BISON (the lord of the Prarie) (3 Viewers)

[Aleš]

When white man came to America continent there were around 25-60 million BISONS, they astimate in year 1700 it was around 25-60 million bisons, in year 1889 the number was around 1.000 bisons!
So the white man almost destroy them.
But than after 1889 the goverment (and some organisations behind them) stop this killing and protect the bison.
Now they say it is around 500.000 of bison. WRONG!
Yes, there is around 500.000 bisons on private farms, bread with bulls, and other calf so that they get bison (american buffalo) meat for hamburgers,....this are not GENETIC bisons, because they are mixed with calf.
There is only 4 parks in America where they have REAL GENETIC BISON:
-yellowstone (around 1700 bisons)
-wind cave (Around 250-400)
-Utah (around 250-400)
-Alberta Canada (i do not know the number...)

But only in WIND CAVE (South Dakota), they are not sick with Brucellosis, so that mean they can run around free. In Yellowstone they are sick with Brucellosis, so that mean they can run free only in the borders of Yellowstone, if they cross the borders (BISON do not know where the border of Yellowstone end...), the hunters must kill them, so that bison will not past the sicknes to people.
Wind cave is the only park where they are completely free so no one can shoot at them, but because of the small area there can not be more than 250-400 bisons. I read somewhere that some organisations gather donations to buy more land for that park so that bisons can have bigger space. Is this true?
What is your opinion about all that?
I think of all that colonization of the "wild west" the bisons are the biggest victim (even more than indians, because indians can fight, protect them self,....the bison can only run from the white and from the red people....dont you think they finaly deserve some peace?

 

[Martin Tabony]

It's not just bison there are other species that suffer for instance rodents that live off the native grasses. Some of these grasses are becoming rare because cattle have harder feet than bison so do more damage, this in turn leads to European grasses taking over but the european grass is no good for the rodents. Of course as the rodents suffer so will the animals that prey on them. I know there are some people that think the New Zealand government are over protective but we've seen what can happen when people interfear. Over here we have trouble with Grey Squirrels and mink! It is also probable that there are no pure Red Deer left on the mainland U.K. they've all interbred with the introduce Seka Deer, which in turn is almost extinct in it's native China.

Martin

 

[Aleš]

It's not just bison there are other species that suffer for instance rodents that live off the native grasses. Some of these grasses are becoming rare because cattle have harder feet than bison so do more damage, this in turn leads to European grasses taking over but the european grass is no good for the rodents. Of course as the rodents suffer so will the animals that prey on them. I know there are some people that think the New Zealand government are over protective but we've seen what can happen when people interfear. Over here we have trouble with Grey Squirrels and mink! It is also probable that there are no pure Red Deer left on the mainland U.K. they've all interbred with the introduce Seka Deer, which in turn is almost extinct in it's native China.

Martin

talking about China, i hear that bear PANDA is in very low numbers (around 1000 also) and it is a very beautyfull bear!
It is sad to see that some of the animals are strugling so much.....when there is 7 billion people in the world and each 12 years population is bigger for 1 billion, so that mean even more polution, more garbage, more damage to our planet and to the animals,.....so that is why i think it is a good idea to build some bigger parks for the animals, NOT ZOO, but free parks, where they can live free, like in Africa (Kenya) where they have this big parks, where all animals can live free.
I really wish that this Wind Cave park get bigger land for the bisons,...is there any website of them so that maybe we can donate some monney to them.

 

[mikemiller1955]

here we go...I wanna hamburger...

 

[Martin Tabony]

Big parks yes, but Kenya is also over populated and they have a big poaching problem, not just the big game animals but also gazelle which are being hunted for food!

Martin

 

[Martin Tabony]

here we go...I wanna hamburger...

That kind of says it all Mike!!!!

Martin

 

[lancer]

here we go...I wanna hamburger...

Great. Now I wanna hamburger, too.... -- Al

 

[johnnybach]

Would you like fries to go with that sir?

 

[Aleš]

grown men behave like childreen.....
This is not even funny, i think we all need to be concern about loosing this animal.
Is there any Bison protecting society in USA?

 

[mikemiller1955]

grown men behave like childreen.....
This is not even funny, i think we all need to be concern about loosing this animal.
Is there any Bison protecting society in USA?

Come on Ales...grab a fork and a knife...I'm buying...

 

[theBaron]

grown men behave like childreen.....
This is not even funny, i think we all need to be concern about loosing this animal.
Is there any Bison protecting society in USA?

Actually, Ales, the American bison, or buffalo, is in no danger of extinction. While their numbers aren't like they were, before the West was settled, when estimated millions ranged up and down the center of our continent, there are an estimated 500,000 in captive commercial herds. After paring down that number because of various government regulatory categories, 15,000 are considered wild, unfenced buffalo.

So we'll eat as much buffalo as we like, it's very good.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Scott]

grown men behave like childreen.....
This is not even funny, i think we all need to be concern about loosing this animal.
Is there any Bison protecting society in USA?

From 1976 to 1983 we had the BISON-tenniel.


http://www.npca.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bison.html

 

[Aleš]

Actually, Ales, the American bison, or buffalo, is in no danger of extinction. While their numbers aren't like they were, before the West was settled, when estimated millions ranged up and down the center of our continent, there are an estimated 500,000 in captive commercial herds. After paring down that number because of various government regulatory categories, 15,000 are considered wild, unfenced buffalo.

So we'll eat as much buffalo as we like, it's very good.

Prost!
Brad

yes but 500.000 are not GENETIC bison, they are on private herds, rasing for meat, like cows, this is not genetic bison, because they were mixed with other calf,....like you say 15.000 bison are unfenced (even my number is much lower, i already explain only 4 parks have them and in onl yon epark are sicknes free, that park is Wind Cave in SD, where they have only 250-400 bisons), but even if we calculate bisons from yellowstone 1700, and Utah 250-400, and Canada Alberta (unknow number, but i am sure there is also a small number), the TOTAL number is much less than 15.000....Do not count bisons on private herd because this are not REAL bisons, they are mixed and i will have much questions about the quality of that kind of meat,....but i am talking about unfenced bison, LIKE IT SHOULD BE. The Bison deserve to run free, DO NOT EAT EVERYTHING!

 

[Aleš]

From 1976 to 1983 we had the BISON-tenniel.


http://www.npca.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bison.html

Thanks i will look at that website!

 

[Mister Dave]

Ales, I admire the sentiment you are intending and no question the fate of the Bison and the Plains Tribes is tragic and regrettable, but.....it really is not as dire with the American Bison nowadays as you suggest. There are literally herds of all sizes all over the country. There is one with 100 or so head 10 miles from my house in fact. Most of the tribes out West have acquired their own herds now and in addition to the large herds on public lands you have mentioned there are massive herds in places like Custer State Park in the Black Hills of SD as well. The Custer herd alone is 3000 head strong and needs to be thinned out every Fall to avoid over-crowding. We "got stuck" in the CSP herd one evening driving through the park and this was quite a thrill driving along for an hour or so at 5 mph surrounded on all sides by them as they casually moved down the road.

Things are not so bad after all.

Here is a shot of part of the CSP herd last Summer.

 

[Mister Dave]

Now you've got me digging through my photo albums. Here are a couple more images. One is a portion of the sizable herd grazing at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Northwestern North Dakota. The other is a shot of the Bison Interpretive Center situated within the grazing range of the Brule' Lakota Reservation near Pierre, SD. The herd was out roaming and out of sight but the center was extremely educational and fun and made for a great outing.

 

[Aleš]

Thank you Mister Dave, for great photos!
So the Bisons are BACK! woooooooooooo-hoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!
My favourite animal ( AND I DIDNT EAT IT!), i just like them.
I have a great idea, so if anyone tell me who i should contact with this "project", please let me know.

The "project":

-i read that in Wind cave park in SD, there have around 250-400 bisons, that are GENETIC BISON, free, and good health, with no Brucellosis. The only problem they have is a small area (land), so they can not host more than 250 - 400 bisons.
But than i have this great idea for an project. What if someone photo a few pieces of Bisons INDIVIDUALY, maybe even estimete the weight, height,....and people in EUROPE (and other parts of the world) can look at the photos, choose the favourite Bison and "adopt" him if they pay more, they can even give this Bison a name! Off course they will not literaly adopt the bison, but just on paper. So, they will get a photo of their Bison they adopt, WITH CERTIFIKAT of this Wind Cave Park, and they will donate monney to this park. All th emonney will go to purchase more land for Bisons, so that the Bisons are safe, and no on ecan kill them for food in their land.
How do you think of that project?

 

[Martin Tabony]

If you want to "adopt" a bison why not a Eropean Bison? They are much more endangered, with small herds in Poland and Belarus, they were badly affected by the Chonobyl disaster as were the wild horses.


Martin

 

[Mister Dave]

Interesting idea Ales and think the part about raising $ to purchase public land for restoring to native prairie conditions is a good one. Trouble with adopting particular animals in this case is the herd is likely thinned yearly with animals being auctioned off to private herders or farmers, etc...

There actually is at least one sizable organization in place that I know of who are trying to buy up ranch land in parts of Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakotas in hopes of creating a massive prairie preserve and I believe the vision ultimately is to install a huge Bison herd. This is unsurprisingly a contentious issue out there with ranch families concerned about losing their livelihood and so forth.

Another thing to consider is the historical significance of the Bison as a food source. There is an author named Dan O'brien living out near the Black Hills who also runs a Bison farm and is involved in field harvesting of Bison working with private individuals including Indians from neighboring Pine Ridge and Rosebud. Essentially the animals are hunted or harvested in the field rather than butchered in a slaughterhouse like setting. Pretty cool scenario really. Might want to check out some of his books (The Indian Agent is one that comes to mind) and also his company website (I think it is called Wild Idea???).

 

[theBaron]

yes but 500.000 are not GENETIC bison, they are on private herds, rasing for meat, like cows, this is not genetic bison, because they were mixed with other calf,....like you say 15.000 bison are unfenced (even my number is much lower, i already explain only 4 parks have them and in onl yon epark are sicknes free, that park is Wind Cave in SD, where they have only 250-400 bisons), but even if we calculate bisons from yellowstone 1700, and Utah 250-400, and Canada Alberta (unknow number, but i am sure there is also a small number), the TOTAL number is much less than 15.000....Do not count bisons on private herd because this are not REAL bisons, they are mixed and i will have much questions about the quality of that kind of meat,....but i am talking about unfenced bison, LIKE IT SHOULD BE. The Bison deserve to run free, DO NOT EAT EVERYTHING!

They are genetic bison, Ales, though yes, there are hybrids as well, ie, crossbreeds between the bison and the domestic cow. But the count is of bison, and if you dispute it, you can contact our Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, get it sorted out, and sleep easy tonight.