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

Researchers

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

Thank you

University of Nebraska –LincolnBlack Hills State UniversityOglala Lakota CollegeOglala Sioux Parks and Recreation AuthorityIntertribal Buffalo Council