ruffcutt;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope the day's looking to be a good one for you folks and this finds you well.
Around 15 years ago our family was on our second trip down to Yellowstone and while there we happened to be in one of the information centers when a nice young lady in a campaign hat was explaining the "bison rules" to an assemblage of tourists.
Her concluding statement was something along the line of "bison are not range cattle so don't approach them as if they were."
When the crowd drifted away, she remained and since the statement was one I happened to have some personal, intimate familiarity with, I sidled over and asked if she'd ever been around range cows?
She replied that in fact she had not and it was the script they'd been instructed to give, but being a perceptive young lady asked if I had some further details on the matter I'd care to share.
Since I did, we both got a good laugh when I told her that especially if there's large predators in the neighborhood, range cows - especially mamma cows and naturally bulls - are best not approached on foot. If they required doctoring or attention when up on the mountain ranges, we'd do our best to stay on the horse until they were either into a corral or at very least roped and snubbed up to a stout pine!
Anyway, for those who might travel into the BC interior if the world ever goes back to normal again, range cattle, especially horned range cattle can put you into a world of hurt too, but in a somewhat slower process than bison.
Talked to a chap who rode for an outfit in northern BC which raised bison. He said they used polo ponies mostly and those who could "really ride much, much better than average" were the ones who were successful there. According to him bison would herd quite nicely most days albeit faster than cattle usually.
Some days however, a bison cow - usually he said - would just have more than she was going to put up with and would peel out of the herd and chase cowboy and horse all over hill and dale!
I forget just what term he used to describe it exactly, it wasn't "sporty" or "exhilarating" but likely some cowboy euphemism to indicate similar!
Thanks for the story, the memories and for reading this far. Stay well.
Dwayne