4 Miscellaneous Circular 36, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 



Doctor Hornaday therefore suggested to the New York Zoological 

 Society that it should offer to the Federal Government, through 

 the Secretary of Agriculture, a free gift of a herd of not less than 

 12 pure-blood American buffalo of various ages, to serve as the 

 nucleus of a national herd, provided that Congress would appro- 

 priate funds for a suitable fence around a large area of range in 

 the Wichita Preserve and maintain the animals. The suggestion 

 met with instant approval by the society. The offer was made and 

 cordially accepted by the Secretary of Agriculture. 



In 1906 Congress appropriated $15,000 to fence an inclosure of 

 8,000 acres now popularly known as the Wichita buffalo pasture. 

 Fifteen miles of 7% foot wire fence was finished in 1907. Within 

 the fence there are abundant grazing grounds, consisting of gently 

 rolling prairie covered with choice mesquite grass, buffalo grass, 

 and blue-stem. The grazing grounds are practically surrounded 

 by several high round-topped or rock-capped hills, and cliffs and 

 ridges of red granite. Heavy growths of blackjack oak cover most 

 of the slopes, and near the bases of the elevations blackjack and 

 post oak groves extend down into -the level country for a quarter 

 of a mile. In several portions of the forest there are trees 60 feet 

 in height. The mountains, hills, and timber together afford abun- 

 dant shelter for the buffalo from the fiercest storms of winter. 



The most important grazing area within the inclosure is known 

 as Winter Valley, because of its excellence as a winter range. Many 

 buffalo wallows of early origin are found here and mesquite grass 

 is sufficiently abundant to winter the ultimate herd to be maintained 

 on the Wichita National Forest. The water supply on the range 

 is ample, pure, and constant. 



The eight buffalo cows and seven bulls from the New York 

 Zoological Society were shipped from New York and received at 

 the Wichita Game Preserve in October, 1907. The herd thrived 

 steadily from the beginning. Two cows were lost in the early years 

 from Texas or tick fever, and several bulls have died or have been 

 killed in family quarrels. By 1915 the herd numbered approximately 

 65; in 1920 there were 150 in the pasture. By that time it had be- 

 come apparent that it would soon be necessary to determine the 

 ultimate size of the herd, since the carrying capacity of the 8,000- 

 acre pasture had a definite limit, and particularly since in the mean- 

 time small bands of elk and antelope had been brought in and were 

 multiplying rapidly. Accordingly, careful range estimates were 

 prepared and a decision reached to limit the buffalo to 200 head — 

 180 females and 20 males. The process of developing the herd to 

 these numbers was then begun. With a view to regulating the pro- 

 portion of males and females a procedure was worked out under 

 which the surplus males are being disposed of by sale or by gift 

 to municipalities, zoological societies, and other interested agencies. 

 Among the donations may be mentioned 1 bull and 2 cows to the 

 Government of Mexico in the fall of 1923, 1 bull to the city of 

 Montevideo, Uruguay, and a return of 4 heifers, 1 yearling bull, 

 and 1 bull calf to the New York Zoological Park. Thirty calves 

 were born in 1923, and a year later the herd numbered 153 — 89 fe- 

 males and 6-1 males. 



