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Antelope Island bison herd
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Antelope Island bison herd
The Antelope Island bison herd is a semi–free-ranging population of American bison (Bison bison, buffalo) in Antelope Island State Park in Great Salt Lake, Utah. Bison were introduced to Antelope Island in 1893. The herd is significant because it is one of the largest and oldest publicly owned bison herds in the nation. The Antelope Island bison herd currently numbers between 550 and 700 individuals. Though the bison on Antelope Island are plains bison (Bison bison bison), which was the most common bison subspecies in North America, the bison have a distinct genetic heritage from many of the other bison herds in the United States and they are considered to be desirable as part of the breeding and foundation stock for other bison herds, because of their separate genetic heritage and some of the distinct genetic markers that are found in the population.
The Antelope Island bison herd is one of the two bison herds managed by the State of Utah, the other being the Henry Mountains bison herd. Other large free-ranging, publicly controlled herds of bison in the United States include the Yellowstone Park bison herd (5,000 bison), the herd in Custer State Park, South Dakota (1,300 bison), the Henry Mountains bison herd in south-central Utah (300 to 500 animals), and the herd at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota (350 bison).
Bison watching is one of the most popular activities on Antelope Island, and the bison generally are easily found and observed.
Bison occur almost anywhere on Antelope Island, including the northern end near the causeway, however most of them tend to congregate on the southeast side near the Fielding Garr Ranch.
American bison historically have lived in river valleys, and on prairies and plains. Typical habitat is open or semi-open grasslands, as well as sagebrush, semi-arid lands and scrublands. Some lightly wooded areas are also known historically to have supported bison. Bison will also graze in hilly or mountainous areas where the slopes are not steep. Though not commonly thought of as high altitude animals, bison in the Yellowstone Park bison herd are frequently found at elevations above 8,000 feet. Animals from the Henry Mountains bison herd are found on the plains around the Henry Mountains, Utah, as well as in mountain valleys of the Henry Mountains to an altitude of 10,000 feet. Bison historically lived in the high mountain "parks" of Colorado (e.g. South Park (Colorado basin)) which are at elevations of approximately 10,000 feet. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science includes a diorama depicting bison in this setting and the original specimen was collected from Lost Park, Colorado, in 1887.
There are no river valleys on Antelope Island, though there are some springs and some relatively flat to gently sloping plains, rising into mountains along the central spine of the island. Antelope Island sits at an elevation of approximately 4,300 feet above sea level with peaks to 6,500 feet. This is similar to the high plains of Colorado and Wyoming. Though bison in the park will wander over most of this range, they tend to stay more in the lower and flatter grassy areas of the Antelope Island State Park.
The Antelope Island American bison heard began with an entrepreneurial venture by a man named William Glasmann. In 1889, he and a Mr. John Lynch purchased the Jeter Clinton Property on Clinton Landing Road in Lake Point, Utah. The property contained the historic Jeter Clinton home and the now destroyed Lake House Hotel, which saw its hay day in 1870’s during a historic lake level high point for the Great Salt Lake, but had since fallen into decline as the lake receded and the newer Garfield Resort was built on the water just 1.5 miles east down the shoreline.
In the same year of this land acquisition, Glasmann had visited Texas and met Charles Jesse “Buffalo” Jones of Kansas. He put a down payment on acquiring a portion of the Jones American bison herd and offered for him to manage what Glasmann called his Utah Buffalo Zoological Gardens. The first American bison arrived in Lake Point in October 1889 in a starved and weak state from Manitoba. In less than a year, Glasmann’s herd grew to seventeen.
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Antelope Island bison herd
The Antelope Island bison herd is a semi–free-ranging population of American bison (Bison bison, buffalo) in Antelope Island State Park in Great Salt Lake, Utah. Bison were introduced to Antelope Island in 1893. The herd is significant because it is one of the largest and oldest publicly owned bison herds in the nation. The Antelope Island bison herd currently numbers between 550 and 700 individuals. Though the bison on Antelope Island are plains bison (Bison bison bison), which was the most common bison subspecies in North America, the bison have a distinct genetic heritage from many of the other bison herds in the United States and they are considered to be desirable as part of the breeding and foundation stock for other bison herds, because of their separate genetic heritage and some of the distinct genetic markers that are found in the population.
The Antelope Island bison herd is one of the two bison herds managed by the State of Utah, the other being the Henry Mountains bison herd. Other large free-ranging, publicly controlled herds of bison in the United States include the Yellowstone Park bison herd (5,000 bison), the herd in Custer State Park, South Dakota (1,300 bison), the Henry Mountains bison herd in south-central Utah (300 to 500 animals), and the herd at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota (350 bison).
Bison watching is one of the most popular activities on Antelope Island, and the bison generally are easily found and observed.
Bison occur almost anywhere on Antelope Island, including the northern end near the causeway, however most of them tend to congregate on the southeast side near the Fielding Garr Ranch.
American bison historically have lived in river valleys, and on prairies and plains. Typical habitat is open or semi-open grasslands, as well as sagebrush, semi-arid lands and scrublands. Some lightly wooded areas are also known historically to have supported bison. Bison will also graze in hilly or mountainous areas where the slopes are not steep. Though not commonly thought of as high altitude animals, bison in the Yellowstone Park bison herd are frequently found at elevations above 8,000 feet. Animals from the Henry Mountains bison herd are found on the plains around the Henry Mountains, Utah, as well as in mountain valleys of the Henry Mountains to an altitude of 10,000 feet. Bison historically lived in the high mountain "parks" of Colorado (e.g. South Park (Colorado basin)) which are at elevations of approximately 10,000 feet. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science includes a diorama depicting bison in this setting and the original specimen was collected from Lost Park, Colorado, in 1887.
There are no river valleys on Antelope Island, though there are some springs and some relatively flat to gently sloping plains, rising into mountains along the central spine of the island. Antelope Island sits at an elevation of approximately 4,300 feet above sea level with peaks to 6,500 feet. This is similar to the high plains of Colorado and Wyoming. Though bison in the park will wander over most of this range, they tend to stay more in the lower and flatter grassy areas of the Antelope Island State Park.
The Antelope Island American bison heard began with an entrepreneurial venture by a man named William Glasmann. In 1889, he and a Mr. John Lynch purchased the Jeter Clinton Property on Clinton Landing Road in Lake Point, Utah. The property contained the historic Jeter Clinton home and the now destroyed Lake House Hotel, which saw its hay day in 1870’s during a historic lake level high point for the Great Salt Lake, but had since fallen into decline as the lake receded and the newer Garfield Resort was built on the water just 1.5 miles east down the shoreline.
In the same year of this land acquisition, Glasmann had visited Texas and met Charles Jesse “Buffalo” Jones of Kansas. He put a down payment on acquiring a portion of the Jones American bison herd and offered for him to manage what Glasmann called his Utah Buffalo Zoological Gardens. The first American bison arrived in Lake Point in October 1889 in a starved and weak state from Manitoba. In less than a year, Glasmann’s herd grew to seventeen.
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