Buffalo

A bison roundup at Broken Kettle Grassland Preserve supported herd health monitoring and prairie management while transferring some animals to other herds.Roundup Process- Mark introduced the roundup at Broken Kettle Grassland Preserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy in Iowa.- Bison were moved through reinforced gates and a chute to be counted, weighed, vaccinated, recorded, and checked for health. Some were returned to the preserve; others were sent to herds in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.Herd And Prairie- The herd numbered roughly 200, down from the usual approximate 250 as numbers were reduced during drought. Before settlers, an estimated 30 million bison roamed the United States.- Bison graze, fertilize the land, and rub against trees, helping manage tallgrass prairie habitat important to birds and other wildlife. The roundup also exposed a fencing issue: some staples had come loose.New Herd- Cole described acquiring his second group of bison for a cow-calf operation south of Lamar's. He became interested after hearing a podcast in 2021 and waited four years before acquiring his first animals.- He described bison as a hands-off, wild animal and valued watching them interact, especially calves playing. He hopes to share the experience with his children.Action Items- Repair the bison-preserve fencing where staples were lost.OutlineRoundup Operations- Bison were guided through reinforced gates and a chute for counting, vaccination, weighing, recording, and health checks.

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