Calving Season Tips & Texas Bison Week
Tis the season to be cautious and reject the human tendency to over attend nature. That’s easy to say, but hard to do with your money on the table and your compassion for the animals turned up to high trying to be a good care taker. Personally; I have a few rules for myself that make things easier to deal with. Rule #1: never cause suffering or allow it. Rule #2: Do what you can – and leave the rest to good ole Mom Nature. Bison, whether ranched or other, are still very much a wild species that have evolved to be easy calvers and good producers on their own. We think we know this because no one was around to help them, but then again no one was around…That being said, it is still true that they are just an animal and successful birth, and/or mothering is likely, but no guarantee. The other thing that can happen, sometimes because of us, is orphans. Instead of being picked off by predators, we can pick them up off the prairie and raise them. When orphans are accidentally caused, it is normally a direct result of too much human interaction with the herd during the season. It is a good practice to always have an ‘orphan kit’ ready to put into use, but in my opinion, and if at all possible, the herd and the prairie is always the best scenario for a newborn.
The month of May marks a new generation of American icons and it is for that reason that the first week also marks Texas Bison Week through the year 2022. All Texas readers of the Buffalo Drum News should get out and do some campaigning for bison during the first week of May. The fact that we have a Texas Bison Week gives ranchers, enthusiasts, consumers, marketers and all other groups that are connected to the great American bison story and/or are connected because of it, an officially designated week to help get the word out about bison. Contact a local paper and tell them about Texas Bison Week, your herd and your part in the restoration of this species to the American landscape in Texas.
Procurement, Management & Consultation