Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch

[Abby Brown] Bison, also called buffalo, once roamed freely all over Iowa and North America. Not that long ago, they were hunted almost to extinction. But people worked hard to save and grow the herds. Here in Fredericksburg, we get a close up look and learn about these impressive creatures.

(Map marking Chickasaw County in northeast Iowa.)

Hawkeye Buffalo and Cattle ranch is run by farmers who have a deep appreciation for the history and significance of the American bison.

In 2016, these amazing creatures were designated the National Mammal of the United States and joined the ranks of the bald eagle as an official symbol of our country.

(A group of large, shaggy, brown-colored hoofstock with a hump over the front shoulders and a massive head graze in a field.)

This is a working ranch, but visitors can call ahead and arrange a tour.

[Martha McFarland] Welcome, everybody, to Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch. My name is. . .

[Abby] Martha McFarland teaches visitors about the history and demeanor of the buffalo. Am I lookin’ at bison or buffalo?

[Martha] That is a great question. So, scientifically a buffalo would be a water buffalo or a cape buffalo in Asia or in Africa.

(A large animal with black and gray fur and a long, narrow face, small ears, and large horns that turn up like upside down horseshoes stands in a field.)

(A large animal with drooping, fringed ears and large, curved horns that sit like a pirate’s at the front of their head. It has a dark brown to black coat.)

And a bison, scientifically, is the correct name. Bison, bison is what we’re looking at today. A lot of people call this animal that is a bison, bison an American buffalo.

(A large, shaggy, brown-colored hoofstock animal with a hump over the front shoulders and a massive head stares out over the barbed wire of its enclosure.)

[Abby] And that’s acceptable too.

[Martha] Oh, absolutely. Yes.

[Abby] The location and landscape of Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch is part of bison's history on Iowa land.

[Martha] Here in northeast Iowa, we are a mix of savannah, which is trees and grasslands and also wetlands and short and tallgrass prairie.

[Abby] How is that the same or different than the history of buffalo in this area?

[Martha] Well, Iowa is one of the most transformed landscapes across the United States. If you were one of the first white settlers that came here, you would see these shortgrass prairies, these savannahs with lots of oak and hickory, and lots of wetlands that are kind of soggy, boggy areas in the landscape.

[Abby] And now, of course, we have crops and buildings and roads.

[Martha] Yes.

[Abby] Tell me how bison impact the land.

[Martha] So bison are a cornerstone species. That means that they’re good for the grasslands around them. They step on the ground and they roll around. And wallows are big, dusty patches that they’ll create on the land. That’s a place where they can spread seed and also where water can be captured. It creates a drinking source in the middle of the prairie for the animals.

[Abby] So what do you have to do to take care of the bison?

[Martha] Well, the bison really take care of themselves. They have evolved as part of the prairie ecosystem, so they’re used to being out in nature all the time. All I have to do is take care of the fences.

[Abby] One important lesson Martha has learned is that bison can jump a seven foot fence. They can also run 40 miles per hour. Impressive animals.

This farm has been in Martha's family for over 150 years, so raising buffalo here is a modern way to honor history and to educate the future generation.

Every county in Iowa once looked completely different than it does today. But this ranch with a roaming buffalo in Chickasaw County gives us an idea what the landscape would have been like thousands of years ago.

Funding for FIND Iowa has been provided by The Coons Foundation, Pella and the Gilchrist Foundation.