Tuning in to My Favorite Show

little girl watching Bison up close


I tuned in to my favorite show the other afternoon.

This was a particularly good episode; a little bit of drama…some jostling among the stars…and a real family theme.

I call it Bison TV. It plays out every day on a screen wider than in any movie theater.

Sue and I decided to take an afternoon and take some friends out into the pasture where our shirttail group of buffalo run with a friend’s larger herd.

The herd knows that the truck in the pasture generally means that there will be treats for all (pellets of pressed molasses and alfalfa). As soon as we climbed into the pickup bed, we were surrounded by bison moms, fresh calves, and a couple of bulls.

Distributing treats from the back of a truck is one way bison ranchers check up on their herds. Watching the bison nose around in the grass for treats, or as they come to the truck to take one from my hand, is a good way to take inventory of how many calves have hit the ground , and to check for any injured or sick animals.

But today wasn’t for work. This was simply a time to relax and enjoy the beauty of this animal and the land.

We sat and watched for a couple of hours. At one point, one of the herd walked off alone over a low hillock. As we prepared to leave, we drove over the hill and, there she was, licking her newly delivered calf and helping it to its feet. By the time the rest of the herd came over the hillock to join the new arrival, the little calf was up and taking its first taste of mother’s milk and nibbles of sweet buffalo grass.

I looked skyward in time to see jet airline streaking overhead.

Many airline passengers consider this part of the United States flyover country because it seems as an empty expanse to fly over as you travel from one good place to another.

I guess those airline travelers have never watched Bison TV.

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