Buffalo Ranch - Yellowstone National Park
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 44° 53.663 W 110° 14.124
12T E 560372 N 4971502
A history sign along Northeast Entrance Road about eleven miles east of Tower Junction in Yellowstone National Park.
Waymark Code: WMDA6K
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 12/12/2011
Views: 4
“Imagine Lamar Valley without bison. In the 1880s poachers almost exterminated Yellowstone’s native bison herd. Fewer than 40 animals survived; none survived in Lamar Valley.
To save the bison from extinction, park managers brought in outside herds in 1902 to interbreed eventually with the few remaining animals. Lamar Buffalo Ranch -- the cluster of buildings across the road -- was started in 1907. The ranching operation was gradually phased out and ended in 1952, the herds were thriving in the park long before.
Over time, wildlife management policies -- raising bison like domestic cattle, for example -- may appear misguided. Hindsight is cheap; attitudes toward animals and wilderness have changed in the past and will change again. For now, Yellowstone’s estimated 2000 bison are a free-roaming herd migrating seasonally in and out of Lamar Valley.”
Marker Name: Buffalo Ranch
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Group Responsible for Placement: National Park Service
Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]
Addtional Information: Not listed
Date Dedicated: Not listed
Marker Number: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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