Tuesday morning I was humming the song “Home on the Range.”
When my husband asked why, I informed him that I was going to visit a bison ranch in Poplarville. To find out more about this exciting farm, you will have to check out the fall edition of Picayune Living.
After the interview, I boarded a trailer and sat on a hay bale, ready to take some interesting photographs of the hefty animals.
The owners informed me that many of the females had just given birth and there was a week-old calf roaming the fields.
Sure enough, I saw the calf, who is about 60 pounds now, following his mother’s side closely.
I even fed one of the female bison. Once the trailer stopped, the animals slowly made their way up to the guests. Soon they figured out we were in possession of treats.
The last time I fed animals up close and personal was during high school when I took a trip to the Global Wildlife Center in Hammond, Louisiana.
It can be a bit intimidating when an animal weighing about 1,200 pounds saunters up to your hand, but she took the treat and left behind some of her saliva on my hand. It was a first-time experience and one I won’t forget.
As we made our way through the grassy fields, the bison went about their day, munching on grass and really paying no mind to our presence. According to the owners, the bison are free roaming and self-sufficient thereby able to protect themselves from would-be predators.
I’m always amazed at wild animals and am glad these animals are able to live their lives in a natural habitat.
When I’m on these types of adventures, I always wish my mom or my grandparents, who were farmers, were with me. Even though I was raised in the “city,” I visited their farm in Kentucky quite often and know my way around a traditional farm. It’s always nice to work on a story that reminds me of them. It brings back great memories. If they were still here on this Earth, I would call and tell them about these great adventures in reporting that I have. However, the memories and feelings these experiences evoke will have to do so I can’t wait to have more.