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Bison Herd
Hays’ first bison herd arrived courtesy of James “Scotty” Philips. Scotty knew Sitting Bull and was aware of the scarcity of bison after their extensive slaughter. By 1893, the 60 million pre-European herd had dwindled to around 100 total bison. In 1916, Philips shipped five bison from his ranch near
The herd was established with a bull named Wild Bill and a cow named Calamity Jane in Frontier Park in 1953 and maintained by the Kansas State Historical Society. In the late 1970's the City of Hays took over maintenance of the herd. The herd has been in
The Hays Parks Department maintains the bison herd and wants to remind people that although the animals appear domesticated, it should be remembered they are still wild animals and quite capable of moving very quickly and causing harm to anyone in the pen area.
Are you like us and keep referring to our bison as buffalo? Here is some information we learned about the difference between the two: What's the Difference Between Buffalo and Bison?
DIRECTIONS:
Frontier Park WestHighway 183 Alt.
Hays, KS 67601