The Main Herd

Our bull, Cochise, moved to Banfield Bison in 2013.  He is a gentle giant and will eat out of our hands (only with a fence between us).  For fun he moves large dead trees that we have placed in the field.  We attempted mounting street sweepers and thick posts for the herd to scratch against but Cochise snapped the posts in two.  He enjoys helping to open gates and lets us know that he wants more hay by standing near the gate that we use to enter the field.  He is the largest animal in the herd and we estimate his weight at 1800 to 2000 pounds. 

11 is our lead cow and has been the lead since moving to Banfield Bison in 2013.  In that role she warns the other bison of impending danger, positions herself broadside between the herd and danger, and is the first to charge.  She has a calm demeanor when not alerted to danger and will eat out of our hands (only with a fence between us).  She has long legs and a statuesque appearance.  She normally has a calf every year and is a good mother.  One grunt from her and the calf runs to her side.

83 moved to Banfield Bison in 2013.  She has the best-looking bonnet of all the cows.  (The bonnet is the fur between the horns). She is a full-figured woman, always has been.  Her legs seem to be a little shorter than the other cows, which does not help her matronly appearance.  She is second in charge after the lead cow 11.  She normally has a calf every year.  She is an excellent mother and her daughter is now part of the main herd.  In 2019 they ran the bison daycare, often watching all four calves.  This is a spring photo showing the way in which bison shed their winter coats. 

10 is a solid, middle of the herd cow and moved to Banfield Bison in 2013.  She is similar in body type to 11 and we often have a hard time telling them apart until we look closely at their horns.  She is a gentle animal and gets along well with all of the others in the herd.