White Bluffs Spokesman

Over the rolling hills above Cowiche, less than 20 miles from the busy streets of Yakima, there roams a herd of some 70 buffaloes, as hardy and as proud as ever fell before the rifle of "Buffalo Bill." Here, where they quietly browse in the shade of sheltering pines, protected by man, their former foe, surrounded by food in variety and abundance, they are fearless, conscious that no harm will come to them.

On a ranch in Cowiche, Gibson brothers, owners of this fine herd, have a range totaling 13,200 acres, protected by barbed wire fencing. This tract extends from a point about 14 miles due west of Yakima on Tieton drive to the boundaries of Rainier National forest, 125 miles west. The variety of feed to be found here, on the eastern slope of the Cascade mountain range, is better than any other in the west. Much of it is bunch grass and open meadow, which tends to make an ideal home for these buffaloes.

But the Cowiche range is only their summer home. The winter grazing ground is at a lower altitude over in the Wenas hills, about 10 miles north of Yakima, where the Gibson brothers have 5,000 acres fenced. This range is bounded by the Yakima river and passengers of the Northern Pacific railroad, as well as auto tourists, are able to see these descendants of the one time noble king of the western plains.

Because the Gibson brothers had more grazing land than they needed for cattle, they decided to experiment with buffaloes. At first a cow and a bull were purchased from the Conrad estate at Kalispell, Montana. These did so well in their new environment that in the fall of 1921, 91 head were purchased by the Gibson brothers from the same concern. A number were killed off and sold for the Christmas trade, but all of the best breeding stock was kept. The next year the finest herd bull to be had was purchased from the Scotty Philip ranch and shipped to Yakima at an expense of $224 for express alone.

O. D. Gibson takes great pride in the fact that there has been no cross breeding among these animals, they being direct descendants of the dark brown native buffalo of Canada and of the northwestern part of the United States.

Writing to Gibson brothers, N. S. Garretson, Secretary of the American Bison Society, says: "We are very glad to know that this herd has not been destroyed or dispersed, but is to be used for breeding purposes. The state of Washington is to be congratulated on acquiring through you one of the best and purest strains of buffalo blood in the world and, I also believe, the hardiest and most prolific of all the private herds we have any record of."

In speaking of the bison's characteristics, Mr. Gibson says that although these buffaloes are perhaps not as wild as were their forefathers, they are far from being as tame as cattle. They are herded like cattle, but it takes a real bunch of buckaroos to handle them as one of them might take a notion to bolt, in which case it would be useless to give chase, as a bison, or buffalo, can outrun the strongest horse. If unmolested the unruly bison will soon return to the herd, coming back faster than he went.

During the breeding season, bulls more than five years old will often fight to the death. During this battle they separate themselves from the rest of the herd which watches them from afar. If the result of the combat is a draw, the admiration of the herd is divided, but in case one is killed the entire herd jumps upon the vanquished warrior and endeavors to trample the carcass into the earth.

When bison roamed wild on the plains with this constant rivalry among the bulls for supremacy of bands, as soon as their strength began to wane, the older leaders were overthrown by the younger and more vigorous aspirants. Thus the very best sires were selected by the law of battle and the herds kept at the highest point through "the survival of the fittest."

It is sad to reflect that while the Gibson herd is one of the few buffalo herds in the world and only herd of its kind in Washington, many an old person can remember the day of "the covered wagons" when these lordly animals were plentiful on the western plains.--Paul L. Marble, Yakima, in Pacific Power & Light Company Bulletin.