Antelope Island State Park carries out 36th annual bison roundup
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- Cowboys keep a herd of bison in line during the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Rios Pacheco of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation blesses those participating in the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the final push into the corral area during the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys take position behind a small herd of bison during the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys herd bison uphill during the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Bison rest in a holding pen following the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- A herd of bison makes its way through the tall grasses of Antelope Island during the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Cowboys assist with the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
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- Bison are herded across the plains during the 36th annual bison roundup at Antelope Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
ANTELOPE ISLAND STATE PARK — Saturday saw Antelope Island State Park carry out a critical activity in preserving its extensive bison herd.
This weekend marked the 36th annual bison roundup at the park, attracting cowboys from all over and thousands of visitors.
“We have between 750-800 bison on the island,” Park Manager Wendy Wilson told the Standard-Examiner. “It’s a limited resource. Every year, we’ll round them up, get them into the handling facility on the north end of the island and next week we’ll work them through the corral system so they can get health checks, vaccinations, and then we’ll remove about 250-300 animals each year that we’ll sell at a public auction. That’s how we cull the herd or keep the numbers down to what they can easily maintain themselves through the winter.”
According to a media release, the working of the bison is a very thorough and involved process.
“Bison are separated into small groups and moved into a series of holding pens,” the release said. “They then pass into a chute, which helps to reduce the chance of animals bunching up or fighting. One by one, bison enter the hydraulic squeeze chute where it takes only two to three minutes to vaccinate the animals for parasites, clostridium, infectious bovine rhino tracheitis, bovine vibriosis; collect blood samples; weigh; attach a small computer chip; and palpate cows and heifers for pregnancy. Calves receive their first calfhood vaccinations for brucellosis.”
Wilson said there’s been a major change in the roundup in its 36 years — the time taken to execute it.
“We get this done, now, in about four hours,” she said. “It used to take a couple of days. That’s improved a lot, we’re much more streamlined now. Then the working of the bison would take two weeks, and we do that now in three days. It’s evolved a lot, for sure.”
Still, she says the challenges are very much there.
“There’s a lot of moving parts,” she said. “There’s a lot of riders. The bison are in various parts of the island, so we’re coordinating with radios and communication. … It’s very logistically complicated.”
According to Wilson, about 300 cowboys on horseback were involved in this year’s roundup.
She said the roundup also is a big draw for the public, usually attracting a couple thousand visitors.
Saturday’s roundup, which began at 9 a.m., wrapped up around 1:40 p.m. with the majority of the bison being corralled without incident. Small contingents of bison that broke away will be corralled in the coming weeks. Following the roundup, park guests also were able to enjoy food and other activities near the bison pens.
The public is welcome to view the working of the bison this week, Tuesday through Thursday, during normal park hours.
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