Culling The Herd~ Final Day

Artist: Susan Bergstrom
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Culling The Herd~ Final Day

Culling The Herd is a neccessary process in the yearly Buffalo Round-Up, all of the Guest Riders were invited to watch the process on how the State of South Dakota looks after the wellness and health of our National Treasure the American Bison.
The herd swelling to over 2000 was all now safe behind reinforced corrals awaiting the culling process.
This starts with extracting the obvious sick and injured and old aged. Some of the older Bulls and Cows are finally taken out of the herd as living through another season is weighed against selling to private buyers, zoos and feedlots.

Next comes the seperation of the mature calves from the mothers, this can be pretty emotional and action packed. The calves can be nearly as big as the mother… but it is still her baby and she will do whatever it takes to protect him/her. These mature calves are most likely sold off to private buyers to start new herds…and since Buffalo meat has been found to be a low fat and low cholesteral meat source, some of the mature calves go to feed lots.
The new born calves and toddler calves are left to stay with the mother for another season.

The inoculation of the entire herd comes next…Bursiloisis (sp) is the deadly virus that Buffalo contract and can be passed on to cattle…this is a virulent air born virus and can infect and wipe out an intire herd of cattle…and finally the branding and releasing back into the main herd is the last step in the maintenance of one of the largest herds of Buffalo in the world.
This whole process takes many hours and each animal is treated with the highest care and respect. The National Value of this herd is monumental and the humane treatment of these animals is the highest priority.

Stay tuned…last day and evening Guest Rider fun captures and more!
Thanks for viewing this series…

I WANT MY MOM

A CALMING TOUCH

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’M OUTTA’ HERE!!!

I’M FREE!!

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1 In The Beginning - Ancient Practices, All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, Around The World, Art Inspired by Dreams, AW Welcome Center, Boredom Competitions on the 24/7, Creative, Talented, and Unknown, Exotic Mammals, First Things, Just Brown, Live, Love, Dream: , Livestock in General, Rural Around The Globe, Safe Haven, The Addicted Photographer►2 Per Day◄, The Wild West Show, United States, Victorian Viewfinders, Western United States Artists and Photographers and Who are YOU to Judge?