Handling and Herding
“Sure, you can herd bison … anywhere they want to go.”
Bison differ substantially from cattle and they often respond poorly to handling that would be routine for cattle. Bison should be treated as wildlife and handled infrequently or preferably, not at all. When handling is absolutely necessary, suitable precautions must be observed, for example, old bulls (and cows) can be very dangerous and difficult to handle. Handling facilities designed especially for bison are needed to ensure the safety of both the animals and people that work with them.
The general guidelines on preserving normal bison behaviour below are only an introduction. An understanding of the concepts of bison behaviour, practical experience, and perhaps, special training is required to handle bison well. We recommend consulting known experts for advice.
When active management of bison is necessary, use “calm animal” techniques based on an approach that adjusts human behaviour to fit the natural response of the animal, rather than the other way around. This approach simplifies handling “wild” animals, and it reduces the tendency for managers to inadvertently remove ecologically desirable traits over time by selective culling.
Guidelines for handling bison are predicated on exploiting their natural instincts. Bison are strongly motivated by food, by threat of predation, and by the need to maintain social cohesion. Managers can exploit these tendencies: bison can be led with food, and lighter fencing is adequate if better foods are not detected across a fence. By appearing as a predator, managers can precipitate uncontrollable flight or even attack. Bison’s herding “instincts” prevail and groups of bison can be motivated to move simply by motivating the lead cow.
It is easier to lead than to drive bison. Once trained to come to vehicles for food, bison will readily follow a vehicle to different parts of their home range, or they can be gathered for processing. Food dispensed at corrals during annual processing can motivate bison to move on their own toward corrals at the appropriate time the next year.