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Across the Fence by Bill Rinehart Roundup 2000 |
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During roundup, keeper and trade animals were given the preserve's traditional health treatments: vaccinations for several bovine diseases, parasite control, brucellosis vaccination of heifer calves, and year-branding of calves. The roundup and corral working crew typically consisted of six Tallgrass staff members, five local day-help cowboys, and two Conservancy staff members who ran the computer on corral working days. Roundup 2000 again provided an opportunity for enhancing The Conservancy's fundraising and public relations efforts. Oklahoma Field Office staff members hosted a number of donors and board members. The occasion generated a number of TV and newspaper stories. Scientific American Frontiers filmed a story during the roundup with actor Alan Alda as host. The program is scheduled for showing on PBS February 6, 2001. Handling the herd in the corral also provided research opportunities. Several graduate students of Dr. Jim Shaw at Oklahoma State University collected hair samples from bison while the animals were in the squeeze chute. A spot was shaved off the forehead of 50 bison and the hair samples will be analyzed for seed dispersal and parasite studies. Following roundup, 62 surplus bison were sold. Eight old cows were sold at the 6th Annual Oklahoma Bison Association Auction in Shawnee, two old bulls were sold to a Kansas producer, and 52 2-1/2 year-old bulls were sold to the American Bison Company who specifically wanted only grass-raised bison that were not finished in a feedlot. Offsetting these sales was the purchase or trade of 56 bison for genetic additions to the herd this fall. Ten animals were purchased from the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge in Kansas and 33 from the Cross Ranch Preserve in North Dakota. Eleven animals were traded with the Konza Prairie in Kansas and two with the Cross Ranch. All animal purchases were made with money from the Conservancy's Adopt-a-Bison program. This program allows donors to adopt bison at $40 per animal. Their donation helps support the management of the bison herd and assists The Conservancy in restoring and protecting the tallgrass prairie. Over the seven years bison have been on the preserve, animals have been purchased or traded with a number of other bison-raising operations to enhance the genetic diversity of the herd. In addition to the three already cited, the list includes: Custer State Park, Custer, SD; Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Valentine, NE; Fort Robinson State Park, Crawford NE; National Bison Range, Moiese, MT; Niobrara Valley Preserve, Johnstown,NE; Samuel H. Ordway, Jr. Memorial Prairie, Leola, SD; Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, KS; Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Indiahoma, OK ; and a number of private bison operations. Prices for bison underwent even more drastic declines this year than last, especially for females. Heifer calves sold for 20% of what they were when the market peaked several years ago. Prices for bulls have also decreased, but not as severely. Although lower, current prices are in the range herd managers have always used in their long-term financial projections for the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The current market decline does not seriously threaten the economic health of the preserve. At the present time, 1204 bison are over-wintering on the preserve. Last year 953 bison over-wintered. Hamilton says herd growth toward a summer target of approximately 3,200 bison is on-track and should be reached in five to six years. The ultimate year-round bison unit will be 30,400 acres. Another 2,800 acres will be used as holding pastures to accommodate the herd when it is brought in for roundup each fall. Eventually the number of bison that will over-winter on the preserve will approximate 2,100 animals. The year 2001calf crop is projected to be around 400 head, which means some 1,600 bison will qualify for next fall's roundup. The preserve's state-of-the-art corral system continues to work extremely well, and the personnel who work the roundup have learned how to move the animals through the roundup process so they experience a minimum amount of stress. The addition this past summer of a new 50-acre trap immediately north of the corral greatly enhanced the flow of animals. This winter four new 1 to 5-acre holding pens will be constructed adjacent to the corral to further enhance handling and holding the animals. In order to make the corral a better all-weather facility, preserve managers are contemplating extending the roof over the central working area to include the sweep tub, and cementing the south alley that leads into the sweep tub. Invariably several hard rains occur during the fall working. This year the drought broke during roundup resulting in sloppy and unhealthy conditions for the bison and rendered working conditions much more difficult. Both the bison-stocking rate and fire return interval were modified in the summer of 1999. The bison forage intake (a measure of how much the animals eat) target is now 18.75% of annual production as estimated from United States Department of Agriculture Soil Survey data. When combined with an expected similar forage loss from animal trampling, total annual forage consumption is approximately 37.5%, which is 25% below National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recommended cow-calf stocking rates. The fire-return interval is now three years (one-third of the year-round bison unit is burned each year), while the seasons for burning that one-third remain the same (40% in the spring, 20% in the summer, and 40% in the fall). Hamilton says the new bison stocking rate and fire regime appear to be working well, even under the drought conditions experienced last summer. The fire-bison regime continues to provide ample forage for the herd year-round, while maintaining a landscape patch mosaic that provides a diverse array of plant and wildlife habitats. |