Romanticized Ungulates

The American Bison is an animal of folklore which borders on the mythological.  It once roamed over most of what is now the United States, but was almost exterminated in the late 1800's when Federal Policy determined it was the fastest way to gain control of militant tribes who dominated many areas of the continent.  At risk of being controversial here, I will state my position that the various wars fought for control of the North American continent were no different than other wars fought over land throughout history.

Some have argued that the American Bison should be reestablished on its original range -- or, at least a portion of it.  The primary area proposed includes the drier portions of the Great Plains which stretches from Montana to Texas.  Called the Buffalo Commons, the proposed 10 to 20 million acre reserve would allow the Bison to migrate freely as they once did.

The concept, first mentioned in a 1987 essay, has received much attention -- especially among "First Americans" (American Indians) and many that I will call "emotional ecologists."  I have to admit that it does have a certain romantic appeal.

The image above was taken in a feedlot in Kansas several years ago.  These animals were from a private herd established on the Smoky Hill River.  They were destined for a processing plant in Salina, Kansas, which specialized in "Buffalo" meat.  Many fans of American Bison tout the lean meat as being healthier than beef from cattle.  Both cattle and American Bison are in the same Family, Bovidae, and the same Sub-Family, Bovinae.  Because of this, they can be crossbred and virtually all of the American Bison found in the United States carry at least some Bos taurus genes.

I find it interesting and symptomatic of limited understanding by those who support the Buffalo Common concept that it would merely be replacing one type of Bovine with another.  After all, the area proposed by proponents is currently occupied by cattle ranches which supply nutritious beef to consumers.  Many more pounds of beef can be produced on the same amount of land in a shorter period of time with cattle than with bison.  Bison are inefficient in the feedlot and take much longer to reach a marketable condition.

Some would argue that Bison, through their grazing behavior, are better for the environment.  Many cattle herds are being managed in a similar manner through rotational grazing systems.  Methane production by the animals is named as one of the culprits of negative climate impact.  I don't really think it is an issue.  Estimates of the number of Bison that once roamed the continent vary greatly -- from about 10 million to over 60 million.  There are more cattle today than there were Bison, but there are also many more people consuming the meat.  Methane production by Bison was likely higher on a per head basis than in cattle today.  I think blaming climate change on grazing ungulates is pointing the finger in the wrong direction.  The greater culprit is burning of fossil fuels in our planes, trains and automobiles -- which would still be used by tourists to go see the roaming Bison on the Buffalo Commons.