OUT ON THE RANGE

An estimated 400 people turned out for Saturday's seasonal grand opening of the National Bison Range, which included the 19-mile Red Sleep Mountain Drive and the visitor's center. The visitor number nearly doubled on Mother's Day.

"It was a pretty good opening day. We had a steady stream of people here all day," said Vanessa Fields, the acting manager for the National Bison Range, which gets an average of 180,000 visitors a year. The majority came from Sanders, Lake and Missoula Counties, but Fields said Saturday also saw travelers from Chili, Ireland, Holland, and Japan.

The 18,800-acre National Bison Range boasts of a myriad of wildlife, including over 200 species of birds, but the biggest attraction is its biggest animal – the bison, also known as the American buffalo. Just over 300 bison roam the refuge, located almost 40 miles east of Plains and about five miles from Dixon. Guests get a special bison treat this time of the year because it's calving season. Amy Lisk, the refuge's biologist, said they have about 20 bison calves as of last week.

With the Mission Mountains looming to 9,800 feet in the near distance, the National Bison Range was established in 1908. Its primary mission was to maintain a herd of buffalo in a natural setting to preserve the species. It started with 34 head of bison purchased from a private herd the following year. A large portion of the refuge lies in Sanders County, which receives a portion of the revenue each year, said Commissioner Carol Brooker. The goal of the government today is to maintain the herd from 350-400, which they do each October with the annual bison roundup, where they normally auction off the surplus bison. Last year, they had no auction, but donated about 20 animals to other refuges and conservation institutions.

"I think this is a destination for a lot of people or maybe it's just one of the stops out this way," said Lisk, a biologist at the range for 11 years. Bison were scattered throughout the refuge on opening day, but tourists were treated to small groups of them along Buffalo Prairie Drive. Some gave visitors a show with playful head butting, rolling in a patch of dirt or scratching their hindquarters on a tree or rock in an effort to rub off their winter coat. "They're a social animal. I think spring brings out the energy in them," said Lisk.

A handful of calves with their mothers were spotted some 20 feet from the road along Mission Creek, causing a temporary back up of vehicles. The first bison calf was born on April 11, said Lisk, who added that they can continue to have their calves through June. The little newborns weigh an average of 40 pounds. Cows weigh about 1,000 pounds, but bulls can be twice that weight. If she survived the winter, Lisk said the oldest bison at the refuge is perhaps 25 years old.

Buffalo might be the number one attraction, but Fields said a lot people come to see the pronghorn antelope. Lisk said there are about 25 on the grounds and they will start giving birth to their young anytime. The biologist said there are also about 30 bighorn sheep, which aren't seen near the road system a lot. The range also has elk, coyotes, black bear, whitetail and mule deer, and mountain lions.

"People come here to see wildlife in a natural setting," said Lisk. Fields recommends that people bring binoculars or spotting scopes because the animals aren't always close to the roads and, except for the designated hiking trails, people aren't suppose to venture from their vehicles. Some of the best viewing times are early morning hours or late afternoon, said Fields.

Pat Jamieson, a biologist with the National Bison Range for some 20 years and now retired in Dixon, visited the refuge Saturday on a bird watching outing. One of the most unusual birds at the range is a yellow-headed blackbird, which hangs out in the marshy area near the picnic grounds. They build their nests among the cattails and give off a call that Jamieson said sounds like a rusty nail being removed from old wood. The National Audubon Society notes that it might have the "worst song of any North American bird."

The National Bison Range is open daily from dawn to dusk. The visitor's center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Monday. The long loop drive is only open from May to October.