Tatanka!

While many people situate the Boake name with beef cattle, there are also a number of Boakes who raise bison. This evening, my grandma Leta Wise and I made a trip up to north of Acme to my uncle Bob Boake's bison farm, Big Rock Bison. Big Rock was established in 1993, and another uncle, Matt Boake, has run Bonanza Bison since 1977. Two other of my grandma's brothers, Guy and Ken, have also had bison. It was neat to see a completely different operation that my family has, since I have grown up on a beef cattle ranch. Currently, my uncle Bob has a herd of 34 cows and 2 bulls, and I can honestly say that I don't think I have ever experienced a more interesting animal.



Some of the Big Rock herd


Bison are made for this country. They have been roaming this land for years and years and can up stand any elements thrown at them. The winter cold is not an issue what so ever. They are incredibly hardy and tough animals. Rather than finding the fence in a storm and turning away from it like beef cattle typically would, bison will face the storm head on. When shelter is needed, they find their own, often in trees or pits. Bison are incredibly easy keepers. They don't bloat, founder, or get scours. In the Winter when the snow is still soft enough, they use their heads to push through the snow so that they can get to the grass. They use their "beards" to protect their faces from any cuts from the snow by flinging the beards in front of their noses. The hair on their beards is extremely tough and can't be cut.  Once the snow gets too hard, they are fed a round bale of hay which can last them a whole week. Throughout the year, the bison receive natural salt and mineral. By consuming this, it actually kills and worm eggs in the bison, and as a result, the bison don't need to be wormed.

Calving often starts in April, and most of it will happen in May. Bison will calve until they are about 25 years old, or until all of their teeth fall out. Also, they will never calve during a storm. Just as in beef cattle, there will be the times when there are difficult births. Instead of getting any kind of help from people, the cow will roll around on the ground to move the position of the calf until she can deliver it. In order to prevent any difficult births from happening, my uncle won't feed grain to his females when they are in calf. The grain in fact causes the calves to grow too big inside of the uterus. Once the calves are born, they depend on their mama for milk, but they look after themselves quite a bit, but they don't give up easy.




One of the herd bulls enjoying the evening warmth


A number of years ago, there was a bison "hype", and everyone wanted to be a part of it. At that time, a heifer would sell for $5000.00 After a few years, the excitement died down, and prices weren't fabulous. Nowadays, heifers will sell for around $1.00/lb, raking in $1200.00, which is a very good price. Prices are increasing, and the market is good. For the longest time, Aboriginals had used their parts for daily use, everything from their heads and bones, to their tails and hooves, and the older the bull, the better. Their meat was a part of their diet as well. Their meat is iron rich and very tasty. I have eaten it before and absolutely loved it! In Sioux, bison are called "Tatanka", which I have called this very post :)

Bison are quite low maintenance. Yes, they do need taller fences made of steel wire and proper handling, but if they are happy and fed, they are quiet animals who don't need a lot of looking after. Lice is never a concern for them, as they are always rolling around in in their dirt "wallows". When they need to be moved, my uncle won't chase them, but rather, he will "haze" them. Bison are generally herd animals and like to stick together. In the herd, there is often a "lead" cow, who leads the herd. The bulls don't really have a part in looking after or moving the herd. The bulls are very smart though. During breeding season, a bull will never breed his own daughters, so there are never any inbreeding problems. Extreme caution should be used as they are very fast and injure people easily.

The herds' lead cow, center

When they sustain an injury, bison heal faster than any other animal. While a beef cow will need veterinary aid, a bison will get up and heal all on their own. It truly is survival of the fittest. Bison are wild animals and have lived in the wild for hundreds of years. It is now wonder that they have adapted so well to the climate and can take care of themselves, because they have done so for so long. They are incredible animals and I am so glad that I got to learn more about them and see these magnificent, ancient beasts up close.



A painting of bison by my cousin Jennifer Mack

 If you would like to learn more about these amazing animals, please visit The Bison Producers of Alberta!
http://www.bisoncentre.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1