Bison roundup a ‘step back in time’
Riders take part in the annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Oct. 26, 2019.
Riders travel across Antelope Island State Park during the annual bison roundup on Oct. 26, 2019.
Riders get ready to help move bison into corrals during the annual roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Oct. 26, 2019.
Cowboys, cowgirls and throngs of spectators gather for the 33rd Annual Bison Roundup on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, on Antelope Island. The herd of nearly 700 is moved to the north end of the island into a corral to be sorted and vaccinated.
Cowboys, cowgirls and throngs of spectators gather for the 33rd Annual Bison Roundup on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, on Antelope Island. The herd of nearly 700 is moved to the north end of the island into a corral to be sorted and vaccinated.
Cowboys, cowgirls and throngs of spectators gather for the 33rd Annual Bison Roundup on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, on Antelope Island. The herd of nearly 700 is moved to the north end of the island into a corral to be sorted and vaccinated.
The bison roundup is something that happens annually on Antelope Island. It is often called a “step back in time” by those who participate in the event, and this year’s roundup on Oct. 26 was no different.
Throughout the course of history on the island, the bison have been gathered in order to give them a “checkup” of sorts on their health. The bison are a very small and nearly extinct species, and this is why the bison roundup happens every year.
After the roundup, from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, the bison were routinely separated and then various procedures occurred, according to the article “2019 Bison Roundup” on the Utah State Parks website. The animals received vaccinations, were scanned for illnesses and were checked for pregnancies. This is all in order to keep the bison healthy and strong.
Many horse riders from Northern Utah volunteer to take part in the annual roundup because they like to experience the interaction with the wildlife.
“I went to watch the interaction of the bison with each other up close and to see what brings people from all over the country to participate in an event that happens once a year, 20 minutes from where I live,” said my father, Nate McClure, who had the chance to be a rider this year.
The roundup is a remarkable experience that many, even those living in this area, do not know about. This is part of why it is considered a “step back in time.”
On the move
In the beginning, the procedure for rounding up all the bison at Antelope Island State Park involved using a helicopter to spur the bison on toward the stalls where they would spend a few days receiving health checkups. But specialists discovered that the stress of the helicopters above the animals was causing them to have near-heart attacks and become very sick, and sometimes it would even cause them to die.
This method was very perilous, and in order to better care for the bison, it was decided that horses with riders would be the only suitable method for gathering up the animals — at first, anyway.
If all the bison that live on Antelope Island — about 700 animals — are not gathered up in their entirety on the roundup day, specialists go out the next day and find the rest of them. Then the few that are missed after both of these events are still gathered up by helicopters, because it’s very important that every bison is checked for illness and disease.
There were a greater number of people participating in the bison roundup this year than there have been in past years. Since my father was one of the riders who took part, I was lucky enough to hear some stories about those who participated and saw things firsthand.
During the roundup, there are specialists who ride directly behind the buffalo, and the rest of the horse riders are backup in case a buffalo gets by. One of the bison got free from a group and attacked a rider and his horse that were behind group. The bison wheeled around and its right horn stabbed straight into the horse’s backside. The horse was wounded very badly; it took a full adult-sized hoodie to stanch the blood flow coming out of the wound.
However, the horse was able to leave the roundup and is expected to live.
Another woman’s horse stumbled, and she fell off. Not only this, but her finger got caught in the reins of the horse and was actually torn off! She located her finger and was able to have it stitched back on, but this is a reminder that you should always wear gloves when you ride a horse as a precaution. Through these simple means, we can protect ourselves from accidents that could potentially affect us the rest of our lives.
Helping the animals
As the end of the roundup drew near, several people carelessly let some of the buffalo go free. They attempted to chase them back toward the stalls; however, they were unable to regather the bison. The job would have to be left to the specialists after the roundup was over.
The roundup must be conducted in a particular way and done carefully in order to effectively get all of the bison together. That is a miracle in and of itself.
Without events like the Antelope Island bison roundup, few, if any, bison would still be around today. Potentially, the animals could be extinct.
This Utah roundup provides a lot of security for the animals, as well as hope for their future. It is a great thing for everyone around Antelope Island, those who participate in the roundup and especially the bison.