In Arizona,
buffalo or bison are found on two wildlife
areas operated by the Game and Fish Department;
Raymond, located east of Flagstaff, and House
Rock, located east of the North Kaibab. Both
wildlife areas are managed to provide viewing
opportunities as well as recreation for sport
hunters
Life History
Buffalo, or Bison, are the largest living member in the cow family. Live
adult weights range from 1,400 to 2,500 pounds for males and 750 to 1,600
pounds for females. Male buffalo have massive appearing front quarters
with a large hump above the shoulders; these are covered with woolly hair
up to 1.5 inches long that also covers the head and forelegs. This hair
will turn tan with age and is two to five times thicker than hind quarter
hair. The head has a broad triangular appearance with a beard. Calves are
reddish-tan at birth and change to brown or black at three months. The
hump and horns begin developing at six months age. Both males and females
exhibit horns. Male horns can reach 20" long. Female horns are always smaller.
Smell and hearing is acute, while eyesight is poor. Adult buffalo can run
sprints of 35 mph for up to 1/4 of a mile and they can run longer distances
at slower speeds. Buffalo are also capable of jumping over 6 foot high
fences without touching the fence. While buffalo may live as long as 28
years, few attain the age of 12 to 15 years. They are gregarious and can
form large herd groups. Herd groups are unstable and group composition
changes constantly. Herd groups are dominated by a matriarchal female,
except during breeding.
Adult buffalo eat approximately 35 pounds per day. Although local variations
in forage availability and preferences occur, they will shift toward the
most abundant forage; eating grasses, forbs, and browse.
Hunt History
Public buffalo hunts have been held at House Rock Ranch since the 1920s.
These buffalo, which were originally brought to Arizona Charles Jesse "Buffalo" Jones,
were sold to state by Uncle Jimmie Owens after their "cattalo" experiment
proved unsuccessful. When the number of buffalo was judged excessive for
their Forest Service grazing lands in the mid- 1940s, the Arizona Game
and Fish Department moved some of them to the agency's newly acquired Raymond
Ranch. Other buffalo were moved to Fort Huachuca, which the Department
acquired after World War II. The tenure of these latter animals was short,
however, as they had to be disposed of when the Fort was reactivated in
the 1950s. Some were sold and sent to the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, and
the remainder were removed through a public hunt.
The herds at House Rock and Raymond Ranch wildlife areas remained, however,
and the Department set out to manage these herds on a sustained basis.
A economic profit proved elusive, however, as it was impossible to sustain
sufficient breeding stock without damaging the range. Moreover, the shooting
of buffalo being driven out of a corral, while making economic sense, became
increasingly difficult to justify from a sociological perspective. As a
result, both herds were drastically reduced in the early 1970s by hunters
who had to take their animals in the field. The management of the buffalo
herds is now more in line with the carrying capacity of their respective
ranges, with between 45 and 65 buffalo being harvested each year. A special
permit has always been required for the taking of this species.
Behavior
Breeding occurs from mid-July to early September. Males are polygamous,
but they do not form harems. During the rut males may lose up 300 pounds.
Most breeding is done by mature males five to eight years old. Gestation
ranges from 270 to 285 days. Calves are born in the spring from late April
through May. Twinning has not been documented. Nursing activity occurs
primarily during the daylight hours and each nursing bout can last up to
20 minutes.
Numerous state game agencies and federal agencies have been trying to maintain
or develop representative herds of wild and free ranging sustainable populations
of buffalo. They are trying to develop herds that provide recreational
hunting, scientific research, and aesthetic uses with minimal management
efforts. In these areas, hunting and live-animal sales remove excess animals
to keep the habitat within carrying capacity.
Summary
Breeding
Period: Mid-July
to early September
Young
Appear: Late
April-May
Average
Number of Young: 1
Distribution: Found
on Game and Fish properties-
Raymond Ranch and House
Rock wildlife areas
Habitat: Grasslands
of northern Arizona
Food
Preference: Grasses
and forbs
Live
Weight: M-1,400-2,500lbs.;
F-750-1,600lbs.
Predators: Mountain
Lions attack calves;
practically none for
the adults
Habitat
