The mule deer in Wyoming: riding the sagebrush tide with the first bursts of fresh food and the first green buds
In late spring, as the days begin to lengthen, the mule deer of central Wyoming begin to “surf” the sagebrush landscape. They spend their winters in the low flats. That’s where the first buds of greenery erupt, offering a fleeting burst of food that’s rich in protein and easy to digest. The blooms keep moving, rising steadily, as the spring warmth reaches harsher climates. The deer ride the green wave. Sometimes they’ll travel hundreds of miles until they reach their summer range. They should time their journey perfectly, so that they can store some fat on their rumps during the brown summer and barren winter ahead.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/gas-drilling-is-disrupting-animal-migration/
The Great Slaughter: The Last Frontier of Intersections in the Texas Panhandle. Counting Bisons in Caprock Canyons State Park
“We forget that migration isn’t like commuting from your house to the office,” says Hebblewhite, who wasn’t involved in the research. “It’s like you have to commute for a month and eat along the way or else you die. This study shows you won’t get there, and you’re going to arrive at the office starving to death.
Empty storefronts and dilapidated buildings stood silently on Main Street, a short corridor that intersects with First Street at the city’s only traffic light. Truck drivers passed through while they transported cattle across the Texas Panhandle.
Over the past century, the city’s population has dwindled from 945 to just over 300. Albert Castillo said that Quitaque used to have five gas stations. Now it has only one.
Castillo, 61, who also manages the lone remaining grocery store in town, said he once thought it would be a ghost town. It was hard for people to struggle back then.
hunters decimated this species that was once dominant in the American landscape. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department estimates 30 million to 60 million bison roamed the southern Plains before they were almost wiped out in what’s known as the “Great Slaughter.”
The herd expanded in the park and so did the city of Quitaque. According to Beard, before the bison began to wander there were around 36,000 park visitors a year. Last year, they had close to 80,000 visitors.
Caprock Canyons State Park is similar to taking a step back in time. The large animals move about the grassy prairie lands in droves, and their thunderous grunts pierce the dry, quiet air. Tumbleweeds stack up against nearby herding pens.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/us/bison-texas-quitaque-ctrp/index.html
The Goodnight Bison Herd Expands to 200, and the InterTribal Buffalo Council Doesn’t Want to Shut Down the Bison
Charles Goodnight was told by his wife to take in some orphan calves in order to preserve the species. The Goodnight’s supplied bison to some of the largest zoos and ranches across the country and the herd soon grew to 200 bison, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Since the herd is small enough to be wiped out by disease or natural disasters, Beard said he’d like expand to about 2,000 bison. Beard is looking for a stabilization of the bison in the southern Plains, similar to the efforts that have taken place in other parts of the country.
Donald Beard is the park Supt and is a passionate advocate for bison. They are making a comeback despite our best attempts to get rid of them.
He wants to establish bison herds in other locations. These efforts could include partnering with conservation organizations and Native American tribes to find more space for the bison, since Caprock Canyons is too small to hold more.
The InterTribal Buffalo Council is among the groups working to restore bison to indigenous tribes across the country and hopes to partner with the state park, as well. Troy Heinert, the council’s executive director, works with the 80 tribes to manage the 20,000 bison that he calls buffalo, for restoration of the original way of life for indigenous populations.
He mentioned that buffalo are very resilient. “We are a resilient people as well, and now we have the capacity to help the buffalo and in turn they will once again provide for us.”
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/us/bison-texas-quitaque-ctrp/index.html
From Bison tributes to Artisan tributes in downtown Quitaque: Guy Young, the first president of the First National Bank, and a friend of his father
Guy Young, a longtime resident, recalled the downtown area as a deserted space as recently as 15 years ago, a scene that’s become commonplace among rural America.
In the past ten years, several businesses have reopened or started again in the quaint downtown. An antique store, a coffee shop, a bed and breakfast, and a gift shop are all located in the same building.
“That doesn’t sound like very much, but when you’re going from zero to four – or one to four – just small steps like that are pretty big for us,” said Young, who’s also the president of the First National Bank in Quitaque.
Bison tributes and artwork are splattered across town. The colorful animals dance in painted murals on old buildings. They stand stoically as statuesque guardians along Main Street. They adorn t-shirts in local shops.
The mayor believes that economic growth in the city will help push the population growth. But he hopes the city will always hold onto its modest roots.