Having a vast fondness for the American Plains bison, more commonly referred to as buffalo, I feel very fortunate to have been involved with various conservation and management efforts involving these great creatures. Aspiring to learn about buffalo both independently and professionally through literature and research observations, and gaining hands-on experience through several employment opportunities, has allowed me to gain valuable knowledge through various buffalo experts representing federal, tribal, and private entities. I have also enjoyed visits with a Lakota Sioux spiritual advisor (holy man), who once spoke of what the buffalo in his country (the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota) have communicated with him, what the people watching over them do not realize about their buffalo’s health, and what the buffalo are doing to heal their own selves. I have come to appreciate buffalo in a spiritual sense as well, and will be sure to incorporate them in my life for years to come!
Some of my favorite buffalo experiences occurred while I was working for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, while participating in many of their buffalo roundups, which were always very dangerous but exciting! I encountered up close and personal just how mighty these creatures really are. One of my most memorable buffalo roundup experiences occurred when we were working 500 head (the Tribe had over 3,000 buffalo at the time, being the largest tribally owned herd in the country). There were two pickup trucks behind a group of buffalo being moved down an alleyway to the buffalo corrals. A game warden drove a smaller pickup on the left side, and I accompanied the herd manager at the time in a larger pickup on the right. We noticed the buffalo had stopped just before the entrance to the sorting pens. Someone had left the gate closed at the other end of the alleyway. Then the buffalo turned around, picked up their pace, and headed right towards us!
We weren’t going to be able to get out of there in time, so we watched as the herd came crashing into us! They bounced in-between the sides of the pickups and the fence of the alleyway. We had to lean in towards the middle seat of our pickup so as not to be gored by the buffalo horns coming in from the side windows. Some of the buffalo even made it over the smaller pickup and we thought they might go through the windshield, and even if they didn’t, we were sure there would be a big mess in the front seat where the game warden was sitting! Thankfully nobody was injured and the buffalo made their way out and back to the pasture. It was a sheer adrenaline rush! I have always been in complete awe of buffalo and my time spent in their presence continues to hasten my respect for their astonishing strength. Bison are among the most dangerous wild mammals in North America, and have actually caused more deaths and injury to humans than grizzly bears! |
