Antelope Island gathers 750 bison for health checks and herd management

About 300 riders participated in the 40th annual bison roundup on Antelope Island State Park in Utah. The event, held at the historic Fielding Garr Ranch, is designed to maintain a sustainable herd size and assess the health of the animals. Park officials reported that roughly 750 bison were rounded up during the event, a group that included more than 200 calves.

The herd currently roams freely across 28,000 acres of land. Because bison on the island have no natural predators and produce many calves each year, the population must be managed to prevent overgrowth. In the days following the roundup, staff members administer vaccinations, collect blood samples, and weigh each animal. They also perform ultrasound checks on cows and heifers to monitor pregnancy rates. All bison receive computer-chipped tags, which allow staff to track the animal's history and ensure the overall health of the herd.

Some of the rounded-up animals are sold at auction to reduce the total population. The practice helps maintain a balance between the herd size and the capacity of the island's ecosystem. The current herd size is maintained around 500 to 550 animals. The bison have been present on the island since 1893, when William Glassman brought 12 animals to Utah from Kansas. He sold them to John Dooly, who moved them to Antelope Island.

Ally O'Rullian, a public information officer for Utah State Parks, noted that the ranchers had a difficult relationship with the bison for many years. "They're not like cattle. They're more difficult to handle," O'Rullian said. Several large-scale hunts nearly wiped out the herd before the island was purchased as a state park. The state recognized the need to manage both the animal population and the island's environmental health, leading to the creation of the annual roundup.

The riders, including families from Walla Walla, Washington, and local volunteers, used horses to push the bison over rocky terrain and through sagebrush. Rios Pacheco, a member of Utah's Northwestern Band of Shoshone, led the group in a prayer using burning sage before the riders set out. The bison were pushed into corrals in front of hundreds of onlookers who watched from the roadside.

Annie Watson, 19, participated in the roundup for the first time on her birthday. She described the terrain as steeper than any she had previously ridden, noting that her horse went down to its knees on a steep trail while pushing a group of about 50 bison. "I was up there in the grit of it all," Watson said. "It was really fun bringing them in and seeing everybody cheer."

Her mother, Kate Watson, observed that her daughter was fearless in the arena but initially hesitant on the trails. "It was really fun to see her come out of her shell a little bit and experience both sides of the horse world," Kate Watson said. She noted that running fast and scrambling up hills provided a major adrenaline rush comparable to barrel racing.

On the Monday following the roundup, park staff surveyed the island by helicopter to locate any remaining bison. O'Rullian stated that the difficulty of the roundup varies by year depending on the temperament of the animals. "Every year, staff are looking at ways to improve the experience for the riders as well as for the public, to ensure both a fun and safe event," O'Rullian said.