2013 JOURNAL2013 JOURNAL -...

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS BISON ASSOCIATIONOFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS BISON ASSOCIATION

2013 JOURNAL2013 JOURNAL

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www.TexasBison.org | 3

Features6 Dan Humphries Twin BisonBull Dancer Bison Ranch (BDBR) was blessed with a set of twin baby bison twins.

8 Wanted in TexasBy Donnis Baggett – More bison and more bison ranchers. Most frequently asked questions and answers about raising bison.

11 Bison HandlingBy Jennifer Lanier – Understand-ing the ins and outs of raising bison and the impact that it has on preserving the bison.

18 Can City Slickers Work BisonBy Rich Ellenberger – When a rocket scientist (or technically an engineer for NASA) gets into the corral for the first time.

24 Tailgating with Bison RecipesBy Corey Harris and John Russell

DEPARTMENTS4 From the President6 TBAOfficers&Committees17 Join the Herd22 Buffalo Bibliography29 Bison Estray Law Signed

by Governor30 TBA Parting Shots

2013

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CHANGEHello Fellow TBA Members:

The Texas Bison Association Board of Directors is very excited about publishing your 2013 Texas Bison Journal. We are a little later than planned, but that is a part of CHANGE. There have been several changes in the Texas Bison Association over the past year and we are moving forward and excited about the future. We published the Journal “in-house” this year with the great volunteer help of your Board of Directors and other TBA members.

We have a new website provider. The website now has the ability for “mini-websites” for each and every TBA member. This gives you the opportunity to advertise your products via the TBA website. Dawn Ellzey has been very instrumental in the transition to the new website provider. Please contact Dawn with details of what you would like to include on your mini-website.

The Texas Bison Advantage Fall Workshop is just around the corner, it will be held on October 25 & 26 at the Jay Barksdale ranches near Crockett, TX. There will be the opportunity to help work the Barksdale cow herd, in addition to the TBA’s 1st Annual Bison Junior Judging competition; followed by a General Membership meeting and Board of Directors election.

Plans are already being made for the 2014 Spring Conference to be held May 2 & 3, 2014 in Fredericksburg; the theme is “Growing Bison for the Love of the Animal & as a Cash Crop”! We will start out the Conference on Friday with trip to the Historic Lyndon B. Johnson State Park for a BBQ and a tour of the bison herd at the park. Saturday will be our general membership meeting followed by seminars and the Big Bison Banquet. There will also be time to take advantage of all that Fredericksburg has to offer, so plan to make a family vacation out of this, it will be fun. Our Convention Hotel will be the Fredericksburg Inn & Suites http://fredericksburginn-px.trvlclick.com/ with special rates for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The TBA had our booth at the Texas FFA State Convention held on July 9 – 11, 2013 in Dallas. The convention broke an all-time attendance record with more than 11,700 members and guests registered. The TBA was the only booth that offered information on a form of alternative agriculture for the many young people that are interested in a career in agriculture. We need to keep reaching out to the youth and already have plans for attending the 2014 FFA Convention.

We are all very fortunate, as it is a great time to be in the bison business. Prices are good and appear to be quite stable.

From the President

The nationwide average price paid by marketers for a young bull carcass is 89% higher than the price paid only five years ago. According to the National Bison Association Commercial Marketers Committee, there continues to be more demand than supply in the market. Cull animals are bringing good prices, so it is a very opportune time to upgrade your herd.

Keep working towards the future, enjoy the present, and be thankful for the great animals that we raise and the great friends that we have made in this wonderful industry. Please contact any of the Board of Directors with your thoughts on how the TBA should move forward.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your Texas Bison Association.

Sincerely,

Roy LiedtkePresident, Texas Bison Association

“The Only Thing That is Constant is Change.”

Heraclitus, Greek philosopher, circa 500 BC


FFA ConventionJuly 2013

The Texas Bison Association (TBA) hosted the TBA Booth at the Texas FFA State Convention on July 9 – 11, 2013 in Dallas, TX. The convention broke an all-time attendance record with more than 11,700 members and guests registered; which made it the largest state FFA convention in the nation. Countless questions were answered concerning how to raise bison and how to market bison and bison by-products. The booth was very well received and the TBA is already making plans for the 2014 FFA convention.

Ronny Wenzel, two ffa students and Roy Liedtke


JOURNAL

Texas Bison Journal is published annually by the Texas Bison Association. Statements of fact and opinion in this publication, including editorial and advertisements are the sole responsibity of the authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TBA officers, members, staff or other contributors.

Columnists & Contributors:Roy Liedtke

Jay BarksdaleDonnis Baggett

Jennifer L. LanierRich Ellenberger

Cecil MiskinCorey Harris & John Russell

Graphic and production for Texas Bison Journal are provided by 360 Press Solutions 2009 Windy Terrace Cedar Park, TX 78613

For editorial or advertising inquiries contact: Cecil Miskin [email protected]

Copyright©2013 All Rights Reserved.

The Texas Bison Association works to promote and preserve Texas bison through leadership, education and building public awareness for the bison ranching and meat industry. Founded in 1994, the Texas Bison Association provides assistance in raising and producing bison among our membership and promotes the nutritional health aspects of the North

American Bison to consumers. The TBA welcomes anyone with an interest in the perservation and promotion and production of the North American Bison.

TBA Board of DirectorsPresident ..........................Roy LiedtkeVice President ...................Cecil MiskinSecretary ..........................Dawn EllzeyTreasurer ..........................Pat BierschwaleDirector ............................Martha RitzDirector ............................Donald BeardDirector ............................Charles Addington II

TBA Administrative Committees and LiaisonsWebsite Update.................Dawn Ellzey2013 Fall Workshop ..........Martha RitzJournal Publication ...........Melissa Adams, Joe Adams, Cecil Miskin2014 Spring Conference ...Dan HumphriesYouth Outreach Program ...Martha Ritz

For membershipinformation, visit

www.TexasBison.org

Bison Twins at the Bull Dancer Bison Ranch

Dan & Susan HumphriesThe Bull Dancer Bison RanchMay 16, 2013 the Bull Dancer Bison Ranch (BDBR) was blessed with a set of twin baby bison twins. Twins from Bison are very rare and both of our twins are doing well. At printing time of this 2013 Texas Bison Journal the twins, Ruby and Orange, will be four months old. The BDBR sells most of it’s bison calves to folks interested in getting into ranching bison. We also sell bison meat and often have to buy animals from other bison ranches to supply the demand. One of the rewards a bison rancher enjoys most is being a part of this animals existence. They are amazing creatures and being able to watch the twins mirror and shadow each others actions is a special treat. We will be adding pictures and videos of our herd and the twins to share with you all at www.bulldancerbisonranch.com.

(featured on the cover)


Junior Judging Contest Tests Students’ Bison Knowledge

Houston, TX (08-20-13) – Students attending the Texas Bison Association — Fall Workshop in Crockett on October 26 will have an opportunity to test their bison knowledge – and to compete for college scholarship money – at the first annual Texas Bison Association’s Junior Judging Contest.

Contestants in the competition will judge four to five classes of bison that will be selected from Barksdale Bison, LLC’s local herd. Points will be awarded based upon the contestant’s ability to evaluate the classes. Additional points will be awarded to each participant’s Oral Reasons presentation.

The first place contestant will receive a $500 scholarship donated by the Texas Bison Association. Addinton Buffalo Company has donated $250 for a scholarship to the second-place contestant, and Lone Star Buffalo Co. will offer $100 for a scholarship to the third place contestant.

The competition is open to students from ages 9-21, and registration for the competition is simple and free. Participants not accompanied by their parents will need to bring with them a letter signed by their parent(s), and either their FFA advisor or 4-H leader, stating that the participant is academically eligible to compete (passing all classes).

Dr. Gerald Parsons DVM of Oklahoma, who will serve as the primary judge for the contest, noted, “With the growing popularity of bison customers are looking for top quality meat. Successful producers become skilled at being able to judge quality by looking at the live animal. Those are the skills we want to instill in our junior Judging contestants.”

The Junior Judging contest is being conducted in conjunction with the TBA’s annual Fall Workshop, which runs October 25-26 at one of the Barksdale Bison, LLC. ranches in Crockett, Texas. Learn more at www.texasbison.org.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSTop Three Individual Places to Receive Scholarhips

TEXAS BISON ASSOCIATION2013 BISON JUDGING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, October 26, 2013Crockett, Texas 75835

Register Online @JudgingCard.com Junior & Senior Division Teams Registration open to FFA & 4H Members Rules Available @ TexasBison.org


By DONNIS BAGGETT

Lucky B Bison

It’s a common scenario for a Texas bison rancher.

“You raise buffalo? How interesting!” There’s a thoughtful pause, then a follow-up question. Or more often than not, several:

“Is it buffalo or bison?”

Well, it’s actually bison. But the animals don’t mind if you call them buffalo. We don’t, either.

“But what do you do with them?”

We sell breeding stock and meat animals — pretty much like a domestic livestock operation.

“Is the meat good?”

Delicious. Not only is it tasty, but it’s low in fat, cholesterol and calories. Think of it as guilt-free red meat.

“But aren’t bison endangered?”

Quite the contrary. Thanks to more than a century of

restoration efforts by ranchers and other conservationists, plains bison have made a remarkable comeback.

“Is there much of a market for bison?”

You bet. We can’t meet the demand here in Texas.If the questioner is a fellow owner of rangeland, that

usually gets his full attention. The conversation turns to ranch management issues:

“Don’t you have trouble keeping them at home? Don’t you need expensive, heavy-duty fences?”

Nope. A good fence is important, of course, but you don’t need anything extravagant. A five- or five-and-a-half-foot-high combination of field fence mesh topped with two strands of barbed wire is plenty for a buffalo pasture.

If the fence is good and their food, water and companionship needs are met — and if they’re not being chased around the pasture — bison are no tougher to keep at home than cattle are. And well-settled animals that are fed regularly will meet your pickup at the gate when they see you coming.

WANTED in TEXAS: More bison and more bison ranchers


“What about prices?”

A weanling heifer calf is worth $1,300 or more in today’s market. A two-year-old bull headed to the feedyard will bring more than $2 per pound live weight. If he’s had good grazing, he should weigh around 700 pounds. A higher-quality breeding bull of the same age will bring at least $2,500, but often sell for much more.

“What do buffalo need to eat?”

Bison evolved eating low-quality forage in drought-prone regions, so they’re not too finicky. If they have decent grass and a little mineral supplementation, they usually do very well. They’ll do even better if you supplement them with a little energy or protein when range conditions dictate.

“Do bison have any special health management needs?”

Bison are more susceptible to internal parasites than beef cattle. In humid areas, buffalo should be wormed several times a year. On our Central Texas operation, we worm once a year with an injectable wormer, then two or three times with a feed-based wormer.

“What kind of vaccination regimen should you follow?”

Vaccine protocols are pretty much identical to those used in beef herds. You should check with a veterinarian in your area for specifics.

“Are they hard to handle when you work them?”

Not if you use low-stress handling techniques and you have working facilities designed with that in mind. The best thing to do is to take your time and let the buffalo do the same. The worst thing to do is play cowboy. Ropes, cattle prods and yippee-ti-yays are best left in the pickup.

“Do bison have any calving problems?”

Almost never. It’s so rare that you can mark that off your worry list.

“So, do you enjoy raising buffalo?”

Immensely. Few things are more gratifying than watching the sun set over your buffalo herd. Or watching the animals thunder up to the truck for some range cubes. Or watching a newborn burnt-orange baby nuzzling up to its mother.

“Can you sell me some heifers?”

Well, we’re sold out for this year. Our little girls were spoken for before they hit the ground. But we’ll be glad to contact our colleagues in the Texas Bison Association and see if we can find you some.

“How can I get more information on raising bison?”

Join the Texas Bison Association. You can get details at www.texasbison.org. TBA members are happy to help newcomers, and twice a year we have conferences that are chock-full of learning opportunities. Also, join the National Bison Association. New NBA members get a free bison producer’s handbook and can take online courses on bison management. You can learn more about the NBA at www.bisoncentral.com.

We’re glad you’re interested, and we hope you’ll get involved. We need more bison in Texas — and more bison ranchers.


By Jennifer L. Lanier

The following article is based on my presentation at the 2013 Texas Bison Association Summer conference. Due to space constraints many details and nuances cannot be included.

High stress animal handling leads to significant economic losses. These losses are felt in all aspects of bison production, including farm repairs, carcass quality, pathogen loads (e.g. E. coli), weight gain, human and animal injuries, lawyer fees, veterinary fees, etcetera. This is not to say that low stress handling will eliminate these losses, but it can significantly reduce them.

Achieving low stress handling is not about building the perfect facility, having the right bison, or working in optimum conditions. It is about your mind-set. More can be done to reduce stress and injuries, and improve the bottom-line by how you think and act, than by what you purchase. Being knowledgeable on bison and their handling helps you achieve your low stress goals.

What research there is on bison, either concerns carcass quality including nutrient composition, or natural

behavior. There is very little research on bison behavior during handling. Most of the information comes

from research on cattle, other ungulates and prey species, or from anecdotal evidence.

Generalizing animal behavior is possible. Possible; with the warning that we are assuming many things that may or may not be true, and acknowledging that information is missing. The following is an overview on what we do know about bison, animal handling and why it can be so difficult to achieve low stress handling.

Labels and how they influence us For legal reasons and convention, bison have different

identifying labels (e.g. wild, livestock). Many States’ Department of Wildlife define bison as wildlife with the caveat that “there are no wild bison” in their state. Departments of Agriculture list bison as livestock or farmed for food safety and disease control purposes. While these labels assist in procedural matters they do not reflect an animal’s nature. Many species labeled as livestock have been domesticated; several have not, including bison.

Domesticated animals have gone through a genetic change of the species. This change is reflected in both their temperament and physical attributes. Domesticated species are calmer than their wild ancestors, thus making them easier to integrate into human life. Of all the vertebrates, only 15 have been domesticated. Wild

Bison Handling

…continued on page 12

12 | TEXAS BISON JOURNAL | 2013 12 | TEXAS BISON JOURNAL | 2013

animals are those species, like bison and elephants, which have not been domesticated.

Tame animals are wild individuals which have become accustomed to people and their routines. These animals have not gone through a genetic change. They simply have a reduced fear of humans. In the bison industry, common tame animals are bottle-fed bison, or extensively trained individuals. Tame bison are wild animals that will display wild behaviors, especially when startled or stressed.

Unfortunately, labels such as “livestock” alter how we perceive and interact with bison. Thinking of bison as livestock leads us to viewing them as domesticated or tame, which they are not. This perception shift can undermine our expertise. We lose credibility when we use incorrect terms, like domesticated, to describe bison. It also sets up situations that are quite dangerous. It does not take much to believe something. In fact, often we only have to say something a few times before we believe it. Or in the case of the general public, see something in a different context. Zoos are a perfect example. Belly rubbing a lion is never ever a good idea, yet people try. People do the same thing with bison. Park visitors view bison as safe walking up to them to get a better picture. Producers may bottle-raise a calf and are later surprised that their tame, though wild animal gets spooked by a noise and gores them. By reinforcing to ourselves and the public that bison are wild animals we reduce the risk of injuries and death. This is not to say that bison cannot be handled in a safe manner. It is saying that we should not deceive ourselves as to their nature, regardless of how bison are categorized.

Basics of low stress handlingThere are four interacting aspects of handling:

the animal, the handler, the handling system, and the environment. The environment includes everything around you such as spectators, a radio playing, the weather, etc. Understanding these four variables and looking at them through the eyes of bison will reduce handling stress and

economic loss. How the animal perceives the situation is what matters. You know that the plastic bag blowing around the pen will not hurt the bison, but what does the bison know?

The flight zone is that distance from another animal, person, or object in which the animal moves away from it. It is dynamic, changing constantly to reflect how the animal perceives its own safety. There is a great deal of information on the internet about the flight zone and how to effectively use it to handle animals.

Bison are wary of and study anything that is new or different to them. They will slowly investigate whatever has caught their interest. If they are not given the time for this investigation they may become fearful, often balking, leaping over, or going around it. Kicking or swinging their horns as they pass is a signal that the bison’s stress levels are increasing. A handling note: Examine the facility from the animal’s point of view and at their eye level.

Animals tend to reflect the personalities of their owners. People who are excitable, have inconsistent behaviors (from the animals point of view), or use high stress techniques tend to have animals that are more nervous and have a larger flight zone than animals around calm, consistent people who use low stress techniques. A handling note: the faster the animal moves, the slower the handlers should move. It is counter-intuitive. Intuitively, humans are hunters, not benign herders.

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Handling There are a wide variety of handling systems from a

perimeter fence to state-of-the-art facilities. Regardless of the type of facility available, or if you have solid or open fencing, round or square pens, bison can be handled in a relatively low stress manner. Low stress handling is, after all, primarily a mindset.

Handling animals is typically done in one of four methods or a combination therein: pulling, pushing, training, and chemical restraint. The first three methods are applicable for 99% of bison handling. Pulling animals is naturally low stress and typically done using either food (e.g. range cubes or fresh pasture) or a trained animal to lead them. Pushing is working the flight zone from behind the animal. Herding and hazing are examples. It can be done in both a low stress and high stress manner. If the animals are bouncing off fences or taking out handlers, then odds are, the pushing is high stress.

There are two types of training; intentional and un-intentional. Animals purposely trained to undergo routine handling and veterinary practices are the least stressed. To learn more about intentional training look up operant conditioning and clicker-training. Un-intentional training

happens whenever animals are able to observe us and our actions. They scrutinize our every move

to determine our intentions. Whether you are out checking fences or working the animals,

they are watching you and learning about you. Their interpretation of you, in part, determines their flight zone, level of reactivity and stress level.

Most handling is done with a combination of pulling, pushing and training. For example, you might use a feed truck to pull the bison into a smaller paddock, then push them through the handling facility, and finally penning them nearby before releasing them back out to pasture. Holding them after working, especially if given food (always with access to water), is a mild form of training. It provides the animals a last (somewhat) positive memory of being handled. This helps in getting them back into and through the facility next time. Regardless of your facility and size of operation there are low stress handling solutions.

We know all this, so why doesn’t it work?

The simple answer is four-part. 1) Handling is a complex science and art form. Refer to Burt Smith’s book Moving Em’: A Guide to Low Stress Animal Handling for greater details. 2) We just do not know enough about bison behavior. 3) Incomplete handling plans leave us scrambling. And 4) People are involved. People are very complicated and do some really interesting things for interesting reasons.


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Handling PlanEvery time we work bison we should have

a plan of action that has two specific handling goals (purpose and consequence), steps to achieve

goals, a safety plan, and a means to monitor the plan. A handling purpose is why you are working the animals. For example: load 10 two-year-old bulls and get them to the auction by 9 a.m. A handling consequence goal identifies what you want the handling to look like. Typically this includes damage to property, and injuries to animals and people. Examples are: no animals crashing into gates and 1% or less horn cap damage. Steps to achieve these goals may include: covering gates with cardboard and assigning an experienced handler to work the squeeze chute.

Safety plans have three main components: Plan B, escape routes, and a communication plan. Plan B is what you are going to do if something goes wrong. What gates and pens are available? Will you need a wench? Can you re-schedule? It is impossible to predict everything that can go wrong. But knowing what equipment and resources are available to you before you are faced with a broken latch or a broken leg, will improve the success of your response. Escape routes in every section of the facility are paramount for handler safety. Escape routes may be climbing a fence.

Communication is compromised by the noise of handling and limited visual contact of the facility, animals, and handlers. Having a communication plan that

is primarily visual with an auditory back-up reduces mistakes and improves safety. A visual plan may simply be everyone raising their arm in relay to indicate that they are ready for the next animal. If an arm is not raised then the relay is broken and the team knows immediately that someone needs more time to secure a gate or get a rock out of their shoe.

Monitoring, particularly a written audit, ensures the plan is working. It assists in identifying areas of concern and your true successes and not assumed successes. Monitoring provides context. A handling note: Assign one person to monitor the overall handling event.

PeopleChange is difficult, even if the change is believed

to be positive. Change resistance partly arises from our lack of understanding about why we behave in certain ways. There are individual and gender differences in how we view and handle animals. We may have different expectations of the goal and procedure, or how the bison will respond. Some of this comes for our own perceptions, knowledge and experiences. It may come from a balance of power difference such as an employer – employee relationship. Or it may arise from communication issues. For example, we may say we are “going to run the animals through,” but mean “walk them through.” Handling jargon conveys a high stress mental image. Do the handlers base their actions on your words and their image, or on your intended meaning?


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Is the boss saying one thing but the person who the handlers take their lead from saying something different?

Is good handling rewarded? Are transgressions ignored? To further explore management and change, check out a bookstore’s business section.

There are several other reasons for why people handle animals in a high stress manner. Many believe they are handling animals well. They have no desire to harm animals. They simply lack information. Others are treating the animals based on cultural or religious norms. Having a hidden or ulterior agenda is common. This agenda may be an evil plot to undermine someone, or simply a distrust of a regulation or the person conveying the information. If you do not trust the motive of someone, then it is quite hard to implement their ideas, even if you believe in the idea.

The most common reason that people express why they cannot reduce handling stress is “lack of resources.” On rare occasions a lack of resources is valid. But mostly, it is code for “I do not know why, or I cannot or will not tell you why I am beating the animal.” It is a red flag. It is also a perfect opportunity to explore the issue and finds solutions to achieve low stress handling and reduce losses.

ConclusionLow stress handling is not the norm. It requires

knowledge, experience, constant monitoring, and some form of enforcement/incentive. It is a mind-set reflected in weight gains, top-quality carcasses, minimal injuries and facility repairs. A low stress mind-set looks at handling through the eyes of the bison and anticipates challenges. It is not about what type of facility you have. It is about using the behaviors of people and animals, and their interaction with the facility and environment to achieve your goals without creating additional problems.

Dr. Jennifer Lanier is an animal scientist specializing in animal behavior during handling, transport and slaughter. She received her PhD from Colorado State University. Jennifer has worked on the ground throughout the americas assisting countries implement the US Humane Slaughter act to comply with free Trade agreements.

She has also worked to relate the experiences and expertise of producers to international political and financial bodies, in the hope that the realities of agriculture will be reflected in policy. She continues to work with the bison industry as a consultant.

Bison Handling…continued from page 16

Help Preserve the Legend!

Join the Herd

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS BISON ASSOCIATIONOFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS BISON ASSOCIATION

2013 JOURNAL2013 JOURNAL

Whether you raise bison, or just love the magnificence of the animal. If your interest is to help promote bison conservation, stewardship and keep the herd building, and you just want to hang around people that are involved with bison, there is a membership for you in the Texas Bison Association. Whether you are young or not so young, we encourage you to join with us in the comradery, education and furtherance of our mission. It is a decision you will not regret.

Sign up for a TBA BasicMembership for only $50 per year.Or, sign up as an Active Memberfor $100 per year and receive advertising discounts in theTexas Bison Journal.

New TBA Basic members receive a one -year subscription to

Texas Bison Journal, TBA cap, our quarterly eNewsletter and a

TBA key ring to proudly display that you are helping to preserve a

true American icon — the American Bison

Name ___________________________________________________________________Contact Name (if business) __________________________________________________Address _________________________________________________________________City ________________________________________________ST _____Zip _________Phone _______________________________Email* ______________________________

YES, I want to join the Texas Bison Association

❏ Friend of the Herd Membership $50 ❏ Active Membership $100 Basic Membership per calendar year per calendar year (Package includes annual Texas Bison Journal, (Package includes all of the basic membership, plusTBA cap and key ring, invitation to all TBA events voting rights in TBA elections along with a discountand participation in email announcements effecting on TBJ advertising.)the bison industry).

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Mail Payment to:TEXAS BISON ASSOCIATION26526 Stockdick School RdKaty, TX 77493

*The Texas Bison Association delivers special announcements and alerts via email. Please include your email so we can keep you updated on important industry news and events.


By Rich EllenbergerThis is a lessons learned article mainly intended for

beginners, or those considering getting into the bison industry. The main focus of the article is on bison handling and facilities. To give you an idea of our background, I am an engineer at NASA, and my ranch partner, Chris Klecka, sells industrial hose for the petro-chemical industry in Houston. Neither of us had any experience in ranching before buying our bison.

What does it take to raise bison? Love for the animal is a good start. But it is not enough. I heard a horror story about someone who raised bison, had no handling facilities, and therefore never worked his bison over many years. When he could no longer care for the animals, some of them perished because they could not be safely loaded onto a trailer due to lack of handling facilities, and the bison’s own lack of experience being worked. The big lesson here is if you really love the animal, you will take the steps necessary to take care of their health and safety. That means having a corral system that allows you to vaccinate them regularly, ear tag them, treat injuries should they arise, and safely load them onto a trailer when you sell some of them. It also means having proper perimeter fences, and providing adequate nutrition, but those are separate topics.

If you are like us, with no prior ranching experience, you will have to do your homework. Become a member of the Texas Bison Association (TBA) and consider joining the National Bison Association (NBA). There’s no better or more cost effective way to build up your bison knowledge base than to rub elbows with people in the industry and learn from their successes and failures. Plus, it is enjoyable to mingle with like-minded people who care about bison. I never get tired talking buffalo.

Visit the ranch of a willing TBA member to see their handling facilities. Ask questions, take notes, take pictures. How do the bison move from point A to point B? Our main corral is loosely based on the facilities of the folks we bought our bison from. A drawing of our corral system is provided as an example (see Figures 7 and 8). It is not a perfect system, and there are multiple approaches to corral design, but this design works very well for us with our herd of less than 10 animals. It would probably be able to handle up to 15 head.

It is important to note that while bison are calm and peaceful most of the time, they will be stressed out and literally bounce off the walls when they are confined in small spaces. The bison are not looking to hurt you, but always pay attention to where they are, don’t turn your back on them, and make sure your corral design allows

you to quickly climb out of the way of a stressed bison. It seems like our bison learn though, because they

were overall less stressed than the first two years we worked them.

Do not skimp on the most important parts of the system: The Tub, which moves

them from a pen that is 10 feet wide, to an Alley that is about 3 feet wide; and the Squeeze Chute, which literally immobilizes the animal by squeezing down on their sides, making it safer to vaccinate or ear tag them. Catwalks mounted 2 feet above ground on the outside of the Tub and Alley provide the rancher with the ability to move the animals safely from the outside.

Some people make their own tubs and alleys, and modify a cattle squeeze chute for use with bison. Being weekend ranchers, we didn’t have the time for additional trial and error studies, so we bought our Tub, Alley, and Chute from a company that builds these specifically for bison. We are glad we made the investment. The Tub’s solid walls are 7 feet high, making it impossible for a bison to jump out. I’ve seen bison get their front legs over shorter-walled Tubs. When our bison are bucking in the Chute before they settle down, our Chute doesn’t move. It is built like a tank. Also, our head gate within the Chute doesn’t allow the bison to move their head up and down as much as head gates with straight, vertical edges. Ours has a bigger gap for the neck area, but narrows above and below, for a better fit. This makes applying ear tags safer. A crash cage on the front of the Squeeze Chute is a requirement for bison, since they will try to run past the head gate. The odds you could close the head gate just at the right moment are almost zero.

Fig 1, Tub-Alley-Squeeze Chute

Fig 2, Head gate curves around neck

Can City Slickers Work Bison?


For the main corral, we wanted to use portable 10 feet wide by 6 feet high panels and bow gates, for low cost, ease of construction, and the ability to reconfigure our system later. We bought cattle/horse corral panels and bow gates from a local supplier. Catwalks were ordered and attached to the outside of the working pens, to provide a walking surface for pulling gates closed from the outside. Inside the working pens, we made the walls completely solid with plywood. We did this for the safety of the bison, so they can’t get a leg caught, or break off a horn while trying to escape.

Our portable panel/bow gate approach generally worked, but we had problems we had to correct.• The Problem: The bow gates were not strong enough,

because the bison can bend the bottom of the gates while trying to escape, due to the fact the bottom rail of the gates is 9 inches above the ground, the rails are too small in diameter and thickness, and the latch is too high.

• Thefix: We hired a welder to custom build 4 new heavy-duty bow gates for the most widely used/important bow gates. For the gates not used as much, we chained the bottoms of the gates closed and added plywood to reduce the gap with the ground.

Fig 3, Old bow gate with problems as shown

Fig 4, Heavy duty bow gate• TheProblem: The corral panels are also inadequate,

because of a similar large gap between the bottom rail and the ground, and the rails are too small and thin.

This allowed the bison (especially calves on the day of sale) to bend the flimsy rails as they tried to get

their nose under them and escape. • Thefix: We added two 10 feet by 6 inch wood boards

on top of each other at the bottom of each panel to close the gap, and drove in a 2 foot long pipe segment into the ground behind the middle of the boards in case the bison push. This simple fix gave the panels more rigidity and strength, allowing us to keep using these panels. If we were starting over, however, we would use heavier panels with very little gap between the bottom rail and the ground.

Fig 5, Corral panel with problems solved as shown

Our corral system can be considered the minimum to safely work bison. Our Tub-Alley-Chute bison system is above average in terms of strength, but it has the minimum number of pieces needed. For example, some ranchers have longer alleys, or they have alleys that divert off to one side if all they are doing is loading bison to a trailer. Our bison always go through the Chute, even when we sell calves. Our main corral can be considered the minimum needed in terms of strength, after the improvements we made. Some ranchers have a Palpation Cage behind the Chute to safely access the rear of the animal, such as in pregnancy testing. A scale, to weigh bison, is a recommended upgrade we don’t yet have.

Before you work your bison, have an experienced bison rancher, or professional, critique your system and then address any weaknesses they point out so you don’t subject your animals or yourself to increased risk of injury. The first time you work your bison, we highly advise hiring a professional to teach you the safest ways to handle bison. We hired Tim Frasier from the TBA in 2011, and again in 2012. In 2011, he did most of the actual handling of the animals, much of the vaccinations, and most ear tagging himself while we watched and learned. Before we worked the herd, he pointed out a tripping hazard for the bison. Our Tub has flat metal straps at the base running from the center post outward that were over 2 inches above ground level because we had not perfectly leveled the ground. Tim said the bison could break an ankle if they tripped on the straps. We filled the area with dirt, covering these metal straps, before working the animals. Tim also taught us to paint parts of the corral you want the bison to move towards white, because it attracts them. It signals freedom, and draws them in.


In 2012, Tim had us do most of the handling, vaccinations, and ear tagging

ourselves, and provided guidance from the sidelines. Tim taught us that it takes very little

movement on the human’s part to move bison. Using balance point technology, you move slowly towards their backside in the direction opposite of where you want them to move. Let the bison do most of the work. You can’t force them to do anything. They have to want to do it. Work with their natural instinct for escape, and design your system with that in mind. Tim suggested we add plywood to the inside of the panels/gates near the front of the main corral, because in 2012 the bison were fixated with looking through those panels/gates for an escape route, and weren’t paying attention to the open working pen gate in the back where they needed to go.

One idea Chris and I tried in 2012 didn’t work out as planned. We created an extra corral room we called the “Post-Op” room. It was to be an assembling room after the bison were worked, where they could settle down before being let out. It didn’t work. It was too small; the bison remained stressed out, and didn’t understand they were “finished” for the day. Tim suggested creating a large fenced area called a “control pasture”, more than 100 feet square, next to the corral. You can use it to put the bison in the evening prior to working them, and release them into it after working them so they can relax before being released into the main pasture. It also follows the concept of moving the bison into progressively smaller areas before working them. We built this control pasture and used it in 2013. See Figure 8. When you lock bison in a controlled area overnight, they obviously must have access to hay and water. Note: Rubber troughs don’t work. The bison will destroy them. an old iron/porcelain bath tub is heavy enough they won’t use it as a toy. Despite the “Post-Op” room not working for its intended purpose, we kept it as a gateway from the Chute back into the control pasture.

This year, 2013, we felt confident enough to handle the bison ourselves. The cows and their calves went

willingly into the working pens. The ones that didn’t go in by themselves required very little pressure to do so. Whether it was the act the working pen wall facing the main corral was painted white and attracted the bison, they

Fig 6, Corral System (shown in 2012 before final modifications and control pasture)


remembered that going into the working pen is a way out, or the fact we made all the main corral panels/gates mostly solid with plywood, or all the above, it worked beautifully. If your system is designed right, there’s very little moving around that you have to do.

Fred, our bull, was the only one who gave us trouble this year. He was stuck in a feedback loop trying to jump out the main corral gate. I had to unstick him by using a rattle paddle from the other side to get him to move away. After that he ran into the working pen. I’m sure there’s a modification we can do to reduce the probability of Fred, or any bison, getting mentally stuck like that. Your system will never be perfect, but you should always think of ways to improve it.

Logistics-wise, a new thing we did this year that worked very well was we measured and pre-loaded the syringes with all the injectable medications the night before, and placed them in a plastic box with slots labeled for each bison. When we had a bison in the Chute, we just had to grab and empty all the syringes in that particular bison’s slot. This way there’s no way we could get confused about whether we had already given them a certain medication, or fumble around with measuring quantities on the spot. This may not be practical for ranches with many animals. Besides injectable Ivomec Plus de-wormer, we gave them

oral Valbazen, something we learned about at the November 2012 TBA Workshop. It’s good to

alternate your oral wormers each year, because if you keep using the same one year after year, it may become less effective. If you want to know what other medications to give bison, consult the TBA for advice in your area of Texas, since disease concerns vary geographically.

After finishing working the herd, we fed the bison corn in the control pasture, the equivalent of their lollipop after getting shots at the doctor’s office. We left the bison in the control pasture for about 3 hours, and after lunch opened the gates. They left slowly and calmly. This is preferred to letting them out from the Squeeze Chute directly into the main pasture, and the bison running away in fear. That evening we fed the buffalo and they were nice and calm. Fred was consoling his girls by licking their faces, and the injection sites on their necks. The next morning they hid from us. They did this in 2012 also.

Pre-loading the syringes, and all the corral improvements and efficiencies we implemented since last year, helped us work all the buffalo within 1 hour 15 minutes. In previous years our bison handling took 2 hours and above. After we finished working them, I asked Chris, “Did we just do this?” It was exhilarating to have just worked our buffalo solo, with no injuries to man or beast. I wouldn’t consider us bison handling experts, but these City Slickers just graduated from the fictitious Buffalo University.


By Cecil Miskin

Books on bison can fill the shelves in a library. I know that from personal experience. There are books on bison history, bison preservationists, bison hunters, the west (and north and south) in which the bison thrived. There are books on how to tan a bison hide; how to paint traditional native scenes on a hide… and why; There are romantic books, and fictional books and some that not worth reading.

Here are a few, along with a little about each, that makes them worth the time:

American Buffalo; Steven Rinella 2008 – The author’s personal bison quest is very well woven into the anthropologic, the historic, the native and the current perspectives on the bison. Well researched and skillfully put together. An easy, captivating, informative and exciting read. Also has a great bibliography.

The Bison Producers Handbook; National Bison Association: You want to know

“how to do it”? This has a zillion years worth (almost) of practical bison experience. The chapter authors – 30 of them - are the cream of the bison ranchers, marketers and producers. It is current in its approach … and most of the folks are available by phone if you have a question. This comprehensive book is packed with information for veterans and newcomers alike. *This book comes FREE with a NBA Active, Allied Industry or Life membership.

When Buffalo Ran; George Bird Grinnell 1920; 1966. Grinnell was on the plains when the slaughter happened; he viewed it from both the white and native perspective. Short, sad and very informative.

Buffalo Hunt; Russell Freedman 1988; It is the art – the works of Catlin and Bodmir; Stanley and Bierstadt that are captivating. The story is simple and gentle; the art worldly and captivating.

Buckskin and Buffalo; Colin F. Taylor: 1998: Photos and sketches of the “artistry of the plains Indians” as captured on their most available “canvas”; the robes of bison.

The Last of the Plainsmen; Zane Grey 1908. Absolutely classic – the story of Charles “Buffalo” Jones as told by the best western author of the day.

The Buffalo King; Nancy Veglahn; 1971. The story of James “Scotty” Philip, another of the half dozen men (and women) of the late 1800’s that really did save the bison from extinction. It is another part of the bison puzzle; you will enjoy.

Charles Goodnight, Cowman and Plainsman; J Evetts Haley; 1936 A long book, a bit hard to follow, but written by a man (Haley) who spent four years with Goodnight documenting it all. The acknowledged “bible” on Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight, long credited with saving the Southern Plains bison.

Charles Goodnight; A Man for All Ages; Wyman Meinzer and Byron Price; 2012 Meinzer is the Texas State photographer; Price the acknowledged living authority on Goodnight (and most other of the Staked Plains contemporaries). A beautiful book that just saw the light of day. Makes you proud to be following in some very large footsteps.

The Buffalo Harvest; Mayer and Roth 1958 Told by one who participated in the great killing (Frank Mayer) to someone who wanted to listen (Charles Roth) and be sure the first hand tale was not lost. Short and inspiring. Puts you out with the hunters.

The Hunting of the Buffalo; E. Douglas Branch 1929: An interesting read, written at a time just long enough away from the great slaughter, and at the beginning of the real rebuilding of the herds, to ponder about what would happen… and document what just had.

Hunting the Bison and Grisly; Theodore Roosevelt 1907; Just the tip of Roosevelt’s involvement with bison, but a backdrop for what he was to set in motion for their preservation.

A Buffalo Round-up; George W. Arthur 1985: A scholarly bibliography (what else would you expect from the head of Anthropology at


979.247.3405Proud Member of the TBA Since 1995

[email protected]

six spokes signs254.386.3878205 n. bell streethamilton, tx 76531

a major Canadian school). Only if you REALLY want to go into depth of historical bison info.Front Hoof note: If you are not familiar with the on line site – ABEBOOKS.COM – American Book Exchange – it is a collaboration of a huge number of book stores – all with their entire catalog on line. And the prices start at just pennies. You should be able to find all these book thereBack Hoof note: This is not intended to be a complete catalog of bison material by any means. There are many good books – some much better known than those listed - that are not included. No slight is meant to those authors.


Tailgating is a way of life in Texas. What better way to celebrate the big game than serving creative alternatives. Punt away the chips and salsa, hamburgers and chicken wings. Instead try Bison Brisket Sliders with Smoky Paprika Slaw, John’s Boilermaker Bison Chili, and Hatch Con Queso with Bison. Cornmeal Buttermilk Biscuits are a unique addition for sliders and go great with the chili too. A tray of delicious Buffalo Chip Pretzel and Peanut Butter Cookies will keep the fans coming back for more. These dishes are sure to score a touchdown

for your next tailgating party.

TAILGATING WITH BISON

Recipes by:Corey Harris and John Russell

High Country Bison

Cornmeal Buttermilk Biscuits

2 2/3 cups flour

1 1/3 cups yellow cornmeal

5 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 heaping teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add diced butter.

Using your fingertips, work butter into the flour mixture incorporating

well until you have pea-sized pieces. Gently stir in buttermilk until a

dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently. Roll

out dough to ¾ inch thick. Use a 2 to 3 inch round cutter to make

approximately 14 biscuits. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment.

Brush biscuits with egg wash and top with freshly ground pepper. Bake

until tops are golden brown for approximately 15 to 18 minutes.

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

1½ cups buttermilk

Egg Wash (1 egg whisked with 1

teaspoon water)

Freshly ground pepper

Cooking the brisket:Rub a 4-5 lb. brisket with plenty of salt, pepper, garlic

powder, cumin, dried oregano and Mexican ground red chile spice. Place bacon slices over the top of the brisket.

Wrap tightly in saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, remove brisket from refrigerator and

wrap meat in heavy duty aluminum foil, leaving saran wrap intact. Do not remove saran wrap. Cooking at such

a low temperature will not melt the wrap and will keep all the juices in. Place meat in preheated 250 degree oven

for 4 to 5 hours. When meat shreds easily with a fork it should be done. Keep brisket wrapped and allow to cool

in it’s own juices. Shred meat with a fork.


Smoked Paprika Slaw

Wisk together in a bowl:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons black pepper

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Toss dressing with 5 cups shredded

red and green cabbage. Add chopped

fresh parsley (optional).

John’s Boilermaker Bison Chili

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups onion, chopped

3 lbs. ground bison

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons chili powder

(preferably hot New Mexico

chili powder)

In large heavy bottom pot over medium high heat, add oil. Add

onions, garlic and bison meat. Cook until meat is nicely browned and add

cumin, chili powder and salt. Cover pot and cook about 10 minutes. Stir

in bourbon and beer and continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Stir in

tomatoes and beans, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.

1 cup bourbon

½ bottle of beer, sip the other half

while cooking

2-15 oz cans pinto beans

2-14½ oz cans diced tomatoes

Salt to taste

Hatch Chile Con Queso with Bison2 lbs. Easy Melt Cheese or Velveta8 ounces goat cheese 20 ounce can Rotel tomatoes or jar of tomatillo salsa2 cups or more milk1 cup hatch chiles, roasted, seeded and chopped¾ cup onion, chopped¼ cup jalapenos, chopped1 bunch cilantro, chopped1 teaspoon chipotle, chopped2 teaspoons cumin3 cloves garlic, chopped1 ½ lb. ground bison meat, cooked

Put all ingredients, except meat, into pan or crock pot with half of milk. Cook over low heat stirring and adding milk as needed. Once melted, add cooked bison. Do not overcook. I like serving with tostados that I break into large pieces. *note: I had leftover goat cheese and added at the last minute. The cheese gave a delightful tanginess. If you don’t want to add goat cheese, increase Easy Melt by ½ lb.

Buffalo Chip and Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 ½ cup sugar

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

4 egg whites

1 tablespoon vanilla

5 cups good quality peanut butter

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

1 ½ cups crushed pretzels (I use Mini Twists and

some to top unbaked cookies)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In mixer, cream together butter and sugars.

Add egg whites and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla

and peanut butter. Sift dry ingredients and add to

peanut butter mixture. Mix in chocolate chips and

pretzels. Drop dough on baking sheet lined with

parchment. Press extra crushed pretzels on top

and bake for approximately 18 minutes.


ranch foreman after they strayed from a neighboring game ranch. Following that incident, a district judge ruled that bison were not covered by the state’s estray laws and could be shot as nuisance wildlife. The new law includes bison in the list of animals covered by Texas’ estray law and says that a sheriff or his designee may shoot a stray animal only when a perilous condition exists. If an animal is destroyed, a sheriff must file a legal report recording the incident. The Texas Bison Association is most grateful to Sen. Estes, to Representatives Anderson, Perry and Flynn, and to Gov. Perry for their support. This is a big day for Texas bison and for Texas bison producers.

For the first time in history, bison are protected under Texas’ estray law.

The new law went into effect immediately after Gov. Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 174 on Friday, May 10, 2013. The measure was authored by Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, and was sponsored in the House of Representatives by Reps. Charles Anderson, R-Waco; Charles Perry, R-Lubbock; and Dan Flynn, R-Van. Both the Senate and the House voted unanimously for the bill. The legislative action was the result of three years of work by the Texas Bison Association. Bison producers in the Lone Star State were shocked in 2010 when 51 bison were shot to death by a King County

Texas Bison Estray Law Signed by Governor


TBA PARTING SHOTS

TBa Booth at the Texas ffa State Convention

on July 9-11, 2013 in Dallas Texas.

Dan Humphries twins and bull on the Bull Dancer Bison Ranch in Navasota, Texas

Charles Robertson (in the cowboy hat on

the left) Ronnie Wenzel (standing).

Jim Matheson of the NBa at the TBa conference

in fort Worth, Texas

Dr. Jennifer Lanier giving her presentation at the

2013 TBa Conference in fort Woth, Texas.

Replacement Bulls Yearlings 2013 Calves Custom Grazing

832-435-46021120 HWY 7 West, Crockett, Texas 85935

Barksdale Bison, LLC

Barksdale Bison, LLC

Te r m s : (no e x c e ptions ) C ash or personal/bus iness check accompanied by an authorization letter from the issuing bank.

R e c e ption for B uy e r s & C ons ignor s - Friday Evening, December 6, 2013 at Farmers & R anchers from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

S how for “ B e s t in C la s s ” - For your animal to be judged it must be unloaded by 8:00 p.m. Friday, December 6, 2013.

blackkettlebuffalo@ gmail.com

24th AnnualFall Buffalo Auction

Saturday, December 7th, 2013Starting at 11:00 a.m.

Always the First Saturday in DecemberAlways at Farmers & Ranchers Livestock Commission

Always a first class bison sale.

Oldest & Largest Open Consignment Sale in the Nation!Farmers & Ranchers Livestock Commission Company

1500 W Old Highway 40 (I-135 Exit #93) Salina, Kansas 785) 825-0211

For Consignment Information, Contact:Kansas Buffalo Association

Toll-free: 1-888-28BISON (2-4766)(316) 721-0970 or Fax: (316) 609-3070

Dick Gehring, Sale Chairperson(620) 345-6526 or [email protected]

Visit our website at www.kansasbuffalo.org where you can keep up with the sale progress and the gun raffle.

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