Antelope Island is the home to one of the few remaining public Bison herds in the United States. After existing on the island for nearly 100 years the Utah Division of Wildlife inherited the herd of bison when they purchased the northern 2800 acres of land on the island in 1981. A Bison Management Plan was created shortly after the 7 mile causeway flooded in 1983 and the first Bison Round Up was held in 1987. Offering a re-living of the cowboy romance of the western round up, this has become a central event bringing hundreds of volunteers to the island every fall.