THERMOPOLIS — The bison at the Hot Springs State Park in Wyoming are semi-wild and roam freely within the boundaries of the park. Seeing them up close can make people feel like they’ve stepped back in time, watching them in what’s close to their historical habitat.
Fifteen of these great beasts will soon find new homes, and potential bison buyers can put in bids until Jan. 16.
“Our pasture is only rated for about 15 bison year-round,” park Superintendent Chris Delay said. “So that's where we try to maintain the main herd. We are selling five bison also for Bear River State Park, so that's five out of the 15 coming from another herd.”
The bison sale happens once a year in Thermopolis and gives others a chance to bolster their own herd or buy the bison for the meat.
“Every fall, we go down to Bear River and collect their calves,” Delay said. “They're only rated for so many bison like us. We bring them up and sell them with the main herd.”
Wyoming’s Oldest State Bison Herd
“Our bison herd has been around for quite a while,” Delay said. “We try to maintain a good, healthy herd and it is great for park visitors to see. The bison is a Wyoming staple. When you think of Wyoming, you think of bison.”
After disappearing off the plains, the bison was brought back to Thermopolis by rail in part through the efforts of Wyoming State Game Warden Nate P. Wilson.
In March 1916, a large crowd gathered at the depot to celebrate the momentous occasion. The herd of bison was welcomed with cheers and celebration to their new home in the Hot Springs Reserve Park.
After spending the night in a railroad corral, a convoy of cowboys, under the direction of Superintendent Fred E. Holdrege, drove the animals to the park where they were promptly turned loose.
Immediately, the herd of two bulls and 13 cows, touted as purebred bison raised in Kansas, formed a procession and moved sedately toward Cedar Hill. They picked out the easiest grade up the hill and found rest and shelter in a little cove on the west side of the peak.
The leader of the group was a big bull local old-timers proclaimed as a native specimen, resembling the bison they had once witnessed roaming the plains.
The herd settled into the park easily and more than 100 years later, their descendants can still be seen roaming the bison pastures at Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis. Designated as Wyoming’s State Bison Herd, the group remains small with calves sold off in the fall and new breed stock brought in as needed.
Still Wild
After generations of being near people, the bison are less skittish than their wild ancestors, but they are very protective of each other. They are not domestic and best seen from a safe distance.
“We use quality genetics and, in the past, they have won some trophies,” park maintenance tech Jody Lange said.
Lange has worked with the bison for years and cautions people that they are still wild animals, although they may get demanding when it comes to their treats.
“When I first started, we had a bull named Flower,” Lange said. “He came to the barn door and pinned me in the barn. I had to get a cake and walk around because all he wanted was his cake. After that, he left me alone.”
The cake is a pellet that has minerals and molasses in it.
Lange explained that park staff use the treat to keep bison acclimated to people. In recent years, the staff had to bottle feed two calves, and the little bison were more affectionate than the rest of the herd.
“We had one that was a bottle-fed baby and she became more like a human and jumped the cattle guard,” Lange said. “She kept trying to visit us, so we had to get rid of her.”
Wyoming State Parks maintains small herds of semi-wild bison that roam freely across Hot Springs and Bear River state parks. To keep the herd at optimal size, the state is selling 15 to the highest bidders. (Wyoming State Parks) 
Wyoming State Parks maintains small herds of semi-wild bison that roam freely across Hot Springs and Bear River state parks. To keep the herd at optimal size, the state is selling 15 to the highest bidders. (Wyoming State Parks) 
Wyoming State Parks maintains small herds of semi-wild bison that roam freely across Hot Springs and Bear River state parks. To keep the herd at optimal size, the state is selling 15 to the highest bidders. (Wyoming State Parks) 
Wyoming State Parks maintains small herds of semi-wild bison that roam freely across Hot Springs and Bear River state parks. To keep the herd at optimal size, the state is selling 15 to the highest bidders. (Wyoming State Parks)
Name Game
None of the bison in the herd now have names, but that is about to change.
Two bulls who were bought in 2022 to keep the genetics healthy are about to earn their monikers.
“We're going to take it to the elementary kids and let them vote on a couple of sets of names,” Delay said. “We've got kind of a list of names and since we have two bulls, we're looking at pair names.”
The choices are Bigfoot and Yeti, Thunder and Lightning, Buff and Tough, and Bighorn and Steel Hoof.
“The two bulls we have are awesome,” Delay said. “They're pretty nice and mellow. They haven't been like past bulls where they're a little more aggressive. So that's been nice for us. People still need to definitely keep a safe distance away. Park staff don't get close enough to pet them”
Buyers Be Aware
When considering buying a Wyoming State Park bison, the park staff recommends that you have more than one bison in your pasture.
“They're a social animal,” Lange said. “If you buy them and if you're going to butcher it, that's one thing. But if you plan on starting a herd, you need at least two because they don't do well by themselves.”
The bison have been checked by a veterinarian and are ready for their new homes in January.
“We do give them vaccinations and then all the females have been brucellosis vaccinated also,” Delay said. “Most of our past buyers take the bison to grow their own herds.”
The remaining bison will continue to roam the bison pastures at the Hot Springs State Park where visitors can see them year-round where their ancestors once lived among the sage and red dirt.
To inquire about placing a bid on the bison for sale, Hot Springs State Park headquarters can be reached at 307-864-2176.
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
