Big Bad (or not so bad) Bison
If you’re like me, before your first visit to a place like Yellowstone, your familiarity with the buffalo was limited to the nickel. On my first time here, we drove in through the Northeast Entrance and were fully mindful of the ranger’s cautions about bison charging and goring. We weren’t but a fe w miles into the park before we encountered a bison standing in the middle of the road, with twin jets of snot hanging from his nose, looking pretty ticked off, and obviously not planning to move for our little rental Geo. The very fact of the bison’s presence in Yellowstone today is remarkable, despite their size and apparent ability to take care of themselves.
While bison were found from the Pacific to the Appalachians prior to the European expansion westward, the bison herds numbering in the millions were reduced during the 1800s by market hunting,sport hunting, and the US Army. Ironically, the Army ultimately became the saviors of the bison after nearly driving them to extinction. When Yellowstone National Park was founded in 1872, there were relatively few bison left. The Rangers didn’t exist in those days, and when poaching in the Park was a problem, the Army was brought into the Park in 1886. The most notorious of the poachers, a guy named Ed Howell, was arrested by the Army in 1894. The Army lacked the prosecution authority to deal with the wholesale slaughter in which Howell engaged. Their solution was to take him to the South entrance to the Park, and to deposit his guns at the North entrance, figuring it would take them a while to be reunited. A writer for Field and Stream was so outraged by this ineffectual resolution that he organized a lobbying effort, resulting in Congressional passage of legislation giving the Army authority to prosecute.
By this time, the herd had been reduced to about 2 dozen animals. The Army undertook to import bison into the park, and, in 1906, set up an experimental breeding program. By the 1930s, between the introduced animals and the Park’s native herd, there were around 1500 animals.
The art and science of wildlife biology was not so evolved in the 1950s and 1960s, and determinations were made to reduce the herd, because of fears of overgrazing. These “management” activites reduced the bison in the Park to under 400. Subsequent studies and advances in the understanding of the ecosystem and its components have allowed the herd to grow to about 3500, currently believed to be the carrying capacity of the park for bison. They are still the subject of conflict. The bison are believed to carry brucellosis, a disease that can cause cows to miscarry. And, make no mistake about it, we are still in cow country and the range wars still go on. Even though the cattle can be easily vaccinated against brucellosis, area ranchers want the ability to destroy bison who may be carriers (studies I’ve heard quoted say there is no evidence of transmission of brucellosis from bison to cows, although it is believed that the bison may originally have gotten the brucellosis from cattle! Besides, the elk also carry brucellosis, but many of the area ranchers have lucrative business interests in elk hunting outfitting.) So when bison leave the confines of the park, and it is believed that several hundred do so each winter, they are hazed back into the park or destroyed. At least, if they are destroyed, their carcasses are given to native american tribes working with the Park Service. If the winter is harsh, a number succumb to natural causes, and serve as food for wolves, coyotes, eagles, etc.
Until a week or so ago, the bison population in my area of the park was primarily bulls, singly or in groups numbering up to 6 or 10. As the summer advances, the herds are moving east across the park. As I drove through the Hayden Valley on Thursday on my way to visit with Maybelline, traffic was stopped in both directions as a herd of about 150, cows and calves, trotted up from the river, took dust baths at road’s edge, and moved up the hill away from the river.
The males are bigger than the females, and, being vain creatures, have fuller “pantaloons” on their forelegs than the females. All have a bushy bouffant topknot between their horns. A tough place to scratch. Many of the trees in bison areas have been gouged free of bark by the bison trying to address that nasty itchy scalp.
Apparently, the natural turpentine in the pine sap acts as a sort of insect repellent.
These ungainly creatures have astounding ability to put a hoof on the gas. They can run 30+ miles an hour when they feel the need to do so, and can jump 6 feet high from a standstill. They are shedding now, and the woods are full of clumps of hair where they’ve rubbed some loose. And, of course, the woods and meadows are full of bison pies, watch where you step. They are irascible and temperamental on a good day, and, as we move into the rut season in late July, apparently the bulls become downright nasty. A ranger I know recommends that you watch their tails for an indicator of mood. If they are carrying the tail up and swishing it around, it’s an indicator that the bison will either charge….or discharge.
The calves are adorable, frequently referred to affectionately as red dogs. Ah, well, people wondered how I got such beautiful children, it’s the same in the buffalo world, I guess.
