This Preserve In Indiana Takes Care And Gives Tours Of America's Official National Mammal; The Bison
On May 9, 2016, President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law, officially making the American bison the national mammal of the United States putting it on par with the Bald Eagle as symbol of our great nation. While this may have come as a surprise to some it was considered long overdue according to the folks at the Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve in Fremont, Indiana.
First let’s deal with the elephant in the room. Is it buffalo or is it bison? The animals that roamed North America in massive herds are actually bison, not buffalo. The only true buffalo in the world are located in Africa and South Asia. So why have Americans been using the incorrect term for so long? It is speculated that it was a result of the European migration to the New World where they incorrectly associated these giant creatures with their African or European look-alikes. Another theory is that it came about as a result of the words “buffe” or “bufle” which were both used to refer to any animal that provided a good hide for buff leather. Whatever the reason the words are intermingled to the point of being interchangeable in our country.
Whatever you call them, preserving and caring for American Bison is the mission of the Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve and it’s a job they take very seriously. Started in 1992, Wild Winds represents the fulfillment of a childhood dream by Dr. John Trippy, a retired maxillofacial surgeon whose first experience with bison took place at Yellowstone Park when he was 7 years old. “There was just this big ole bull eating grass on the side of the road and we stopped so I could take a picture with my old brownie camera. I never forgot that moment or that animal,” he says.
Years later Dr. Trippy was out of medical school and practicing when life took a slight turn. He explains, “One day after surgery I heard that someone over near Bowling Green, Ohio was raising bison. I jumped into my car that morning and drove over there with no idea who or where this farm was. I started asking door to door until someone finally directed me to a farmer named Dave Apple. Dave offered to help me start my own herd and I spent the next few weeks building fences between surgeries. Dave showed up with 5 heifers and one bull in the back of his pick-up. That’s how it all started.”
Today they care for over 150 bison on their 400-acre parcel of land tucked way up in the Northeastern corner of the Hoosier state. According to Dr.Trippy, “I wasn’t planning on having tours or anything. It was just supposed to be my little haven but people literally kept showing up, lining up along the fence and asking if they could see the bison. I started driving people out to the herd in my pick-up just to be nice but then things kept growing.”
According to Dee Feldbauer, the General Manager of Wild Winds, there’s something special about the place. “When you come here you can feel something. There is just this peace about the place. People come here to recover from illness or grief. It’s a little hidden piece of heaven.”
American bison once roamed the grasslands of North America in enormous herds. It’s hard to say how many of these massive creatures existed before the European settlement began but some estimates range as high as 50 million. Whatever the actual number was there were enough to prompt legendary explorers Lewis and Clark to write “the moving multitude darkened the whole plains”.
This precious resource was nearly driven to extinction in the late 1800s for two reasons. First, they were hunted mercilessly for their valuable hides and their tongues, which were considered a delicacy. Buffalo were a gold mine on four legs and were even shot from moving trains. Once the hides and tongues were removed the carcasses were left to rot. A good hunter could take down dozens of these creatures in a single day and make as much as $3 per hide. By 1897 there were fewer than 500 wild bison ranging across the continent. The rest were being taken care of by private citizens concerned with their health and survival.
Wild Winds continues this tradition today as the population of the American bison has recovered significantly both privately and in the wild. Taking care of these giant mammals is no easy task as Dee explains, “They are very wild and dangerous, not at all like cattle.” A full grown male can weigh anywhere from 750-2000 lbs, which means they need to be treated properly or things can get out of control quickly. Dee elaborates, “The most important part of taking care of bison is keeping them happy. If they aren’t happy and well fed they will simply push through the fence and go somewhere else. We have electric fences but they’re to keep people out. A bison won’t even feel the shocks through their thick skin. We have one male named Blackstone and if you aren’t there with food by 10am he just knocks the gate down and goes into the barn himself. There’s not much we can do to stop him.”
Despite their wild nature Dee and the rest of the staff at Wild Winds have come to understand and respect the bison and their culture. “They are a matriarchal society,” explains Dee. “The females control the herd and we consider them sacred. When one of the herd dies, the others will do everything they can to get their fallen companion back onto its feet. If we try to come take the body they chase us off until a certain amount of time has passed, sometimes that’s a day. Sometimes a week or more. We think they’re grieving.”
Wild Winds offers multiple tours into the herds each day, some led by Dr. John himself, and you are welcome to stay at their Bed & Breakfast right on property. Lodge accommodations as well as safari tents on raised wooden platforms in the buffalo fields are available for those who wish to stay the night. Dee recommends giving yourself plenty of time to visit:“When you get out on the field you kind of lose track of time. You kind of forget about the guides or the people with you. You kind of become one with the bison.” Sounds like a great way to commune with the United States’ national mammal.
Michael Quinn
A graduate of St. Louis University in Communications with a focus in Advertising & Promotions, Michael has worked for Blue Man Group, Oito Zero Oito and Counts Media among others. His interests include DJing and Lawn Mower Disrepair.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Manapogo Park, a beautiful family RV campground located in the Northeast corner of Indiana — making it easily accessible from Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. If you are on you way across the country, our park is a great place to spend the night.