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National Bison Range rounds them up

By Lailani Upham

The round corral is the first stop for the bison to be weighed and microchips scanned to determine where the animal will go whether back the range or to the squeeze chute for donation, sale, research and/or general health tests. (Lailani Upham photo)

PABLO — Crowds were held at lower numbers this year for the annual Bison Range roundup due to a nippier morning or possibly the lack of rambunctious bulls in the last couple years.

According to Pat Jamieson, National Bison Range Outdoor Recreation Planner, the bison have been running into the shoots with a much calmer conduct since the chase has been changed to herding by jeep instead horseback riders.

"It's simply safer for the bison, the people and horses, and they (bison) have been getting through faster this way," Jamieson said.

A small herd of bison are chased down the hill via a jeep into the holding corrals. Bison are moved a few at a time into smaller corrals until they are put into the Round Corral for weigh in. (Lailani Upham photo)

Although it's more of a romantic view to watch bison run in via horseback riders, the National Bison Range Roundup is not designed as a spectator event but a part of the routine work of the Range open to the public.

Every fall the Range gathers the entire bison herd which number from 325 to 350, in efforts to reduce the herd so the forage of the National Wildlife Refuge remains in balance.

This year's roundup was held October 5 - 6. The Range welcomed over 1,100 public school students plus more including private schools and the general public.

The roundup is also designed to monitor the health and genetic diversity of the herd. The Range is managed to maximize genetic diversity.

The hydraulic squeeze chute allows for adult bison to enter, the sides are closed to hold the animal in place for safety. A staff member works behind the bull's ear where chip had been implanted. (Lailani Upham photo)

Genetic variation is randomly lost from generation to generation in a process called genetic drift, therefore allowing only the young ones to be sold, so the older or the more genetically diverse animal can continue to breed, and to pass on those diverse genetics.

NBR expects to receive $34,415 for the sale of 34 surplus animals.

Refuge managers strive to keep the bison herd balanced with 18,766 acres that are within the boundaries of the Flathead Indian Reservation, which is governed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Typically the herd is reduced by 50 - 95, with some years higher or lower.

Sixteen males and 18 females all under the age of four-years old were sold.

CSKT Biologist Shannon Clairmont (far left) surveys bison in corrals while NBR Outdoor Recreation Planner Pat Jamieson explains the corral system to a group of public school students. (Lailani Upham photo)

An additional 10 will be transported to the recently established Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado to supplement the satellite herd.

The corral system process begins with all adult males being weighed on a scale at the round corral and their microchips scanned.

The calves have a separate scale with a squeeze chute to help contain them for microchip embedding, blood to be drawn and tail hairs to be pulled for genetic testing.

Why is the National Bison range interested in genetics? Genetic studies have shown that a wide-range of "privately-owned bison" currently have a relatively large amount of cattle gene introgression and a relatively low amount of diversity.

The National Bison Range bison are a unique part of bison conservation in North America. Their efforts to continue genetic management and conservation of this herd will ultimately contribute to conservation of bison as a species for future generations.