Give a Cheer
This LO was inspired by the sketch for the July 2 Page Sketch Challenge. The link to that sketch can be found here: [url= [url= Us Two pager[/url] By [url=
Journaling reads:
After the Roundup is finished, and the newly collected herd is secured, the crowd is then allowed to visit the corral area. In order to get there, a trek down a steep hill is required. The first thing we came across when we finally achieved level ground again, was the pasture area where the new herd was located. The park officials leave them there to rest for a week or two before the necessary handling that has to be done for health checks and branding. If the bison were handled too early after the heavy running they'd just done, the stress could be damaging and even cause the death of some of the animals.
The larger photo to the left, shows Paul and I posing in front of the pasture area on our way back out of the area. We had to essentially retrace our steps and climb that steep hill this time. Not sure whether the climb or the descent was actually more difficult though.
I also snapped several photos of the bison in the corral confinements. This herd of course is always collected at least a week before the day of Roundup. From this group, at least a few are checked over and branded on that very day. We didn't stay for that part of things, but understand the branding is a way for the park officials to help determine animal age. Since the purpose of the Roundup is to create a stronger, healthier herd, age is an important factor to consider. Although a female bison can reproduce well into her twenties, a male bison normally stops being interested in procreation around the ten year age mark. He will then often wander off by himself into other areas of the park. So, when a lone bison is spotted somewhere away from the herd, this is often the reason. The park officials have simplified the selection process though, by choosing to purge all the bison that are a decade old or older from the herd each year. Animals with health problems are also culled and the any extras (over the number that the park officials predict can be supported through that year's winter weather) are also taken our of the herd. The number kept each year varies due to these considerations. The healthy animals that have been removed from the herd, are then auctioned off later in the year. Some of these animals are the ones that propagate the “domestic” herds throughout the country (and even internationally) so that the American bison species will hopefully never face extinction again.
The arrows on the facing page point out the branding marks that are most easily legible in the photos. Because every ten years the herd is essentially renewed completely, only the last digit of the year is branded onto the right flank of each new calf. Since these photos were taken in 2011, the two “8's” and the “9” (respectively, top to bottom clockwise) are indicative of the years 2008 and 2009 of course.
Thanks for spreading positivity!
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