BISON ON THE BLOCK
State to auction off entire herd of buffalo
Among the items you’ll find being auctioned on the state’s surplus site are old computer monitors, office chairs and printers. But a herd of bison?
About 55 of the horned, woolly beasts are up for sale, with the high bid as of Thursday afternoon standing at $12,000, or about $220 each.
The state has maintained a bison herd at Foss State Park since the early 1970s that has served as quite the attraction for the park’s visitors, said Leslie Blair, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.
As for why the state decided to sell its herd, Blair blamed a lack of rain. “Due to the drought that we’ve experienced in western Oklahoma, the pasture where they graze is not in great shape,” she said. “We’re going to try to give that land a little bit of a chance to rest and recover.”
Buying hay for the animals has become expensive, as well, she said.
It’s not the first time bison have been sold at a state auction. A female bison and a calf from Sequoyah Bay State Park were sold several years ago, Blair said. It is, though, the first time the state has sold an entire herd through the state surplus website.
“We encourage people to come out and actually take a look at the herd,” she said. “Whoever purchases the herd will be responsible for round up and the transfer, loading them up and out of the park.”
The animals have been wormed but have had no vaccinations and some of the bison may be pregnant, according to the listing.
Blair said it’s still up in the air as to whether or not they’ll try to bring bison back to Foss State Park in the future.
The auction is scheduled to end at 3 p.m. May 16.
For more information about the bison, call 580592-4433 or go to pay.apps. ok.gov/dcs/surplus/auction/index.php.