A long time ago, before there were fences and Walmarts and Angus cows, huge herds of bison (aka buffalo) grazed this country. Bison supplied the Plains Indian with meat, hides for clothing and shelter, cooking utensils, and numerous other essentials.
Over-hunting of buffalo by the white man, followed by government-decreed mass slaughter, resulted in the buffalo's near demise and the intentional starvation and ensuing surrender of the Indian--one of this nation's darker times.
A century and a half later, the American West is primarily grazed by the more easy-going, better-marbled Angus cow. Buffalo numbers have rebounded, however.
In northwest Wyoming, buffalo roam the historic Antlers Ranch near Meeteetse. Bison are less vulnerable to wolf and grizzly predation than their smaller, more genteel cow-cousins. And since they can paw through deep, crusty snow to find feed, they require less winter tending which saves time and money in hay, labor, fuel, and machinery.
One of the primary reasons that more ranches don't run buffalo: buffies are rather ill-tempered. A sign on the Antlers Ranch reads: No Trespassing...Survivors Will Be Prosecuted.
"Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace." --Proverbs15:18 MSG
