Before the Euro-American pioneers arrived to farm this land between 1830, there were indigenous people who lived here. We have evidence including stone tools and spear points showing that these first people or Paleo-Indians were here for over 10,000 years. Over 100 pre-European contact sites have been identified at Midewin.

Midewin has worked with Notre Dame University to excavation one site on Midewin. This site was in use around 1610, about 60 years before Marquette and Joliet came through Illinois. Remains of food found on this site show bison were a small part of the inhabitants’ s diet. Bison herds in Illinois were smaller than out west, from 30 to 300 in size. Hunting required the joint manpower of tribes working together to find, hunt, butcher, and bring back some of the bison to their people. This area of Midewin was rich in meat sources including fish, mussels, elk, deer, bear, birds, water and box turtle, and snail.

Additionally, plants remnants have been found in the excavation. Some seeds were collected growing wild on the prairies. Today we may think of these plants as weeds, but they have nutritional value. The common names of these plants are goosefoot and erect knotweed.

Remains of cultivated crops native to other parts of North America were found here. We know that trading among the Nations was used to bring these seeds here. We found maize, what we know today as corn, squash, and beans.

Nearby woodlands provided nuts and fruits that were gathered. Hickory, butternut, walnut, and hazelnuts scraps were found. Some common fruit remnants were discovered at the excavation and are grape, strawberry, and either plum or cherry, it wasn’t determined.

Remains of uncommon produce we do not find in todays grocery stores was found and are sumac berry, hawthorn berry, and paw paw fruit. Tobacco seeds were uncovered as well as the medicinal plants of purslane and black nightshade.

Not all the suite of known early plant cultivars occurring at this time period were found at this excavation site. Bottle gourd, little barley, sunflower, marsh elder, and amaranth may have been absent or may just not have been found on the site.

As these people integrated crops into their diets, they traveled less during the growing months, and utilized the meat products that were abundance in their backyard. Various indigenous peoples left their footprints on this land, each choosing a different way to gather the bounty this land offered. Some chose this land as their hunting grounds. Others set up seasonal camps to collect produce as it ripened. Finally, other groups had more permanent settlements due to crop cultivation.

Paleontological record shows bison first appear in Illinois about 8,000 years ago, at one site along the Mississippi River. The continuous presence of bison in Illinois occurs 4,400 years ago and lasts into the early 1800’s. Remains of bison have been found at 134 sites in Illinois. It is theorized that around the year 1600, the decrease in populations of native peoples is possibly related to European introduced diseases. This may have caused an increase in bison populations. The resulting proliferation of bison may have caused more bison to move into the Illinois tallgrass prairie. In Illinois, it is thought that bison preferred to graze in river bottomlands and wooded areas. Bison herds in Illinois were smaller than those out west, ranging in size from 30-300 animals. The last bison was seen and killed in Illinois in 1808.

Midewin always hoped to include bison in its restoration in some form. Even though Illinois didn’t support the massive herds occurring out west, bison had an influence on the Illinois prairie. They turned the prairie soils with their hooves creating places for seeds of new plants to grow. Grasses were grazed to lower heights and created habitats for grassland birds. The soil was enriched by the fertilizer they left behind. Wallows were formed when bison rolled on the land to get a good scratch and coat themselves with mud and dust, to protect their skin from sun burn and insects. Wallows created temporary water pools providing places in spring for amphibians to transform from egg to adult as well as a source of fresh water for animal and man. Later the wallows served as an open space for certain short lived prairie plant species to grow. Further, the bison were a food source for cowbirds, starlings, magpies, and blackbirds. Bison move continuously as they graze. As they graze, bison hooves stir up insects these birds feed on. These birds migrated with the bison who made feeding on insects so easy.

This link in the prairie ecosystem at Midewin has been missing since the early 1800’s. How will adding them back to the restoration effort effect the outcome? We aren’t sure how bison will change the endeavor to rebuild prairie. So, we are considering their addition to Midewin as an experiment. How will the grazing patterns of bison affect the ecosystem and grassland bird habitat? Time will tell us.

Midewin has created an area for this experiment defined by 9 miles of 6 foot tall woven and barbed wire fencing. This experiment site is 1,030 acres in size with 4 pastures divided by a 5 ft. tall interior fence comprised of 5 strands of barbed fencing. A central coral handling facility connects all 4 pastures. This experiment is currently planned to last for 20 years. Topics to be monitored include grassland bird populations, native grass and flowering plant populations, and visitor-bison interaction. The United States Forest Service will adapt the management plan of the land occupied by the bison during this experiment and amend it as needed.

The location for the pasture on Midewin was chosen based on the following criteria. The pastures needed to be in close proximity to the Iron Bridge Trailhead and the proposed location of the Prairie Learning Center. The site needed to be close to the Midewin Headquarters. There should be vast amounts of baseline data for grassland bird populations for this area. A rolling hill topography for panoramic viewing was important. Also, room to divide the area into sub pastures was a priority. A soil type that is conducive to native prairie grasses and forbs was a must. Finally, an area free from any remaining army infrastructure was a necessity.

The land chosen has been continuously modified by agricultural cultivation, cattle grazing, drain tile installation, and vegetation removal since the 1830’s. During the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant era, this land was used for row cropping and livestock grazing.

Three of the pastures the bison were introduced into have non-native grasses as a starting point. The fourth and smallest pasture has been seeded with prairie species for two years prior to the arrival of bison. How will bison affect the restoration of plants in a prairie? We already know that that in the restoration process, grasses dominate the ecosystem to such a degree that they can out-compete the forbs or flowering plants for available resources. The bison diet consists of 93 percent grass, 5 percent of flowering plants, and only 2 percent woody plants. Will using bison as the primary grazers of the dominant native grasses decrease grass populations? If these grasses decrease, will it allow other short lived opportunistic native species to thrive? These and other questions about using large grazers in restoration efforts will be answered as the experiment progresses.

Bison go by many names. Indian nations each had their own name for these majestic creatures. If the tribe’s survival revolved around bison they had many names for bison. The movie, “Dances with Wolves,” took the Lakota Sioux name “tatanka” making bison forever cinematically known by this name. The last native nation living in this part of Illinois, the Potawatomi, called bison pkocshuka (kō-sūh-kăh). The term “bison” comes from both the Greek and Latin languages meaning “wild ox”. When people worldwide see these wooly mammals they associate them with the word first used by the French trappers, buffalo. When the French adventurers first set eyes on these wooly bovines, they called them “boeuf” (bŭf) which means ox or bullock. In the French language, “ox or bullock at the water” is spelled differently but sounds like this, “bœuf á l'eau” (bŭf-ă-lōw). So, both “bison” and “buffalo” have a similar meaning, ox. The American usage of the name “buffalo” was first recorded in 1635. This has a much longer history then the name “bison” which doesn’t appear in written record until 1774. Both terms are used interchangeably and seen in the dictionary referring to the same animal. “Bison” is considered more scientifically correct and definitely used by scientists, but “buffalo” does have a longer history. Whether you call them “bison” or “buffalo”, they don’t come running when you call. Now that you know both terms, you can use the name you prefer. Use “bison” if science is your niche or choose “buffalo” if history is your passion.

In his 1673 journal, Fr. Jacques Marquette describes bison, "We call them “wild cattle,” because they are very similar to our domestic cattle.... When our people killed one, three persons had much difficulty in moving it. The head is very large; the forehead is flat, and a foot and a half wide between the horns, which are exactly like those of our oxen, but black and much larger. Under the neck they have a sort of dewlap, which hangs down; and on the back is a rather high hump. The whole of the head, the neck, and a portion of the shoulders, are covered with a thick mane like that of horses; It forms a crest a foot long, which makes them hideous, and, falling over their eyes, prevents them from seeing what is before them. Moreover, they are very fierce; and not a year passes without their killing some savages. When attacked, they catch a man on their horns, if they can, toss him in the air, and then throw him on the ground, after which they trample him under foot, and kill him. If a person fire at them he must, immediately after the shot, throw himself down and hide in the grass; for if they perceive him who has fired, they run at him, and attack him. They are scattered about the prairie in herds”.

According to accounts. bison herds in 1673, along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, averaged between 30 to 40 animals, but could be as large as 400. Between 1679 and 1680, along the Illinois and Kankakee River Valley, it was recorded that 120 animals were killed in one day from a herd or 200-400 animals. About 64 miles west of where you stand, in a region around Starved Rock, testimony tells of 1,200 bison killed over a five week period in 1688. It was estimated that in “Illinois Country”, a region roughly extending some distance east of the Mississippi River, 2,000 bison were killed a year from 1690 to 1691. By 1702, a French trader, Sieur Juchereau (Sēür Jŭ –chir-ō), set up a trading post in “Illinois Country”, near the Wabash River. His goal was to traffic or trade for buffalo hides. In a little over two years, this post traded for over 13,000 bison skins.

When 1818 comes along, small herds are occasionally seen in Northern Illinois. During 1820, in Vermillion County, Illinois in the vicinity of a salt lick “a few” bison are seen. In 1831, one bison turned up south of the town of Dixon in Lee County, Illinois, about 118 miles west here. The “big buffalo” seen was chased by a group of pioneers brandishing firearms. The hot pursuit of this bison ended in failure. The buffalo lived to see another day as he evaded these trophy seeking settlers by heading into the Winnebego Swamp. It was recounted that the last buffalo sighting in Illinois happen approximately 67 miles west of Midewin. Near Troy Grove, Samuel Aimes saw the bison and promptly shot it.

Recorded accounts from the mid-1700, show an increase in intensive hunting of bison because of a demand by Europeans and Native Americans for bison products. Accelerated hunting caused dramatic reduction in the size of Illinois bison herds. Next, add extremely severe winters during the 1700’s & early 1800’s to the math of bison survival. The result of harsh winters simply means fewer bison alive. In the mid-1800’s, suppression of prairie fire was becoming the norm for a more agrarian Illinois. No fire meant a loss of prairie habitat required to sustain these large herbivores. This was the final factor in the Illinois bison equation. The sum total of bison equaling zero.

By most accounts, bison had essentially disappeared by the 1820’s from Illinois. As bison disappeared from Illinois, the decimation of the vast herds of the West was just beginning. This coincided with the growth of the railroads. The last commercial buffalo hunt took place on the Great Plains of the west in 1883. In 1884 it was estimated there were only 325 bison left in the United States, including a herd of 25 in Yellowstone.

One of the first Europeans to study bison was Father Louis Hennepin. In December of 1679 on the Illinois River near Peoria he first saw bison grazing on the prairie. Fr. Hennepin’s description: "Instead of hair, buffalo have very fine wool. Their horns are almost entirely black. They have an enormous head and an extremely short but very thick neck, sometimes six hands (24 inches) wide. They have a hump or small protuberance between their shoulders. Their legs are extremely thick and short and are covered with very long wool. From their heads between their horns, long black hair falls over their eyes, giving them a frightful appearance.”

Bison are the largest native land animal in North America today. A mature bull is six feet tall at the shoulder and weighs on average 2000 lbs. Today you can compare this one ton animal’s weight to that of ten refrigerators or two telephone poles. Cows are more diminutive in stature, only five foot at the shoulder. The average mature cow can weigh in at, as much as 1000 lbs. This is the modern day equivalent of one grand piano or one snowmobile.

If you can’t measure their height or weight, how can you tell a bull from a cow? You can start with their faces. A bull has a triangular or V-shaped face with a very broad forehead. The cow’s face is oval and her forehead much narrower. The male has much thicker fur on his forehead, beard, and “pantaloons” on the front legs than the female. Many bulls' horns point straight up while the horns of a mature cows will more often point inward and backward creating a C-shape and are more slender. Calve's and yearling's horns point straight out to the side in a devilish look. Additionally, cows have narrower shoulders than hips while bulls have broader shoulders than hips.

Their 22-26 inch horns are made of bone. The covering over the bony horn is called a horn cap and is a modified hair protein or keratin. It is much thicker but similar to human fingernails. This cap starts out as black and greys as the animal ages. From tip to tip, horns are approximately 2.5 feet apart. Bison horns are not shed like animals who possess antlers. While digging in mud or tussling with other bison a horn cap may be accidentally broken off. A horn cap will not grow back and the boney core within hardens and remains. After the age of four, the horn cap will grow one layer per year. The age of a bison can be determined from a horn cap. Bison rub and dig with their horns keeping the tip polished and sharp. Horns are a primary means of protection for bison. Horns have been used to gore many a hunter and horse as well as pick up a wolf and toss it in the air.

Color of a bison’s fur ranges from tan to brown to black. This coloring varies with the season, being darker in the early winter months and bleaching to a tan color as the winter coat ages. Winter coats measure up to sixteen inches on the forehead, ten inches on the forelegs, and only eight inches on the hind quarters.

Bison have ten times more hair per square inch than many cattle breeds. Coarse guard hairs cover the woolly under fur of a bison’s winter coat. This helps them survive sub-zero temperatures. Snow piled on top of them and not melting is a sure sign that bison are toasty under all their fur. Even the eyelashes of bison differ from cattle. The short eyelashes keep the eyelids of bison from accumulating ice while cattle have much longer eyelashes that can freeze together.

During a storm, bison don’t look for shelter, nor do they turn tail and walk away from a storm as European domestic cattle do. The behavior of bison has also been related through American Indian accounts. They tell of bison forming a “V” shape with bulls on the outside and cows with calves on the inside and walking into a raging blizzard. Perhaps, this is why native people call bison Faces the Wind.

The thick fur is an asset through the coldest months. Come spring it is time for bison to shed their itchy winter wardrobe. Getting this lighter coat requires scratching, rubbing, and wallowing. You name it, and bison will find a way to use it to scratch. They use tree trunks, boulders, road signs, posts, logs, utility posts, cabins, and barbed wire fences as some some of their scratching favorites. In the past, bison have knocked down cabins and telegraph poles while getting a good scratch. Bison also get down on the ground to roll around or “wallow” that old hair off. They cannot roll all the way over because of their hump. They get up and repeat on the other side. They can dig quite a pit in the ground by wallowing. There are other benefits from wallowing. As temperatures soar in the summer, the mud and dirt help bison stay cool. The mud that clings and dries on the bison creates a sunburn and insect-proof protective shell.

These wallows can get quite large from repeated use. They wear down and form a giant bowl. Wallows have been known to reach a diameter of 15 feet or more across and one or more feet deep. The hair and oil from the bison’s coat settles to the bottom of the wallow forming a water proof layer. These wallows will catch and hold rainwater. They became a perfect place for American Indians, settlers, and animals including bison to quench their thirst until the baking rays of summer sun dried them up.

Bison drink 10 to 12 gallons of water a day, more in the summer. Although, they may only visit the water one time in a day. During winter months they use their snout or hooves to break through ice to get to water. If necessary they can eat snow.

It was thought that the hump on a bison is a storage area for fat. The hump is really composed of large vertebrae and large muscle. This allows bison to support their massive head, which weighs from 50 to 75 lbs. The hump helps them survive the winter. Bison swing their head back and forth through the snow in a plowing action to reach the grasses that lay beneath the hard packed snow. The hump acts as a counterweight helping to balance the weight of their massive heads. Without the hump, using the head would be more taxing on the animal and use more energy that bison dearly need in the cold of winter.

Bison have adapted to uniquely fit their environment, from the baking heat of summer to the harsh cold of winter. In 1679, Father Hennepin was intrigued by these woolly creatures so much so he studied them and extensively wrote about them. Bison haven’t lost their appeal to man. Today bison still capture the attention of avid onlookers who return again and again just for a glimpse of the bison.

Envision the sound of the wind upon the prairie. For the prairie wind is a constant, sometimes a gentle whisper, other times roaring, but always moving the sea of grass. Now imagine you hear the rumble of thunder in the distance, except when you look up the sky is blue, the sun is out, and no clouds appear on the horizon. The rumbling noise increases in volume as the ground begins to tremble. Dust fills the air. You realize the ground shaking thunder and clouds of dust are from no heavenly storm. This approaching melee is caused by powerful hooves of a line of dark, frantic, creatures headed your way. As people traversed the prairie in the 1800’s, some experienced the awe of these thundering bison hooves. While bison spend most of the time leisurely grazing, a herd can be spooked to stampede. It could be a distant flash of lightening, a roll of thunder, maybe the howl of a coyote, even the scratch of a dry leaf scraping along the ground, basically anything.

When you see bison grazing you might assume they are huge plodding animals. Your false assumption of these massive mammals could put you in a dangerous situation. Bison can turn on a dime. They can pivot on either front or back legs. When they run, it is at speeds of 35-40 mph. They can sustain this speed easily for 5 miles. A race horse can run at 40 mph for one mile therefore a bison can easily outdistance a horse and rider. Bison can swim great distances across water either as individuals or in a herd. They can jump from a standstill up and over a 6 foot height. Bison are athletes in the bovine world.

As athletic as bison can be, most of their life is spent eating. They eat and walk, then eat and walk more. If given the space, a migrating herd of bison can travel ten to fifteen miles in a day, moving at a speed of 5-6 mph. This mobile style of foraging typically occurs for 9-11 hours a day. While bison are always chewing, they do have food preferences. Their grazing choices are chiefly grasses; 93% of their diet is grass, 5% flowering plants, and 2% browse, the tips of woody plants. Bison wrap their tongue around a clump of grass, bite down with their bottom teeth and upper gums causing the grass to tear. They are similar to deer in the absence of incisors, the front teeth in the top front of jaw.

Bison are ruminants. This means they have a four chambered stomach and have a “cud chewing” behavior. After a quick crunch with the molars, the grass is swallowed, sending it to the compartment of the stomach called the rumen. The rumen is a large vat for fermentation. It is filled with billions of microorganisms, including bacteria and protozoa. Here fermentation of the plant material occurs to helps break down tough cellular walls of grasses and other plant materials. After fermenting in the rumen for a time, the bison

regurgitate a cud, or bolus of partially chewed grass.

If you see a bison relaxed and reclined on the ground, they are usually busy chewing. As they rest, bison chew this cud to further breakdown the plant material. The twice masticated food is then re-swallowed and sent to chambers 3 and 4 of the stomach. A great deal of a bison’s time is spent chewing. Bison have adapted to eat and survive on grasses less nutritious than other bovines require. These less nutritious grasses require 80 hours to pass through the digestive track of a bison. Their bodies have adapted to squeeze out all the nutrition possible from difficult to digest prairie grasses that comprise the majority of a bison’s diet.

Bison are described in terms similar to those used for cattle. A yearling is a male or female calf that has reached its first birthday and is in its second year. A heifer is a female that has not conceived her first calf. A cow is a full grown female that has borne a calf. A full grown male is a bull.

In bison social structure, the herding behaviors of these categories of bison change with the season. Bulls tend to form small groups of up to five or brave a solitary existence for most of the year. The winter winds find cow or matriarchal bands forming. These cow-calf matriarchal herds average 10 to 20 bison but can reach numbers of 50 to 70 animals. Winter is a time of poor quality and reduced forage. Food needed for survival is the primary reason to scatter and decrease herd size in winter.

Spring breezes alter herd composition again. Green grass heralds the arrival of new calves. Weaned yearlings form temporary bands, while expectant mothers form nursery groups as they await the arrival of babes. This in turn relegates barren females and older cows into spinster bands.

The heat of summer and urgency to procreate modifies the herd configuration, yet again. All bands of female and male bison congregate during the breeding season to form one large herd. The breeding congregation splits up as the heat of summer wains. The herd division of fall & winter seasons return sending off pregnant cows to forage enough grasses to survive the harsh conditions to come. Then to repeat the cycle of new life again in spring.

Bison are a long lived animal. The average lifespan of bison range from 15-20 years. For bulls, prime breeding age is 6-10 years. Female bison reach sexual maturity by two years of age. Cows have one calf every one to three years until the age of 16. The gestation period for a cow lasts 9.5 months, about 285 days. Single births are the norm, twins being a rarer occurrence. Bison in the wild have evolved to be survivors. Cows usually have only enough milk for one calf. If this is the case and twins are born, it is likely that one twin will be dominant and survive or both twins will be compromised. Having only one calf in the wild means survival is more likely.

Calving season runs from March to the end of May. The average bison baby weighs between 33-66 lbs. These orange-red balls of fur come into life with their eyes open. Within 30 minutes of birth, they are standing and feeding from mom. Amazingly, within a couple of hours of birth, they are traveling with the herd. The ability of calves to stand quickly and keep up with the herd so rapidly is a survival strategy that keeps predators at bay. The calves sport a cinnamon colored coat and have been nicknamed “red dogs”. Within four months’ time, the calves’ coats darken to the brown of adults. The weaning of calves is completed between 7 to 12 months of age. At this age, calves weigh between 350 to 425 lbs., equivalent to the weight of a full grown lion.

In spring, these bouncing bundles of energy are all cuteness on the surface. Within these adorable bovine calves exists the potential to shake the earth. Calves grow quickly into the mighty beings that once shook the prairie. The existence of bison is more complex than just hooves thundering across the land. They spend the majority of time foraging for enough food year round. This instinct to survive is needed to create another generation. While we may never again see the massive thundering herds crossing an endless prairie, Midewin’s bison still inspire awe in all who view them. Power still resides in the muscle and sinew of their being. This potential is waiting to again thunder across the land.

The bridge you now stand next to carried, by train, over 1 billion lbs. of TNT from 1940 to 1977. Trinitrotoluene was produced in factories and then cured in bunkers at the Kankakee Ordinance Works on the west side of Route 53. After the curing process was complete, TNT was moved by train over the iron bridge to production lines at the Elwood Ordinance Plant on the east side of Route 53. The TNT was taken to one of four “Load, Assemble, Pack” (LAP) buildings. At these large production lines, TNT was turned into the munitions needed for WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The munitions were then stored in bunkers on the east side of Route 53 until they were shipped to the military. The bridge is now part of the 5.2 mile Henslow Trail. This multi-use trail, in part, utilizes old rail beds and roads from the arsenal era.

Henslow Trail is distinctive in the habitats and features you encounter as you travel its length. If you begin your trek at Iron Bridge Trailhead, you move through a woodland of black locust that was once a farmstead. Then, travel on through a small area of restored prairie until arriving at the Northwest corner of the bison pastures. After crossing the Iron Bridge, you move through grasslands that are maintained at specific heights to help endangered and threatened grassland birds species such as the upland sandpiper, loggerhead shrike, and eastern meadowlark.

Next on the itinerary is savanna habitat. On a savanna, you find rolling hills with shrubs as well as widely spaced individual bur oak trees. Grassland birds are also found on a savanna, but also look for red-tailed hawks, red-headed woodpecker, and bobolinks. At Prairie Creek, you have reached the halfway point of the trail. Continuing on this north/south section of trail you pass through a restored wetland known as Foxglove Prairie. Here is an area where frog and toad monitoring is done by volunteers. Don’t forget to stop and listen for frogs singing.

The final east/west stretch of Henslow Trail winds through South Patrol Restoration Project. This is 500 acres of restored tallgrass prairie that is slowly maturing year by year into the tallgrass prairie it once was. Keep your eyes peeled for beaver and mink that frequent the creek that parallels this trail. Finally, you arrive at the River Road Trailhead where many of Midewin’s native seed beds are located.

Henslow Trail is a multi-use trail, so hikers, bicyclists and equestrians all enjoy this trail. While Henslow Trail connects Iron Bridge and River Road Trailheads, it is not a loop trail. So, you’ll have to turn around to return to your starting point. Remember you can start this trail at either Iron Bridge or River Road Trailheads.

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON!

It’s true, GRAZING is for the GRASSLAND birds! There is an intricate relationship between the large ruminants and grassland birds that call Midewin home. The bovines, whether cattle or bison, create a variety of vegetation heights needed by grassland birds to nest and find food.

Bison are once again part of the prairie landscape and year-round residents of this Forest Service site. They are kept in pastures separate and away from cattle. Bison are moved between several connected pastures as needed. A study will determine effects bison grazing has on restoring non-native pastures to tallgrass prairie.

From April 1st through November 1st, cattle are seasonal laborers in pastures throughout Midewin. They work to keep grass heights varied and produce insect attracting manure. Each year cattle owners participate in a bidding system to use Midewin’s pastures. Funds raised from pasturing cattle at Midewin go to help with prairie restoration.

Grassland birds come to Midewin’s neighborhood because of its amenities for raising their young. They need varied grass heights which the ruminants provide. Readily available dead plant litter supplies building materials these birds need to build their, on the ground, homes. Midewin is a grocery store with a cornucopia of plant seeds and insects. Bovine manure increases the nutritious insect population. The final reason Midewin is a go to neighborhood for grassland birds is its size. Grassland birds seek unfragmented habitat. Midewin offers over 18,000 acres with adjacent grassland of other public lands adding to this acreage.

Midewin uses the Robel pole technique, developed in by Kansas biologist Robert Robel, to make sure bovine don’t overgraze pastures. Grass height of pastures is measured in the summer. This involves the use of an 8 to 9 foot black and white marked measuring pole, a shorter pole, a string and 3 people to measure and record data. The grass level is measured in random transects in a pasture after or before grazing has occurred. The measurements are analyzed. This data determines if more bovines are needed to graze grass shorter or fewer to let grass grow taller.

Among the grassland birds, there are some unique ones who travel with the bison and now with cattle. They are brown-head cowbirds, magpies, and starlings. These birds hop around the feet of bovine gobbling up insects stirred up by hooves. These birds also sit atop the bison and cattle, eating flies, ticks, and other biting insects. Neither bison nor cattle seem to mind the avian passengers. It is a mutually beneficial existence.

Grassland birds once populated over 550 million acres from Canada to Mexico. Today less than 40 percent of these historic grassland exist. Land use changed to crop fields, urban areas, industrial sites, and trees and shrubs encroachment causing grassland habitat loss. Since 1970, there has been a huge decline in grassland bird populations. More recently, a positive trend in bird populations is occurring due to new approaches.

The agriculture industry has found they can grow cattle and grassland birds together. Grassland bird friendly practices such as rotational grazing and adjusting when hay field are mowed keep birds in the livestock pastures and hay fields. Conservation groups are protecting critically endangered grasslands and wetlands with conservation incentives and easements. Another strategy includes market-based incentives for meat raised on Audubon-certified grasslands. There are federal and state policies to assist in the recovery of grassland birds through conservation and discouraging excessive conversion of grassland habitat.

Who would have thought that there was an ecologic connection between bovines and grassland birds? Nature has many such relationships if you look close enough. Large unfragmented grasslands like Midewin help increase the numbers of grassland birds and their ultimate survival. The agriculture industry and conservation groups are also creating incentives to help bring grassland birds back using cattle.