Your bison questions - answered!
In summer 2018, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in East Bethel welcomed a herd of bison back to our landscape as part of research into the restoration and maintenance of the rare oak savanna ecosystem. You can read more about the project at https://cbs.umn.edu/cedarcreek/public-programs/bison-and-savanna-research. In the document below, staff and scientists answer questions from the public about the herd, research project, and conservation initiatives. Submit your questions at z.umn.edu/bisonquestions!
Will the bison be here year-round? Why don’t they stay through the winter? When do they arrive? The bison are only at Cedar Creek during the growing season, from approximately late May/early June through sometime in September or October. This varies from year to year as it is dependent on the schedule of prescribed burning at Cedar Creek, as well as the amount of grass available on the landscape and the rate at which it gets eaten down by the herd.
Unfortunately, we don't have the space, forage or funding to keep a herd of bison year-round at this time, as much as we might like to. Our animals are on loan from NorthStar Bison in Rice Lake, WI and the ranchers who own the animals make the final call about when the animals arrive and depart, based on forage availability and quality among other factors. They have a neat business model where they loan out portions of their herd to various conservation and research organizations (like us, and folks like the Belwin Conservancy in Afton) for the growing season. From the ranchers’ perspective, their animals get wonderful summer grazing, and from our perspective, we don't have to worry about the other logistics like vets, year-round food supply, physical space, etc. It works well! Since our goal with this project is to learn about the dynamics of a healthy oak savanna ecosystem, we are primarily interested in the impacts of grazing on things like soil nutrient cycling, oak growth and fire dynamics, and less focused on the logistics of owning and managing our own full-time herd. Maybe someday though!
In 2018, the bison arrived in mid-June and stayed until mid-September. In 2019, the herd arrived in late May and departed in mid-October. 2020 and 2021 saw a mid-May arrival and a mid-October departure. The 2022 herd also arrived in mid-May and left in late September. It all depends on the herd size, weather and grass growth!
We would like to see the bison round-up. When will that take place and is there a location to watch? Unfortunately, the round-up has not been a public event and we do not plan to make it one at this point. The decision about when the herd returns to NorthStar Bison is made based on the forage available on the landscape, the health of the bison, the size of the herd, and other factors as part of on-going conversations between our scientists and the bison owners. That makes it very hard to schedule the round-up in advance, and even the Cedar Creek staff often don’t have more than a day or two of notice. Additionally, the location of the round-up will likely vary from year to year based on conditions on the ground and the behavior and preferences of the bison over the summer, so the loading of the trailers will likely not be visible from a public road. Sorry about that!
Where do the bison come from? The bison herd is provided by NorthStar Bison, who also provides bison to Belwin Conservancy for prairie restoration. You can read more about their ranch and bison projects at northstarbison.com.
What should I do if I see an escaped bison? Please call 911 and report your sighting to the dispatcher. This will initiate a phone tree that will alert Cedar Creek staff and project scientists, as well as the team in charge of retrieving the animal and returning it to the enclosure.
How many bison will there be? Why were there fewer in 2019 and onwards than there were in 2018? The size of Cedar Creek’s herd varies from year to year, depending on the amount of grass available on the landscape and when the animals arrive and leave. We want to make sure that there is enough grass to sustain the animals while they are onsite, and that they don’t have a destructive impact on the natural landscape by being forced to search for food and water when it is scarce. Some years, we may have a small number of bison for a long time (to spread out their impact on the grass) while other years we may have a larger number for a shorter period of time. The number and timing is decided by our scientists in conjunction with the bison owners. We hosted 32 bison for three months in 2018, and 17 bison for ~ five months in both 2019 and 2020. In 2021, we had 16 bison. In 2022, the herd had 18 bison for just over 4 months. In 2023, we have 18 again and are expecting a 4-5 month stay.
I want to share pictures I took of Cedar Creek (bison, gazebo, savanna, etc)! How can I do that? If you are on Instagram, you can use the hashtag #cedarcreekbison and/or tag Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve as your location. If you are not on Instagram, you can email your photos to Cedar Creek’s associate director Dr. Caitlin Potter (caitlin@umn.edu) or education coordinator Dr. Kara Baldwin (baldwink@umn.edu) for possible inclusion on our website, facebook page, newsletter, etc.
Will I be able to see the bison or will they be off limits to the public? To provide safe access to as many visitors as want to come, the oak savanna extension trail (~1 mile each way) is open daily from sunrise to sunset for self-guided walking when the herd is onsite. The bison gazebo is staffed by volunteer naturalists on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm for those who would like a more interactive experience. Volunteer naturalists are stationed inside the gazebo with interpretive materials and will happily share facts and information, and answer your questions! Please keep in mind that this is not a zoo - the bison have 210+ acres of rolling oak savanna to roam, and they may not be visible even during scheduled events and staffed hours. The trail and gazebo are closed when the herd is not in residence.
What day(s) are the bison out and viewable? Where are the bison hiding? Where do they like to hang out? Unsurprisingly, these are the most common questions we get. :) The bison have 210+ acres of hilly oak savanna to roam, and they take full advantage of it! Once they are onsite, they live in the enclosure and do not have a barn, internal fenced area, or other place where they are ‘kept’ after hours. At any given moment, some of all of the herd may be napping in the woods, drinking from a wetland slough, wallowing in the dirt, chowing down on grass, or walking along the internal roads or their own trails. We do not control where they go in their enclosure, and consequently the herd may not be visible even during scheduled events and staffed gazebo hours. If you don’t see the bison right near the gazebo, look for signs that they have passed through recently - fresh bison patties, mowed-down grass, clumps of shed fur on the fence or nearby trees, and hoofprints in the dirt. The 2023 herd has cooperatively been visiting the gazebo at least once a day so far, so hopefully you will get lucky on your visit! One of their other favorite spots (unfortunately) is on the far western side of the enclosure, which is not visible from the gazebo or trail.
Is there special access for visitors with mobility constraints who are not able to walk the 1 mile trail to the gazebo? Unfortunately, there is no way to drive all the way to the gazebo – it is located in a research area where we can not build additional roads, and because we are a field station rather than a park, zoo or nature center, options for parking, turnarounds and other access are limited. However, with notice (contact Kara Baldwin at baldwink@umn.edu) we are happy to make arrangements for a limited number of visitors to drive within ~150 yards of the gazebo! Visitors must be willing to take their personal vehicle on our minimal maintenance sand roads. The reason this option is not open without prior arrangement is that there are only 1-2 parking spots near the gazebo, and no place to safely turn around if those spots are full. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need accommodations and we will work with you to make access possible! Additionally, the bison are often visible from the public road on Durant St., so keep an eye out for them as you drive in. Cedar Creek also offers a wide variety of programs and opportunities that do not involve walking, including our monthly Lunch with a Scientist (https://cbs.umn.edu/cedarcreek/public-programs/lunch-scientist), astronomy events, offsite lectures and more! Visit https://cbs.umn.edu/cedarcreek/public-programs/upcoming-events or our facebook page for details.
Will bison be visible for photographers off the hiking trail or will we be restricted only to the viewing area on weekends for pictures? Occasionally, the bison hang out near the fencelines and are visible from the Durant St. and/or 229th Ave NE, both of which are public roads. If you are able to see the herd from public property (please be mindful of the neighbors, driveways, and parking restrictions), you are welcome to photograph them and watch them at your leisure! However, access to Cedar Creek’s internal roads and trails is limited because of the volume of researchers and research vehicles present onsite during the summer. The bison extension trail is open daily from sunrise to sunset and is shared with researchers and research vehicles; the rest of the reserve’s internal roads are closed to the public.
Will I still be able to hike and ski on the Fish Lake Nature Trail? There will be no change in access to the Fish Lake hiking trail, which will remain open year-round and which is outside the bison enclosure. Similarly, there will be no change in access to the ski trails, which will remain open when there is snow on the ground (note that bison will not be present on the property when there is snow). As always, please remember that no dogs are allowed on the trails and that you must stick to the marked trails and roads to avoid damaging research projects.
What if I need to use the restroom? There is a portapotty located in the Fish Lake Nature Trail parking lot, and another close to the gazebo. Please use these facilities and not our trees or roadsides. There is no running water available in the area.
Can I bring my dog to the gazebo? Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed on Cedar Creek property (including the Fish Lake Nature Trail, the trail to the gazebo, and in the gazebo as well) at any time, even if they are leashed and well-behaved. Dogs change the behavior of our wildlife and alter the ecosystems being studied, and have the potential to get hurt should they take off into the reserve's experimental plots which have electricity, rebar and other hazards. We recommend taking your dog to one of the many wonderful local parks and recreation areas instead! Carlos Avery WMA, Martin-Island-Linwood Regional Park, Bethel WMA and many of the parks in the Anoka County Parks System are dog-friendly!
Why is their fur different colors? Why is their fur so patchy?
Just like humans, bison show lots of individual variation in their hair color. They can range across a whole spectrum of browns, from very light to very dark and everything in between! They do lose their winter coat during the spring and summer, so they might look a little scraggly while onsite at Cedar Creek. They rub their heavy winter coat off on trees, fences and other rough surfaces. They will regrow a new winter coat in the fall as the weather starts to get cold again.
What do bison do in a thunderstorm or a blizzard?
Bison will head directly INTO the storm – sometimes at top speed! This actually helps them to minimize the amount of time they are in bad weather, because they move opposite the direction the storm is moving and get to the edge of it quickly rather than standing still and waiting for it to pass over. They aren’t too bothered either – their thick fur helps protect them from snow and rain. Particularly snow! Their fur is such a good insulator that snow can actually pile up on their bodies without melting because the fur has trapped enough air to keep body heat from dissipating, much like wearing a good down jacket in a snowstorm.
How often has the area being viewed been burned and when was the latest?
The area right in front of and behind the gazebo is burned four out of every five years. It was burned in spring 2018 and 2019, and spring 2022 and 2023, before the bison arrived. You can see the burn frequency for other units along the trail by looking at the Burn Unit Map at the bison gazebo.
How does the grass regenerate?
Grass grows by taking in nutrients and water from its root system and making sugars via photosynthesis in its above-ground parts. Specifically/structurally, grass grows from something called the ‘crown point’, which is a part of the stem of the grass blade located right at ground level. This means that, unlike trees, having the top chewed off doesn’t stunt growth! In fact, there is evidence that grazing actually stimulates new growth. Removing some of the above-ground part of the grass sends a signal to the plant to invest quickly in vegetative growth (the green, photosynthetic parts as opposed to flowers or seeds) so that photosynthesis can keep on happening. This is hugely important for a lot of small herbivores that can’t eat the older, tougher grass. By having something like a bison graze down some of the older grass, new growth is stimulated and there are more young, nutritious and easy-to-digest blades available on the landscape. In summer 2018, areas that were grazed by bison produced DOUBLE the aboveground growth as areas that were not grazed! Grazing also helps release some of the slower-growing grass, flower and tree species from competition for light!
How big is the fenced area and how many control plots are inside it?
There are ~210 acres of oak savanna fenced in for the bison. There are several types of control plots inside the bison fence. There is one unburned section which is a control plot for the prescribed burn experiments (these are the heavy woods just west of the gazebo). There are also 14 grazing exclosures inside the fenced area – areas that are fenced so that bison can not go in them and eat the plants, but are small enough to get some of the impacts of bison poop and other general bison presence. There are a control of sorts for the direct impact of grazing. There are also mobile grazing exclosures that change locations periodically as part of a study on grass regeneration after bison grazing.
How do the bison get water? How does the well work?
There are two wells in the fenced area, but the bison primarily drink water that is available naturally on the landscape. There are low spots inside their area that fill up with water when it rains (they are called ‘wetland swales’). The bison love to go in them, drink and hang out. If/when those natural sources dry up, there are two wells that fill cattle troughs. One is a solar well, with a pump that is powered by a small solar panel. That one you can see from the gazebo if you look carefully. The second is an electric well and we have to bring out a portable generator to run its pump should the trough get low.
What else can I see from the gazebo? Depending on the weather and time of year, you have an excellent chance of seeing red-headed woodpeckers, Baltimore and orchard orioles, monarch butterflies, dragonflies and deer (including young fawns!). You’ll also have the opportunity to see a wide variety of blooming prairie and savanna plants, including hoary puccoon, butterflyweed, common milkweed, lupine and leadplant. Keep an eye out for pollinators visiting these blooming plants, including a wide variety of butterflies and moths, and several species of bumblebees!
What else is going on at Cedar Creek? Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve is a 5500 acre ecological research station owned and operated by the University of Minnesota. Scientists here study plants, animals, ecosystems, soil, water, nutrient cycling, fire and more! You can read about our research at https://cbs.umn.edu/cedarcreek. Our website also contains a list of upcoming events, including nature walks, our monthly ecology book club, research tours, public lectures and more. Visit https://cbs.umn.edu/cedarcreek/public-programs/upcoming-events for a complete list! Details on events, photos and natural history tidbits are also available on our facebook and instagram pages (search for @CedarCreekESR). We also run several participatory science projects for those interested in committing substantial time to collecting data with our scientists.
What sort of native grasses are in the bison area? There are a wide variety of grasses and other plants in and around the bison area. Some of the most common ones you’ll see out there are Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans). You can also check out our broader Plants of Cedar Creek list here!
I am from central Wisconsin and have 14 acre oak savanna that I have been working on restoring. My wife and I recently have been doing research into bison farming. Wondering if your research is far enough along to recommend using them to help clear and restore my savanna. Our research began in summer 2018 with the arrival of our first bison herd. Consequently, that means we are still very much in the early stages of understanding the role these megaherbivores in the complex and dynamic savanna system! We don’t have any management recommendations at the moment. We do know from decades of research into prescribed burning in savanna systems that fire is hugely important on these landscapes. You might look into that if you haven’t already! Given the amount of forage needed for a bison to maintain a healthy body weight (up to 25 lbs of grass per animal per day) and the importance of their herd dynamics, 14 acres may not be enough space for bison to be a viable option. in our 210 acre savanna enclosure, 32 bison ate 70% of all the above-ground biomass produced in 2018 in just three months!
Where else can I see bison in Minnesota? There are a few places around the state to see bison. Some of these are summer-only, like Cedar Creek, while others are year-round. Some require an entrance fee or have limited hours. You should always contact the organization before planning your visit to make sure that the area where the bison are is open and accessible.