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daily nebraskan
uffalo chip away
at zoologist's time
By Martha Bohling
"The buffalo are coming back-there's a bison renaissance," said
Harvey Gunderson, UNL professor of zoology.
Citing a buffalo population figure which has risen from 500 at
the turn of the century to 30,000 today, Gunderson said that by
the year 2000 the figure is expected to reach 500,000.
Gunderson said the bison has been taken off the endangered
species list.
He attributed a resurgence of interest in the buffalo to interest
in western history and pioneer life.
Romantic aura
"When you serve buffalo meat, you are partaking of pioneer
food and that gives it a certain romantic aura," he said.
According to Gunderson, buffalo raising has become an "in"
thing.
There are two privately owned buffalo herds within 25 miles of
Lincoln, he said.
Many ranchers purchase buffalo at a roundup and auction held
each September on every buffalo refuge, Gunderson said.
Excess sold at auction
The buffalo are rounded up, he explained, and the excess is
culled from the herd and sold at auction.
Gunderson has been studying buffalo since he came to Nebraska
four years ago.
"Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be with buffalo-work with
them," he said, and added that there weren't any buffalo in
Minnesota where he grew up.
Special permission
When he came to Nebraska, he was given special permission as a
biologist to study buffalo herds at the Fort Niobrara reserve near
Valentine, he said.
Gunderson said he spends much of his own time sitting in a car
on the buffalo range, taking field notes, recording buffalo noises
and taking photographs and movies.
An exhibit of several of his pictures is on display in the Jacque
Gallery Bell Museum at the University of Minnesota through April
13. The pictorial essay wilt be displayed at UNL at a later date.
Recently, Gunderson said he has been concentrating on
recording the growling and antagonistic noises of the males during
the mating season.
Postures and sounds
He said that in the wild, a fight to the finish is rare between two
animals of the same species because it is biologically unsound for
the herd. Therefore, they have certain postures and sounds to avert
a fight.
One bull will challenge another by bellowing, emitting a low
grunting sound, and swinging his head, Gunderson said.
If the other buffalo takes a submission posture by turning its
head to the side, the fight may be avoided, according to
Gunderson, although the submission signal is not always recognized
and acknowledged by the challenging male.
After a challenge, the animal who submitted will often wallow
violently in the dirt, tearing the ground apart, Gunderson said.
"It (the wallowing) is such a powerful thing the air is almost
electrified."
Continued on pg. 9
friday, march 21, 1975
