Bison Now Grazing At McHenry County Forest Preserve

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL —McHenry County Conservation District leased 180 acres of pastureland at Pleasant Valley Conservation Area in Woodstock to Ruhter Bison LLC to raise young bison. Last week, six bison were introduced to their new oak savanna pasture.

“The bison will do the work of managing the prairie in a far more natural and beneficial way for wildlife,” said Brad Woodson Manager of Natural Resources, McHenry County Conservation District. “It is so important to prairie habitat to have grazers as another restoration tool in land management. Grazers like elk, deer or bison are essential to enhancing the diversity of a grassland habitat – they help keep the balance of habitat structure and species composition of the prairie. We are looking forward to seeing the result."

Grassland bison grazing is something McHenry County Conservation District has looked at establishing for many years, but there were few opportunities where the conditions were just right, according to the news release.

The opportunity presented itself when the previous tenant, who utilized the land as a combination of agriculture and cattle, no longer wished to re-new their farm lease.

“This time we had the right location, the right opportunity, the right contacts and it finally all came together. Ruhter Bison was a great fit because the Ruhters are dedicated to wildlife conservation and protecting natural resources,” Woodson said. “They are investing money in the property – new fences, watering system and building improvements – but the value to the District goes far beyond monetary, the real cost savings to the District is in terms of saving staff resources on ongoing habitat management.”

Phase one of the project placed the six bison on 30 acres, but plans call for potentially increasing the herd to thirty young animals at its peak on 180 acres in the coming years. Future programs involve a partnership with Ruhter for viewings, tours and educational opportunities for the public to learn about the bison.

At this time the area is closed to the public.

“We can't invite the public here quite yet. But we hope to develop a great public access and vantage point for viewing, so that's something to look forward to,” Woodson said. “For now, we need the herd to establish this as a home territory and we don't want to overstress them. The bison will be here - this is a 15 year lease that we hope to renew. So we hope the public is patient with us. These are inspiring animals, similar to viewing bald eagles, where the sight bison grazing on open prairie is above and beyond what we are used to. It is exciting for this to finally happen.”

The benefits of grazing bison are numerous.

Bison are primarily graminoid feeders and prefer grasses, tending to leave forbs ungrazed. The removal of the grass canopy will result in warmer soil temperatures and increased soil moisture, which increases light availability to ungrazed forbs and can stimulate earlier growth of ungrazed forbs in the spring.

Bison grazing also creates a vegetation structure that is attractive to many grassland birds. At one time, grassland bird species evolved alongside these large grazers. Declining grassland bird species such as grasshopper sparrows, bobolinks, upland sandpipers, and savannah sparrows prefer the shorter, patchier structures of grazed pastures versus the taller, more uniform structure of prairie restorations.

Bison grazing also alters nutrient cycling processes and nutrient availability. Insects and bacteria decompose their feces, helping to recycle nutrients back into the soil. Their waste also spreads seeds. Their hooves plant seeds in the soil while leaving divots that hold moisture. Bison also help disperse seeds that get caught in their thick fur and are distributed throughout the prairie.

“The District is committed to advancing its conservation goals through data-driven, conservation-oriented farm management using practices that protect soil and water resources, conserve wildlife habitat, and regenerate ecological function. We continue to seek innovative ways to accomplish these goals through new partnerships,” added Ness.

More information and a video can be found on the McHenry County Conservation District website.