Charlie’s picture of the week shows you don’t have to go far to experience one of America’s quintessential animals

Back a few years ago, when I was a child, (OK, QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO!!), there was a very familiar song verse: “Oh, give me a home where the Buffalo roam/And the deer and the antelope play!”  Those words begin the lyrics to “Home on the Range,” a popular cowboy song that we would sing while playing Cowboys & Indians, during music class at grammar school or while watching or listening to Westerns on the TV and Radio.  Everybody knew the words! 

Those very words came to mind a little over a week ago on Saturday, June 13. While roaming around in my SUV on one of my “Looking for Stuff” journeys, I came across the Novak’s Buffalo Roam Farm. AND WHAT LUCK!! I came across a picture perfect setting. I have been by here quite a few times in my travels, BUT, either didn’t see any buffalo or they were pretty far away!!

Here is the story of my ‘LUCKY’ visit:

Went on one of my “Looking for Stuff” trips and came across The Novak’s Buffalo Roam Farm. What luck!! Here I have a young bull on a ‘wallow’ dirt pad (NOTE: Buffalo love to roll in dirt for their dust bath) near the fence by the road, with a nice view of the rest of the herd across the pond. Took a couple of photos and was departing when I noticed the young bull get up, so I re-parked and followed the action. He literally slopped through the grass, drinking while walking. If I hadn’t heard the sloshing sounds, observed his legs wallowing down to the knees in mud and then finally hearing the loud suction noise, lifting his legs back out of the mud, I would have never realized just how wet those grasslands were, located just on the other side of the fence and down to my right!!  I took quite a few film clips. 

I started leaving again when I noticed him heading for the pond and AGAIN parked for some photos. By the time I re-parked, I got the photo with just his head above water!!  The young bull came full circle, finally working his way back to the ‘wallow’ dirt pad where he did a few more rolls!!  Keeping the word LUCKY in mind, all this while, the herd, originally on the far side of the pond had meandered over to where I was. My visit ended watching and recording on video the young bull ‘wisely’  give up the dirt pad when the “BOSS,” or herd bull, arrived!  More luck, The BOSS, then had a nice roll for himself!!  I think you will agree, I could not have planned this any better!!!  FINALLY, I actually departed almost an hour to the minute from my arrival!!

More About Bison

The American Bison, or “Buffalo,” is the largest terrestrial animal in North America.  Dark brown, with shaggy mane and beard.  Long tail with tuft at the tip.  A broad massive head, humped shoulders, short legs with shaggy hair and large hooves.  Both sexes have short black horns with pointed tips protruding from the top of the head. 

For size, males are 6 feet tall and 10-12 feet long, females 5 feet tall and 7-8 feet long. Males weigh 900-2,000 lbs, females 790-1000 lbs. Their breeding season can vary, most often June-September with one, occasionally two calves after a 9-9.5 month gestation period. 

Bison love their dirt baths. Wallows are a dusty, saucer-like depression, 8-10 wide and one foot deep, where the bison have rolled and rubbed repeatedly. Dust bathing relieves itching and rids the coat of insects.  A bull may urinate in dry wallows then cake himself with mud for protection against insects. 

Their habitat is varied, primarily plains, prairies, and river valleys, and sometimes forests.  Historically they ranged from south of the NW Territories in Canada to NW Mexico, Texas and Mississippi and east to SW New York, South Carolina and Georgia.  Presently, large, free-ranging herds only exist at Wood Buffalo National Park, Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary and Slave River Lowlands in NW Territories, Canada, and in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.  Many smaller herds are only in fenced in areas. 

They are most active in early morning and late afternoon, but sometimes also on moonlit nights.  In midday heat, they rest, chewing their cud or dust bathing.  Bison are good swimmers; they are so buoyant that head, hump and tail remain above water.  They are also good runners: They will stampede if frightened, attaining speeds of up to 32 mph!  There are three kinds of bison family groups: Matriarchal, which include cows, calves, yearlings and sometimes one or two bulls; Bull, though some bulls are solitary; and Breeding, which is a combination of the other groups.  Lifespan in the wild averages about 25 years. 

In the 15^th century, Bison grazed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific and from Mexico and Florida into Canada. Probably no other animal has been as central to a people’s way of life as was the bison to the Native American.  They ate its meat, used skins as shelter and clothing, fashioned thread and rope from sinew, made glue and tools from the hooves and bones and burned droppings as fuel!  Although the Native American occasionally killed more bison than they could use, stampeding thousands over cliffs, they had no significant effect on the bison population.  The destruction of the American Bison began about 1830, when U.S. Government policy advocated the animal’s extermination in order to subdue hostile Indian Tribes through starvation. At that time, estimates of the number of bison in North America range from 30 to 70 million.  Today only 65,000-plus roam U.S. and Canadian national parks and ranges, along with privately-owned rangeland. Few are wild and free-ranging.

Seeing Buffalo at Home

This is a wonderful, fun family visit!! While looking at these huge, graceful animals, remember, the western plains were covered as far as the eye could see with massive herds of millions!!

Directions: The field is located at the corner of Delaware Rd. & Koeck Rd. Koeck Rd. is quiet so you can pull into the grass along the road!! ENJOY!! I sure did!! 

THANK YOU TO THE NOVAK FAMILY for bringing some buffalo to Warren County!! 

I’m wondering if anyone in Warren County has some antelope!!??  If so, I recommend making the song ‘Home on the Range’ Warren County’s Open Space Theme Song!!

Please visit my Flickr site for more photos and movie clips of my visit – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157709621753921

Please visit my Flickr site for photos of a Buffalo herd in Wyoming along with a story about how Buffalo were saved from extinction.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157631395110900

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Director Open Space
Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission – Chairman
Allamuchy Historical Society – Prfesident