ANTELOPE ISLAND STATE PARK, Utah — At Antelope Island State Park, horseback riders saddled up their horses to round up nearly 700 bison for this year’s thirty-sixth annual Great Bison Roundup.
The event draws animal lovers to the park, yes, but the annual roundup which typically lasts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is made to manage the island’s bison population and food supply.
Glen Shepherd, who lives on a ranch in Wallsburg, is one of 300 horseback riders who rounded up buffalo for the event Saturday morning. He’s no stranger to the roundup — this is his seventh year.
He enjoys the thrill of it all.
“It’s just a good adrenaline rush,” Shepherd said while laughing. “You never know what’s going to happen, you never know if you’re going to get the buffalo where you want them to be.”
During the roundup, horse riders beginning at Fielding Garr Ranch push smaller groups of bison into one large herd northward into a corral. There, they rest for about a week before they receive vaccinations and individual health check-ups.
Once the bison are checked, they’re either released back onto the island or kept in the corral and later sold in a public auction, according to the state park.
The island can only maintain about 500-550 bison at a time, the state park said. Each year, 100-200 calves are born into the herd.
Since the bison don’t have natural predators who live on the island, this process is necessary when considering the island’s food supply which also feeds other animals at the park including pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and mule deer.
A portion of the proceeds collected during the online public auction on Nov. 6 are poured back into the Wildlife and Habitat Management Program.
Alexa Walters, a first-time rider for the roundup, felt a mix of nerves and excitement. It was her horse’s first time, too.
“He’s got a lot of energy right now so I’m ready to put him to work and give him a job to do and just enjoy the experience,” Walters said while pulling back her horse.
Shepherd waited all year for this event.
“We have a good time, it’s the best thing you can do for the year,” he said.
