Buffalo Dan's Bison

Those of you who have followed my blog from the beginning or are familiar with my bee blog from years past will recall that I've made two previous attempts at beekeeping with limited results.  Well, Jess and I discussed it and I'm going to give it another try. To improve my chances of success, I've moved the hives from their isolated spot on the edge of the ranch to a location about 100 meters from my camper trailer.  This will make it easier to keep and eye on the hive and make sure everything is okay.  The hives have been cleaned out and are ready for the four packages I've ordered.  The packages should be ready for pickup in March. 

This past weekend I completed a project that added an additional 30 acres to the land occupied by our bison. The majority of the work involved in this project has been installing 4000 feet of new fencing through a mostly forested property perimeter.  Of the total fencing about 1,200 feet is 6.5 feet tall woven wire fencing and the remaining is 6 strands of high-tensile electric fence.  The woven wire portion of the fence is the same type discussed in a previous post , while the electric fence is similar to previously installed electric fences except more permanent and taller.  Using the tractor mount wire dispenser saved a lot of time by allowing me to install all six of the electric fence wires at one time.  One useful new tool I used was the tractor mounted wire dispenser I've described building in a previous post .  The wire dispenser worked pretty well as long as I made sure the tensioning nuts on each wheel were set high enough to prevent excessive unwinding. 

This past July I experienced some difficulties with our current bison water source that convinced me of the need to install a well at the ranch.  Since we first introduced bison to our pastures, we've relied on what is commonly known as a limited access point method for water.  A limited access point is simply a small section of a stream or pond into which the pasture fencing extends.  This allows the animals enough space to drink the water, but not enough room to go for a swim.  It is largely considered a more ecologically sound than giving the animals access to the entire body of water (which is definitely true for cattle).  The bison taking turns using the limited access area of the pond for water during a dry spell last year.  Having only one permanent source of water can have a negative impact on the pasture immediately surrounding the access area as is visible in this photograph.  Generally the limited access point method has worked well for us, but at one point d

 Over the past month or so I've been noticing a few changes in the bison herd.  Our big bull has largely separated himself from the herd and now spends much of his time sitting or standing majestically on hilltops.  He comes and goes when he pleases without waiting for a herd consensus.  The bull has always been more independent than the others, but this almost complete separation from the herd is something new.  The females exploring the site of a solar powered water well I'm installing.  If we count the months from March, when the bull was very aggressive towards me and attentive to the females, to now it will be around eight months.  The bison gestation period is around 9 and a half months, so it's possible that we will start seeing babies next month.  I really don't know what to look for to tell if they are pregnant.  Jess had hoped the thermal imaging device might enable us to see some sort of evidence of bison pregnancy, but bison hair is so insulating that