Friends of Sandsage Bison Range

02/04/2026

If you haven’t been following current weather news, it would seem that the "Seer of Seers" rodent, Punxsutawney Phil, observed his shadow yesterday predicting six more weeks of Winter.

While it can be hard to say the internal ruminations of an animal's mind, let alone the greatest of seers, Phil; it is likely that the bison won't mind this too much at all.

Bison have robust fur and hides insulating them so well that snow can accumulate, as can be seen in this video from the snow event on January 9th, 2026.
When the snow starts to weigh them down, a quick shake gives them a reset and lightens the load.

In addition their fur coat, their large head and strong neck muscles allow them to plow through snow to access vegetation underneath (they might also receive bales and range cubes too to keep them fit and healthy...!😉).
Most of the snow from that event is now gone, but we will see if Phil’s prediction holds true and we get any further winter weather!

Keep your blankets and hot chocolate handy, we might not be done with them yet!! - KM
❄️🦬🦬❄️

01/30/2026

Happy KANSAS Day!
Kansas became the 34th state to join the Union 165 years ago today!
A part of that Kansas heritage are the symbols that our state has elected, a good number of which can be found here on the Sandsage Bison Range!
We strike out on the State Soil: Harney Silt Loam and to my knowledge there’s been no documentation of Pteranodons (State Flying Fossil) or Tylosaurus (State Marine Fossil) though they were likely present in days long past of the Western Interior Seaway. What we have found or has been documented on the range are listed below:

✔️State Animal: American Bison (we have a few!)
✔️State Bird: Western Meadowlark
✔️State Tree: Eastern Cottonwood
✔️State Flower: Annual Sunflower
✔️State Fruit: Sandhill Plum
✔️State Grass: Little Bluestem
✔️State Reptile: Ornate Box Turtle
✔️State Insect: Honeybee (non-native, but present)
✔️State Amphibian: Barred Tiger Salamander
✔️State Fish: Channel Catfish (historically present naturally and by stockings, currently extirpated)

From all of us at FoSBR, we hope you were able to enjoy the celebration of our great state, vicariously to all of our non-resident friends!
Watch for more to come and we progress into this new year!! - KM
*Herd photos from the snowstorm 1/9/2026.* 🦬

09/14/2024

After 35 years of employment with the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, Tom Norman has retired, with today, 9/13/2024, being his last day.

For 32 of those years, Tom has served as the manager of the originally named Finney County Game Refuge, now, the Sandsage Bison Range & Wildlife Area. During that time, Tom was integral in the founding, formation, and direction of this Friends of Sandsage Bison Range, FoSBR.

The knowledge and expertise that Tom has shared in this position will be greatly missed. I think I speak for all of us here at FoSBR when I say, thank you for the guidance and help through all the years. This is not so long, but instead, until we meet again.

From all of us with the FoSBR crew, we wish you well on all your future endeavors and a long and happy retirement!! 🦬

- KM

06/18/2023

Was nice to release the herd back to the pasture again!

06/17/2023

A far cry from the conditions on the range merely a month ago. Last year’s precipitation total at the SSWA HQ Gauging Station was 9.78 inches. Since April 26, 2023 we have received 9.41 inches at that same location (10.74 inches total YTD)!

With those greatly appreciated rains we, and I’m sure the herd, are happy to say that they are back out on the range!

They seemed a little skeptical yesterday morning when we undid the guard rails and opened the gate, but hesitantly worked towards the allure of wide open spaces.
Once the first few confirmed it was all clear, the rest made the dash for greener pastures!
New horizons for the 7 calves, thus far having spent their lives in the corrals. Notice the slight confusion of the one that found itself in vegetation over its head!!
Currently holding 22 animals in the herd with the 7 calves born in the last couple months and the rest aging from yearlings up.

While we appreciate the interest in getting out to see the herd, we’ll give them a little bit to get reacclimate to life with more space and variability and start taking calls for tours again after mid-week or so.
As always, we ask that you schedule in advance and appreciate that there are other duties that consume our schedules. While rare, there are occurrences (usually from short notice or rigidity in desired dates) where we are unable to accommodate due to other demands of the job.
The FoSBR Tour Line number has changed (620-290-8776), which has been updated here and on our website. The number on our printed materials, though, will no longer work.

Hopeful for continued and regular rains! - KM

05/19/2023

Long overdue, but an update on current happenings at the Sandsage Bison Range.

Last Fall, during our annual herd roundup and this subsequent Spring, we reduced the SSWA herd over 50% via private auction and transfer of animals to the herd at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge.

The SSWA herd has been housed in our corrals since that initial roundup due to conditions on the range from the prolonged drought we have been experiencing (9.78 inches of total precipitation at the SSWA HQ gauging station for 2022).

With the rains that we have received these past several weeks and hopefully more to come, we will evaluate the viability of releasing the herd back onto the range. Until this happens, the herd will continue to receive care and feedings in the corrals and tours will be on hold. I’m sure the herd will be as ready as we are for when that happens!!

We are currently retaining 20 Bison in the SSWA herd. If you are travelling through the Garden City area before we are once again hosting tours, you might think to visit our friends over at the Lee Richardson Zoo to see a couple of our herd there as well as other critters of North America and beyond!

Thankful for the rain and hopeful for more!! - KM

11/24/2021

Our young bull appears to be making himself at home!

12/19/2020

Good news for the European Bison.

Passing 6,200, the European wood bison is no longer considered vulnerable by the IUCN in their latest Red List update.

10/09/2020

An interesting visitor to the office on Monday morning, 10/5/2020. This immature Pied-billed Grebe, PBGR, was found on the road over by Railroad Ave and VFW Rd just outside of Garden City.
A more common occurrence than one might think. These little water birds migrate at night and with the right conditions of bright moonlight, pavement can look very much like water. Sometimes resulting to the detriment of the individual. Fortunately in this instance it only resulted in the grounding of the bird with no detectable injuries.
Grebes, like some other families of water birds, have developed legs that originate further posteriorly than other birds. This, coupled with their lobate feet, make them fantastically adapted for swimming and diving, but very poor at moving on land.
With their body to wing ratio, they have to run across the top of the water to build speed for flight. This is not an easy task for them to do on land as you can see in the video.
Fortunately the Bison Pit is the perfect location for it to rest and recoup.
Found throughout most of North American, PBGR will migrate south for the winter, but will reside in KS year long if there are open water conditions that can be found.
Their diet consists of aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and plants. This one will maintain its head patterning until its spring molt where it will attain its adult plumage consisting of various shades of brown. The namesake of this bird is for a black band that encircles its bill during the breeding season, which does not develop until adulthood.
PBGR's are a fascinating and oft overlooked species. Seek them out in vegetated wetlands like marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams! - KM

10/09/2020

Thirsty little one as you can see it drinking almost immediately upon entering the water! - KM

09/04/2020

I came upon this gruesome scene yesterday while checking the herd and fence. It appears to be a feeding platform for a Loggerhead Shrike. Shrikes are known to impale their prey upon barbwire fence barbs, plant thorns/spines and in this case pieces of wire. In this case the prey is Jerusalem Crickets, the top one was still alive, below it is the abdomen of another Jerusalem Cricket from an earlier meal. The head and legs from the older prey is scattered below the impaled parts. I also noticed more remains on nearby barbwire barbs. Impaled prey included more Jerusalem Crickets and various grasshoppers. I found it interesting that the Shrike seems to have been focusing on Jerusalem Crickets for its meals.

08/26/2020

Sea of Gold! The rain we received in July has resulted in a tremendous display of August sunflowers in the sand hills! If you haven't been out to see them now is the time to take a relaxing evening drive thru the sand hills south of Garden City to enjoy the late summer colors.