Here is one video Lora took of the Buffalo I take care of, so far we have 7 new calves this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XotqFe6yzVw

This video was taken the same day. I had spread out two bags of range cubes and the herd came up and were feeding and messing around the pick up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A3pGI5SQe4

This one is a little farther away from hunting but I was in the backyard shooting excess roosters when these two got into it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...x1o&feature=youtu.be

I have a couple of curiosity questions. We have a large herd of Buffalo but our operations are ran differently it appears. With all of the green grass why would you be feeding them? Are these for the meat production or just something to have around? They appear fairly tame so are they handled quite often? Do you have special facilities to work them? Interesting to compare.

It started out as a possible future meat production type operation with some cull animals being available to be shot for folks wanting to be able to say they had shot a buffalo, it is definitely NOT a hunt.

The supplemental feeding that is done is mainly to just keep them used to being "handled" for lack of a better term, as it allows us to monitor overall herd health, check for new calves and check on herd numbers so if we come up short of animals we can figure out when the last time the herd was all together.

I normally feed once maybe twice a week, and the feeding consists of 100 pounds of cattle range cubes put out in as long a line as possible so we can get a good count and have a chance to visually check each animal in the group. At this time of year, our two herd bulls are rarely with the herd so they are a little harder to monitor, but as calving season begins winding down, the two big bulls will begin associating with the herd more frequently.

We have not actually handled/worked them, such as working them thru the corrals and chutes, but we are finishing up getting our corrals/working chute set up and in operation as we have had some people express an interest in buying our surplus 2 to 4 year old animals.

We have had one group come out and cull out 4 bulls a couple years back, and I am working on a deal with my boss to cull out a young bull this coming winter after the pelt gets in prime shape.

At this stage it is still a work in progress type situation, and once the corrals/working chute are in place we will be moving on to selling off some or most of the 2 to 4 year old stock that has been born into the group.

Right now the group is on a 680 acre parcel and there are about 60 animals in the group. There is an additional 320 acres that joins the 680 on one side that will be made available to the group, giving the herd access to one thousand acres, and we will try to keep the numbers down to about 50 - 60 animals.

We run about 600 Buffalo on one large ranch. They are gathered once a year to be worked and take the calves off. Other than that they are pretty much on their own. No supplemental feeding unless it is very dry and we are short of grass and have a severe winter. Most of the meat is sold before hand and go straight to restaurants, believe it or not. Every year the old worn-out Bulls anywhere between eight and twelve years old get kicked out by the up and coming four and let's say seven year olds. These are primarily the ones that clients are looking for and it is not just a walkout and shoot them out of the window type of deal.They sure are funny critters, especially compared to our ranch cattle. The working facilities are all metal and at least 8 feet high. There's just no shortcuts when working that many. Things can get a little hairy for sure. Anyway, I was just wondering what you had yours for and how you ran the operation. Thanks for the information.

We have two, that would be considered "Trophy Bulls", but because we are working with a lot smaller area than you, things have to be done differently.

I have told my boss about your operation and really wish that we could offer the same type hunt as you, but we simply do not have the land available.

We have two really good trophy bulls that we need out of the herd, but finding someone willing to pay to simply come out and shoot them, is something we simply have not really addressed.

This is one of those issues that there is no easy answer to. The hunts you offer are actual hunts, but so many folks are just interested in shooting a buffalo, that really have no problem shooting one at a grain pile, that it does create somewhat of a problem.

I would love to come up and do one of your hunts, reality is however I can work out a deal with my boss, shoot a young bull off of the feed line and live with it. Maybe In should not feel that way since I have watched these calves grow up, but unless some one is in the shape to offer the type hunts you do, most "Buffalo Hunts" are not that much different than driving out into as field and shooting a Volkswagen!

Buffalo are NOT all that impressed with human superiority.

I do envy you having the operation you have.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
This one is a little farther away from hunting but I was in the backyard shooting excess roosters when these two got into it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...x1o&feature=youtu.be

What breed of chicken is that thing? I didn't realize that they raised their neck feathers (hackles?) up when they fought.

Do all chickens do that?

It is just a mixed breed chicken.

Yes roosters do raise their neck hackles when they fight, that is where the term(s) He Has His Hackles Raised Up or Don't Get Your Hackles Raised Up.

It works as a threat display before/during a fight.