ‘The Sad Demise of Sir Donald,’ which also reported:

“Many thousands of visitors to Banff, the delightful resort in the middle of the Canadian National ark, had seen and admired the grand old buffalo bull, Sir Donald, who had been the leader and chief of his herd for upwards of 38 years.

“But never again will the grand head and massive proportions of this animal, the only really wild bison in captivity, be viewed in their natural environment, for during the early hours of Tuesday morning, April 6 (1909), old Sir Donald came to his final end.

“He was found lying dead out in one of the paddocks, having apparently stumbled over some bogs, probably owing to his being blind in one eye, and while unable to rise he was surrounded by the rest of the herd.”

So I won’t go into it now. Just to reiterate that it was a sad ending for a grand old bull, Sir Donald, reportedly at age 38!

If anyone wants to know more details, they can find them in my early Blog 12, published August 11, 2020.

Seventy-seven buffalo from the Pablo herd were added to the display herd at one time in another 300 acre pasture. Glenbow Archives.

Buffalo Treaty of Co-operation, Renewal and Restoration

Banff has always been a leading actor in the life and death drama of the buffalo.

Since the beginning of time, hundreds of generations of the First Nations of North America have considered the buffalo to be their relatives.

A ‘buffalo treaty’ was signed Sept 23, 2014 on the Blackfeet Territory in Montana, with four additional First Nations signing in Banff, Alberta in August 2015. It’s an agreement of cooperation, renewal and restoration of buffalo on the lands.

“Buffalo is part of us and we are part of buffalo, culturally, materially and spiritually. Our on-going relationship is so close and so embodied in us that Buffalo is the essence of our holistic eco-cultural life-ways.

“It is our collective intention to recognize buffalo as a wild free-ranging animal and as an important part of the ecological system; to provide a safe space and environment across our historic homelands, on both sides of the United States and the Canadian border.

“So together we can have our brother, the Buffalo lead us in nurturing our land, plants and other animals to once again realize the buffalo ways for our future generations.”

The original Buffalo Treaty and resolutions, signed by many First Nations Bands from September 2014 to 2018 are archived at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.

A paper published by experts from Parks Canada and the University of Montana says Banff National Park has the capacity for a bison herd to reach more than 1,000.

Marie-Eve Marchand, with the Bison Belong campaign in Banff National Park, says the findings are good news for long term conservation.

“It’s much bigger than we thought,” Marchand told CBC News.

“There’s only a few herds [in North America] over 1,000 and this paper says that Banff could hold over 1,200. We’re looking at the mid-long term before we even get there.

“I would say it’s probably going to be something for the next generations.”

Future Buffalo Plans for Banff

When the paddock and the bison were removed in 1997 to encourage free flow of wildlife in the Bow Valley area, it was always the stated intention of Parks Canada to return wild bison to Banff to replace the Display Herd.

But it took 20 years. Even though First Nations people and conservationists campaigned continually to get that to happen sooner.

Twenty years of NO Buffalo in Banff—NONE whatever—before the new plan for wild Bison in Banff National Park was deemed ready to be implemented.

Parks Canada now has collected a great wealth of scientific data to enable them to bring more wild buffalo into the Banff National Park in the very best way.

It will be fascinating to see when, how and if that happens!

NEXT: BUFFALO TRAILS and WALLOWS in HETTINGER ND
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Francie M Berg

Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog