Have you ever wondered why there is a bison on the Indiana State Seal???
Bison once travelled through southern Indiana on their annual migrations between the prairies to the west and the open oak savannahs in northern Kentucky (where they spent the winters in a milder climate).
How could bison have survived these long journeys given that they are considered generalist foragers - meaning they eat a wide array of herbaceous grasses and sedges commonly found in mixed-grassed prairies?
Pre-European colonization southern Indiana looked much different than the present-day closed canopy forests. Indigenous people used fire to provide for their needs, which included keeping oak woodlands, savannahs, barrens and glades open with grasses and other forbs to provide food for game animals like white-tailed deer and bison.
The Buffalo Trace, a deeply entrenched path, is evidence of the historical bison migrations across our region. Remnants of this path can still be seen along the Springs Valley Trail in Hoosier National Forest.
Both south-central Indiana and northern Kentucky are part of the Interior Low Plateaus ecoregion. For more on this visit: Interior Low Plateaus
Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve 6975 North Ray Road, Fremont, Indiana. Wild Winds has more than 400 acres of rolling Indiana prairie, natural waterways, lakes, birds and is home to approximately 250 bison.
Did you know the United States has a national mammal? On May 9, 2016, the National Bison Legacy Act was signed making the North American Bison the official mammal of the United States. The American plains bison wild population is just over 20,504. Their scientific name is Bison bison bison.
Ouabache State Park in Bluffton, IN has a bison herd. Starting Memorial Day weekend, weekly naturalist-led bison hikes are given around the bison enclosure to learn about these amazing animals. Dates and times will soon be posted on our calendar at on.IN.gov/ouabache.
Photo by Jared Christiansen.
What happened to the millions of bison?
How the opening of the Transcontinental Railroad changed the shape of the American West.
How the opening of the Transcontinental Railroad changed the shape of the American West.
Where the Buffalo No Longer Roamed The Transcontinental Railroad connected East and West—and accelerated the destruction of what had been in the center of North America
Bison herds in the western United States were so massive, they shook the ground and sounded like thunder in the distance. The American bison roamed most of North America and in the early 19th century, population estimates were between 30 million to 60 million. Their story is inextricably tied to the history of America’s first transcontinental railroad.
Hundreds of thousands of bison were slaughtered by hunters, travelers and U.S. troops. Trains shipped bison carcasses back east for machine belts, tongues as a delicacy, and bones as fertilizer. When the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, it accelerated the decimation of the species and by 1900, naturalists estimated less than 1,000 bison remained.
By the late 1880s, the endless herds of bison were wiped out and just a few hundred individuals remained. Near extinction of the majestic animal deprived the Plains Indians of thier livelihood and resulted in tremondous suffering. The last remaining Bison were protected in Yellowstone National Park and other sanctuaries in North America. Today, bison populations are slowly recovering. The sculpture “Distant Thunder” is a tribute to the vast herds that once roamed the American West.
With snow starting to fall throughout the region, paws and enjoy the landscape and see if you can tell which paws pass through, telling tails you won't want to miss!
Have you seen any wildlife tracks in the snow? Can you guess the tracks below? Click on each photo for a hint.
The babies are romping!! We currently have 4 new baby bison/calves aka: Red Dogs. Moms won’t let us squish their adorable faces so we have to pretend.
Buffalo Trace on Hoosier National Forest
