OST TRIBAL BISON HERD RESEARCHBY DR TRUDY ECOFFEY, WILDLIFE
BIOLOGIST OGLALA SIOUX PARKS AND RECREATION AUTHORITY
Presentation for ITBC Annual Meeting 2011 – Las
Vegas, NV
Oglala Sioux Tribe Bison Herd
Background on bison herdIssues of management –Low reproductive rate – Nutrition requirements –Genetics Herd Behavior
Background on herd
Tribe has had a Buffalo Herd since 1930sManaged by the Oglala Sioux Parks and
Recreation Authority since 19704 main pastures800+ animal capacityHands off management – Holistic ApproachElk, prairie dogs, deer, Mt lions, coyotes, etc
Issues for the herd
Low Reproductive Rate33% calving rate in 2009Coming off a drought Total pasture burned in Slim ButtesLittle to no record keepingNo real culling or harvesting rulesNo herd management plan
Range management
Mid grass prairie with intermittent Ponderosa Pine Savanna
Stocking Rate – Regulated by BIA and 35 to 40 acres per animal unit
Supplementation No real range management plan other then
trying to keep stocking rate in check and begin to supplement with minerals
Goals of Research
1. Increase calving percentage2. Look at nutrition of bison herd
What are they lacking in terms of nutrition?
3. Assess genetic integrity of bison Are there issues with genetics?
4. Document herd dynamics through a behavior study
Record Keeping
Round up and documentation1. Sex2. Age3. Weight4. Tagging5. Pregnancy test/wet or dry6. Scrotum size on bull7. Body Condition score8. Fecal 9. Pull Tail Hair10. Comments – injuries, external parasites, eye issues, etc
Genetic Integrity
Tribal bison herd is primarily from stock from Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park
What bulls are doing most of the breeding?Are some cows not producing and if so, do
you cull them? Is inbreeding or lack of genetic diversity an
issue?What should we be looking at for genetics?
What is causing the low reproductive rate?
Is it nutrition?Is it lack of genetic diversity?Is the herd structure compromised by lack of
management? Is there a reproductive disease?
What animals to DNA test?
Pulling tail hairs on everythingSent a small sample size of tail hairs of young
breeding bulls to Black Hills State UniversityLook at cattle genesToo small of sample size to determine at this
time if there are any issuesNeed to define what we are hoping to findLook at behavior study to assess what
animals, particularly bulls
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