American Bison: The Heartbeat of the Prairie

kAm“q:D@? 2C6 E96 8C62E D92A6CD @7 E96 }@CE9 p>6C:42? 8C2DD=2?5D]” D2JD s6??:D y@C86?D6?[ 3:D@? AC@8C2> >2?286C 2E (@C=5 (:=5=:76 uF?5] “pD 3@E9 2? 64@=@8:42= 2?5 4F=EFC2= <6JDE@?6[ 3:D@? 2C6 E96 =:G:?8 962CE362E @7 E96 AC2:C:6]”k^Am

kA DEJ=6lQE6IE\2=:8?i46?E6CQmkDEC@?8mvC@F?5 qC62<6CD 2?5 w@>6 |2<6CDk^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmvC2DD=2?5D 2C6 @7E6? DF3;64E65 E@ 7C:8:5 H:?E6CD[ H6E DAC:?8D 2?5 9@E[ 5CJ DF>>6CD] (96? AC64:A:E2E:@? 2CC:G6D[ 3:D@? 96=A AC2:C:6D 23D@C3 H2E6C E9C@F89 “9@@7 24E:@?]” p5F=E >2=6D 42? H6:89 >@C6 E92? 2 E@?] pD E96J H2=< 24C@DD 5CJ AC2:C:6D[ E96:C 9@@G6D AF?49 9@=6D :? E96 D@:=[ 2==@H:?8 H2E6C E@ D66A :?E@ E96 62CE9[ C2E96C E92? H2D9:?8 2H2J]k^Am

k5:GmkAmk:>8 2=ElQA9@E@Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^7665D]DE2E6A@:?E]?6E^x>286D^pCE:4=6D^``_db^fefe6h2h];A8Q ^mk^AmkAmx7 J@F’G6 6G6C G:D:E65 *6==@HDE@?6 }2E:@?2= !2C<[ J@F >:89E 92G6 D66? 3:D@? 56>@?DEC2E:?8 2?@E96C :?E6C6DE:?8 3692G:@C 42==65 H2==@H:?8] q:D@? H2==@H WC@== 2C@F?5X E@ C6>@G6 A2C2D:E6D @C D4C2E49 2? :E49] |2?J C6FD6 E96 D2>6 H2==@H:?8 DA@ED[ 4C62E:?8 4C2E6C\=:<6 :>AC6DD:@?D 24C@DD E96 =2?5D42A6] (96? :E C2:?D[ H2==@HD 7:== H:E9 H2E6C[ H9:49 D=@H=J D66AD :?E@ E96 D@:=] x? 2C62D H96C6 9F?5C65D @7 3:D@? C@2>[ E9:D ?6EH@C< @7 32D:?D 4C62E6D 2 >:?6C2=\C:49 H6E=2?5 923:E2E H96C6 2>A9:3:2?D[ =:<6 E:86C D2=2>2?56CD[ =2J 688D 2?5 F?:BF6 A=2?E 4@>>F?:E:6D E9C:G6]k^AmkAmp== E9:D C@==:?8 2C@F?5 2?5 D4C2E49:?8 2=D@ 96=A 3:D@? D965 E96:C H2C>[ :?DF=2E:G6 7FC[ H9:49 >2?J DA64:6D @7 3:C5[ 7C@> C65\H:?865 3=24< 3:C5D E@ 62DE6C? <:?83:C5D[ =:?6 E96:C ?6DED H:E9 E@ <66A E96:C J@F?8 H2C>]k^AmkAm“q:D@? 6A:E@>:K6 E96 :?E6C4@??64E65?6DD E92E 42? 6I:DE 36EH66? 2 =2?5D42A6 2?5 DA64:6D] %96D6 =2C86 8C2K6CD 2C6 :?E6CEH:?65 H:E9 D@ >2?J 8C2DD=2?5 A=2?ED[ 2?:>2=D 2?5 A6@A=6[” D2JD }@6==6 vF6C?D6J[ D6?:@C DA64:2=:DE[ q:D@? #6DE@C2E:@?[ (@C=5 (:=5=:76 uF?5]k^AmkA DEJ=6lQE6IE\2=:8?i46?E6CQmkDEC@?8m#@25 rC6Hk^DEC@?8mk^AmkAmpD 3:D@? 8C2K6[ E96J EFC? 8C2DD :?E@ >2?FC6] %9:D ?FEC:6?E C64J4=:?8 AC@46DD :D 4C:E:42= 7@C AC@5F4:?8 D@:=[ 76CE:=:K:?8 A=2?ED[ 2?5 AC@G:5:?8 7@@5[ D96=E6C 2?5 AC@E64E:@? 7@C @E96C DA64:6D] sF?8 366E=6D C@==[ EF??6= 2?5 3FCJ E96:C H2J E9C@F89 :E] !C652E@CJ 366E=6D 2?5 82CE6C D?2<6D E2<6 D96=E6C 36?62E9 5C@AA:?8D[ 2H2:E:?8 7=:6D 2?5 @E96C AC6J] p?5 6G6? @?6 DA64:6D @7 >2D@? 366 :D E9@F89E E@ ?6DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH];DE@C]@C8^DE23=6^abbddhdfQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm:? 3:D@? 5F?8k^2m] qFCC@H:?8 @H=D 92G6 2=D@ =62C?65 E92E =:?:?8 E96:C ?6DE EF??6=D H:E9 3:D@? 5F?8 :D 2 8C62E H2J E@ 2EEC24E 5F?8\366E=6Di @?6 @7 E96:C 72G@C:E6 D?24<D]k^AmkAmsFC:?8 H:?E6C[ 3:D@? A=2J 2?@E96C G:E2= C@=6] &D:?8 E96:C >2DD:G6 9625D[ 9@C?D 2?5 D9@F=56C >FD4=6D[ E96J 4=62C 2H2J D?@H E@ C6249 E6?56C A=2?ED 9:556? 36?62E9] $>2==6C A=2?E 62E6CD[ =:<6 AC@?89@C? 2?5 566C[ FD6 E96D6 3:D@?\4=62C65 EC2:=D =:<6 9:89H2JD E@ A2DD E9C@F89 566A D?@H E92E H@F=5 @E96CH:D6 36 F?A2DD23=6] %96D6 A2E9D 42? 36 4C:E:42= E@ E96:C DFCG:G2=[ D:?46 H:E9@FE 2446DD E@ ?6H A2DEFC6D 2?5 7@C286 E96J >:89E @E96CH:D6 DE2CG6]k^AmkAm“x? >2?J H2JD[ E96 A=2:?D 3:D@? :D DJ>3@=:4 @7 E96 G2=F6D E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D H2D 7@F?565 FA@?] %96D6 2?:>2=D 2C6 C6D:=:6?E[ 4@>>F?:EJ\>:?565[ 56E6C>:?65[ 2?5 E:65 E@ E96 72E6 @7 8C2DD=2?5D[ H9:49 92G6 AC@G:565 7@C 9F>2?D 7@C >:==6??:2[” D2JD r=2J q@=E[ vC62E !=2:?D 4@>>F?:42E:@?D[ (@C=5 (:=5=:76 uF?5]k^AmkAm(@C=5 (:=5=:76 uF?5’D “$E@C:6D @7 w@A6 2?5 (@?56C” :D 2? @?8@:?8 D6C:6D E92E 4@??64ED A6@A=6 E@ E96 H@?56C @7 ?2EFC6 2?5 @776CD 9@A6 7@C 2 7FEFC6 36?67:E:?8 3@E9 A6@A=6 2?5 H:=5=:76] t249 >@?E9[ $E@C:6D @7 w@A6 2?5 (@?56C H:== 762EFC6 2 5:776C6?E DA64:6D @G6C4@>:?8 D@>6 @7 ?2EFC6’D E@F896DE @3DE24=6D E@ 6?DFC6 E96:C DFCG:G2=] %@ C625 A2DE 65:E:@?D[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]H@C=5H:=5=:76]@C8^9@A62?5H@?56CQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmHHH]H@C=5H:=5=:76]@C8^9@A62?5H@?56Ck^2m]k^Amk^5:Gm

kAm!9@E@ ` rC65:Ei W4X %2:=JC xCG:?6 ^ ((u\&$k^Am

kAm!9@E@ a rC65:Ei W4X ((u\&$ ^ r=2J q@=Ek^Am

kAmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^7665D]DE2E6A@:?E]?6E^E@H??6HD^A=246>6?E]2D9InEl4U2>Aj:5l``_dbU2>Aj=l6?\&$U2>AjCl`fe`_a__`agb`]aeQ ^mk^Am