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Science in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota
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Early rut--July 29, 2008 |
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Bison Bull at Ordway Prairie, SD |
Bison Research at Ordway Prairie
Summer is in full swing at Ordway Prairie Preserve in South Dakota and so is the bison rut (mating season). 2008 is the fifth year of a long-term bison research project conducted by Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. It is led by Professor Jon Grinnell, who has been investigating the role of bull bellowing in establishing dominance and how behavior changes as more breeding bulls are retained in the herd.
The study is investigating several different questions, such as:
• Does the sound of the bellow indicate body size or motivation?
• Is breeding success affected by characteristics of a herd or breeding strategies?
• How can management of small herds allow for genetic variability?
For answers, researchers spend long days watching the bison herd. They record observations of behavior such as tending, mating, aggression, vocalizations and physical condition.
Hear a bison bull bellowing!
Download audio file (MP3, 225 KB)
As the rut picks up the dynamics of the head will change quickly. The hierarchy between the bulls changes constantly throughout the rut as they fight with each other to win their place as the most dominant bull in the herd. Check back to this page to see how the herd has changed and who the top bull is!
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| Bison Herd Research at Ordway Prairie, SD © Angela Benson/TNC |
