Bison Milk and the Orphan Buffalo Calf
#itsallaboutwesley
“Most Famous Bison in Texas”
(given to him by his followers (Canada))
My story about how my life turned into “Its All About Wesley”
How Wesley got his name. I’ve never been the type of person to ‘fan out’ over celebrities. I’ve met several over the years being in the horses. I once, literally ran into Michael Keaton. We were at a horse show and going down the fair alley heading opposite directions and both looking off while walking straight ahead and we collided. But I will ‘fan out” over an everyday person that has accomplished a great deal just on their own skills and talent. One of those people for me is Wes Olson. My Wesley, just happened to be born on Wes Olson’s birthday. So there you have it. Just a lucky happenstance.
Wesley was born June 8th 2023, from a great cow named Lucy. When Lucy arrived it took her a couple years to find her place in the herd. Truck (my bull) catered to her always, never left her side. As my herd aged and my number one cow Trixie lost her ranking, Lucy took that role on. She was a great replacement. She minded her own business, didn’t start trouble with the herd, she only stepped in when she needed to stop any disputes. She was always very kind and calm. Just an all around great mother and now leader.
June 8th 2023
I was in the pasture on the tractor and happen to look out and saw her and her past offspring all gathered at the tank. We were in a drought here in Texas and the edge of the tank was pretty thick and hard to navigate, especially for a new born calf. I thought I was going to have a rescue on my hands as I watched from the tractor. The poor calf was trying to climb back to solid ground and with his herd all gathered so close he was having trouble finding room to fit in. I was rooting for him, no one wants to get involved where you don’t need to be. So I watched helpless and hopeful. The lil’ calf stuck it in 4WD and pulled himself out. So you see, from the very first day it became “All About Wesley”
For weeks everything was fine, I was going on about my business of cleaning the tank and repairing fence lines. I noticed Lucy was not acting normal , she was moving slower and had a lack of interest. I brought her and Wesley up to the barn where I could watch them more closely. She was eating very little and seemed weak. I ran fecals and she was free from worms, but something had a hold of her. I doctored her with common medications and she perked up and was on the mend, so it appeared. Then…the other shoe dropped and she was losing ground fast.
By this time Wesley was used to me being around, packing water and food to Lucy, making sure to conserve her energy to fight for life. I still had hope she would pull through. One morning checking on her I saw her with all four legs under her and I knew she was not going to make it. I lost her that day and Wesley lost his whole world.
For those that love bison and maybe want a herd in the future, or for those that just love them for what they are. It’s not always easy. It’s great when you have new calves or get to experience the personalities of each bison you have. When you see them do something silly for fun. When you watch one that wants to bully and learns they aren’t all that. How one cow may babysit several calves or the cow that expects her calf to step up and be independent. The one that is the clown and tries to get the whole herd riled up for fun. There are loads of experiences I have in my past and I loved learning each and every one. But then there are the days when you have to say goodbye. Goodbye to the one who entertained you, gave you calves, and taught you new things about themselves. It’s been a rough couple of weeks, but today I had to let go. Thank you Lucy and goodbye. You left me with Wesley and trust me I will take care of him as best as you taught me. I will forever remember how shy you were, how Truck catered to you above all else, how you expected your calves to be tough and excepted nothing less. We will carry on keeping you in our memories of the great ones who let us know them. Your little son let me walk up to him tonight and feed him in your place. Thank you for that! This is the downside of getting to know your bison as individuals, it’s also the plus side. RIP Lucy -July 26 2023
I never wanted a bottle calf, I have raised several over the years and yes they are terribly cute, they come with a great responsibility. You are now accepting the role as their herd and care taker. But think about the calf. He lost his herd, his mother, his world. So to want a bottle calf means a devastating act has to happen. Kind of cruel when you think about it in those terms.
Nevertheless, while I mourn the loss of Lucy, I now have this little guy looking at me like “what just happened!” I have to put everything aside and get straight to work. First, I have to bury Lucy. I wont go into how hard that was, I’ll just say I did it. Now what to do about Wesley. I thought maybe Lucy’s daughter would become his protector. So I brought her up to the barn and placed her with Wesley. It seemed like this was going to work. She was like her mother, kind. I could make sure he is doing well and Mesa can keep him company. That lasted all of one day. Mesa was too young and immature for such a role. All she wanted was his food. So it looks like I have myself a bottle calf.
My experience with bottle calves was always hands off, meaning I took care of them with the goal of preparing them to go back to the herd. Wesley is different, I actually own this calf. I could now care for one as I wanted to, because his herd is right here. Could I mix the two worlds and raise a well rounded bison bull? This became my plan.
My entire goal in this new adventure, was never push or force this calf. It’s the only way I want to work ‘with’ an animal. So much has happened in a very short time. The first thing I did was just set in the pasture with Wesley. I grabbed a lawn chair and cooler and thats where I spent all my time. Just letting him know I was there and he was not alone. He laid down under a shade tree and napped as I sat in my chair under the hot Texas sun. It was brutal for us both. All kinds of thoughts are rolling through my head…..how do I?
The next morning I set up panels for an alley way to guide him into the lower barn where I had hay storage and a few stalls. Not my first choice but its the one least traumatic for Wesley. I realize he is scared and wondering where his mom is, if he didn’t realize she died.
I walk behind him only invading his space enough to move him forward. He is handling it so well, just like he did that first day he was born and got stuck in the mud. He was slow moving in his actions never panicking, nervous, yes. I needed to show him kindness and comfort. I sat in the stall on the ground, so I wasn’t this towering person overwhelming him. I had my warm milk and I would ease up to him and squirt a little on his mouth. He would lick it off and give me an unhappy look. Eventually that look changed to curiosity. Though scared he started letting me get the nipple in his mouth and he sucked! This was the happiest I have felt in a while. He is going to be okay!!
My original plan was to get him hooked on a bottle and place him back out with his babysitter and bottle him while in the ‘herd’. Afterall he is about 6 weeks old and knows how to be a buffalo. Yeah, that didn’t happen. As much as I like Mesa, she was not going to work for Wesley.
It took Wesley much longer to get hooked on the bottle than it does a new born. He was a buffalo, even though he easily took the bottle, he was not hooked. I had no control to guide him anywhere. Realizing this was going to be a bigger project than I had anticipated, I made up another, larger stall in the upper part of the barn. Set all the panels back up to make an alley to the new bigger stall. Again walked behind him with just enough pressure for him to find his way to the opening of the stall door where he has a turnout and a much bigger and brighter stall. He is unsure about all the changes, but this will be the last for a while.
His health is improving with the new milk and steady diet.
July 30th. Yesterday was too dang hot for the living. There was a breeze but only above 5′. This morning I put up an outdoor shade. I think he approves. Oh I saw him play for the first time since his mom died. I left a cotton rope hanging inside the stall, he was giving it the business, then came bouncing outside like it was defeated, all proud and confident.
I am a big fan of diatomaceous earth, commonly referred to as D.E. I use it all summer long for the bison to rid themselves of biting flies. Wesley was making his own wallow and I put a little DE in it for him to wallow in. Bison love their wallows.
I also hung some misters up to help keep him cool.
It was 110 August 1st.
The months that followed were a dance – a delicate balancing act of nurturing life and shaping a future. My constant companion was a whirlwind of curiosity and unbridled energy, a force that required attention and redirection to prevent the pitfalls of boredom and neurosis. I’m sure you’ve witnessed it – the pacing, the restless anxiety that plagues animals devoid of stimulation. It’s a habit as heartbreaking as it is hard to break.
So I became a guide, a teacher of engagement. I didn’t aim to create a performer, but rather an active participant in his own learning and growth. The “tricks” were merely a vehicle, a tool to challenge his mind and nurture his confidence. The goal wasn’t perfection, but interaction – an exchange of trust and understanding, rewarded with praise and affection. Bison have great memories, and I was determined to fill his memory bank with positivity.
This was no part-time endeavor, but an all-consuming commitment to shaping a future. Respect was a two-way street, with boundaries drawn and acknowledged by both of us. Personal space was sacred, inviolable – no uninvited touch, no violations of comfort.
Every day, every hour, was a lesson, a chance to mold not just behavior, but the very essence of our relationship. The calf would become a bull, and he needed to be a bull that would have respect, respect for fences, people, etc…. The pressure was immense, the responsibility overwhelming at times, but in his curious eyes and questing spirit, I saw not just a challenge, but a privilege.
To be this close to a bison, to learn first hand…..to get inside his thoughts, and try to understand how he thinks, how blessed was I. I didn’t want to waste one minute. That being said, setting in my lawn chair while he napped, may seem like a waste of time, but it was not. I could watch his behaviors and expressions and learn.
Wesley was completely entertaining, I have scores of memories of simple things he did or expressions he gave me.
One thing he did that really touched my heart…..my emotions, not his, the first time he got away from me he ran to my sculptures and nuzzled my cow. It about broke my heart. In that moment, his thoughts were a mystery. All I knew was how his actions affected me.
Cooling off under the misters and sprinkler.
I videoed a lot of our interactions, it helped me in reviewing what I needed to change or it would show me something I missed at the time. The first thing I worked on with Wesley was the ball. Very simple and easy to pick up. While reviewing a video I had just taken, Wesley was also listening…he was acting out what he could hear from the video in real time, which was the ball. Incredible!!
We started off with a small ball, like tennis ball size. He was afraid of the big exercise ball at this time. he quickly got over his fear and it became his favorite, which I referred to as “Wilson.”
He loved that ball, he would actually take it in at night and out in the morning. No coaxing from me, just his thing. I knew he was doing it, but I couldn’t catch him. So I just set up the recorder and left to do other chores.
You may notice the hanging ball in the background. Its still used today. And instead of a ball, he now plays with a small plastic barrel that I modified for him.
Wesley outgrew his stall and I moved him to the big foaling stall, which didn’t last long either. He was growing so fast it seemed.
I eventually bit the bullet and made the call that he was now big enough and old enough that he needed to be outside full time. It was much harder on me than him I’m sure. It was in the spring of 2024.
He is happy and survived his first night alone and in the dark….Okay, I survived his first night alone and in the dark, if we’re going to be honest.
He is now turned out full time and getting be to quite the young bull.(modified barrel)
He made friends with my two dogs (Gabi & Sara) and lets not forget my cat Monkey, who also has an interest in Wesley.
I think he enjoys getting the dogs riled up.
I don’t let my dogs in with Wesley because I have other bison and my dogs are not allowed in those pens or pasture.
He is such a card, so smart and has a big soft eye. I hope he always keeps his charm. For something that I thought I never wanted, he sure has captured my full attention and I am thankful for him and all the things I have learned from working with him.
He still entertains me daily, he still acts like a gentleman, if we don’t count feeding time. Those are always to be watched closely.
I enjoy just watching him graze……he will get up from a nap, graze over twenty to thirty feet and drop and graze around himself. I just shake my head…..Other times I had seen him knock stuff out of the way with his head while grazing. There was no going around the object, though it was small enough. Nope, it has to move.
He also problem solves, he had his smaller ball stuck between the fence and the water tub. he worked at it and finally was able to release it from the bind.
Over the last year I have been posting about Wesleys’ adventures and personality, he has gained hundreds, if not thousands of followers online as well as some that send me emails and private messages, all wanting to know how he is doing. I am beyond thrilled that his life has brought more people to be interested in getting to know our National mammal and America’s only Native Grazer. To understand the role bison play in our ecosystem and to learn just ‘how they are smart.’ How and why we raise them, their history in North America and with Natives. Their story is like no other, that’s a fact.
So thank you all for the kind words and interest in Wesley and our bison, lets keep it going.
In May, a friend playfully entered me into a contest to guess Wesley’s weight. Wesley was receiving plenty of comments about appearing fluffier than usual for a bison bull his age. While the idea was lighthearted and ultimately turned out well, I realized I needed better photos to do him justice. The contest prize would be a framed picture of Wesley and a AAB ballcap. If you want the most awkward pictures of your events, I’m your gal. But if you want a nice image, hire a professional, so I enlisted the help of Susan Diann Designs and her husband Jason, who were conveniently traveling through for a photography event in Fort Worth. Although the timing was perfect for me, Wesley was still rough-looking in May, with a shaggy winter coat and mud from the rains obscuring his true appearance. I offered to postpone the photoshoot until he cleaned up, but Susan assured me she could work with his current state. Indeed, the images she captured were amazing, showcasing Wesley’s awesomeness despite the mud and matted wool. It’s hard to believe, looking at these photos, that he was such a mess at the time.
I now have the images and thinking I can’t just buy any frame, I mean this is Wesley we are talking about and these photos need a frame that is special. I reached out to Wes Olson of course, this guy has so much talent. Although he said he has never made a frame before I knew it would be perfect for the winner’s prize. He did not disappoint!
This is old barn wood from the early 1900’s, with Wesleys’ name carved into a piece of maple built into the frame.
Onto to the next problem to solve. How do I get a weight on Wesley? Typically we don’t haul bison alone. They are herd animals and do much better with other bison with them. This will be his first trailer ride and by himself. I had to practice with him loading in the trailer, to make sure he was completely comfortable.
I figured out a way that would allow me to safely practice loading, closing the door and unloading by myself.
I parked the trailer in the double gates on the fence line and placed 3 panels around the trailer so he couldn’t get to it while it was not in use, but could familiarize himself with the new contraption.
As smart as bison are it didn’t take long for Wesley to figure out what we were doing and how to quickly get what he wanted, which was a bottle of milk.
At first, I just let him check out the trailer, only letting him have the back half. (baby steps) I would reward him every time he did something that was agreeable. It could be ” good boy” or a treat, depending on the act.
When he was ready, I opened up the other half of the trailer, so now he is all the way up front.
In no time he was very relaxed, he would even spend time in there when I was not around. I left him some cubes in a tub to encourage him.
Now comes the make or break moment, if I did my job correctly.
Closing the door on him.
I used ropes to pull the back gate closed, while I stayed up front with Wesley. Again, they don’t like to be alone.
I was really impressed with him, he was going with the flow, still uneasy but staying calm.
It eventually became somewhat of a game for him.
Coming out of the house for a practice session, as soon as I hit his fence line, I would tell him to load up. To my surprise, he ran as fast as his legs could take him and bailed into the trailer. I had to run to catch him, so I could make sure and reward him before he came back out.
When I saw him wanting a new adventure, I took him on a short haul down to the HWY and back. Round trip was maybe about 5 miles. I placed my Guardpro camera inside the trailer, so I could watch it later and see how he was doing and what I needed to change for him. He was a champ, everything went like clockwork. Within a couple days we made our longer haul to the Coop for a scale weight. I was much more nervous than Wesley, I know that. Wesley weighed 720lbs on May 15th, 2024.
I really enjoyed working with him on this adventure. I cant tell you how rewarding it is to see him learn and better yet, want to learn.
As hot as the days can be here in Texas, I really wanted Wesley to enjoy a cool treat such as watermelon. Last year as a red calf he was curious about it, but wasn’t very interested. This year I decided to give it another try. I felt if he just tried it , he would love it.
1st attempt: Was to run it through a blender and offer it to him using his bottle. He had no qualms in gulping it down.
2nd attempt: I gave him his normal bottle and slipped in watermelon chunks. Again, consumed with no hesitation. Days later when I offered him watermelon with no bottle, he wasn’t interested. Almost offended I would even ask. I was snubbed.
Its now too hot to be be welding up any fences or gates, so I found a new project that would allow me to hang out with Wesley and still get some work done. I decided to haul in some nice red soil to replace all the soil lost during the heavy rains. It was going to be simple. (famous last words) Getting back to Wesley. I couldn’t drop both loads in the backyard at the same time, so I dropped one in Wesleys’ night pen. Let the antics ensue!
In the Texas summer heat there is nothing better than a coolin’ off. 
Wesley still wont get in his water tank so I either give him a sprinkler or if he sees me with with hose, he’ll take that. I tried everything I could think of to encourage him that it was okay to get in the water. He pleaded with me….no. After having some time to think about why he wont, it dawned on me to the event that happened the day he was born. (getting stuck in the mud at the side of the tank) Not having his mother to help him get over that, could explain why he is so adamant about not going in. I know he wants to, but just cant bring himself to the task.
In the mean time….
If I was out watering trees, or keeping the hose close by to put out any welding fires I started, Wesley was soon there trying to get my attention. There were some days where he asked 3 or 4 times.
Wesley gave me a treat this morning. I found his other tire, which it had been missing for some time, so long I completely forgot about it. I brought it back up and turned him out. I cant tell you how much I appreciated seeing him play again. The last week or so, we both have been mopey, tired of the heat……could be.
November 9th Wesleys ladies finally arrived. I cant tell you how long…..months we’ve been counting the days. One upset after another, this resulted in months. But, they finally got here and that is all that matters now.
These girls are Big Easy daughters and there was only one heifer born by him last year. So we opted for her and another from the previous year. Welcome Big Willow and Easy Peasy.
Big Easy is one of our favorites, laid back and yes, Easy going. He is a son of Mr Big, who I used as one of the models for my sculpture “Demise“.
The girls are settling nicely and came right off the trailer at a walk and acted like they were home.
On December 25th mid day, I witnessed Wesley and the new girls racing to the north fence. They were obviously in fear. Peasy turned to avoid hitting the fence and Willow T-boned her right through the fence, Wesley hit the fence broad side and end up with his hind end on the other side of the fence, going down on his butt and hock buried in the ground. Those two stayed in the pasture and I ran to secure Peasy. She was new here and in shock. I opened another gate and just guided her back to the pen as slowly and quickly as I could. I still had a Peasy sized hole in the fence and I needed to plug it before Willow and Wesley found it. It was all so horrific. I did find the cause and did a temporary repair on my fence. It was a freak deal and we all lived, so that was a good thing.
Wesley has now turned 2 in June of 2025. I’m dealing with rut, new heifers and one of those heifers calving in May. Its not Wesley’s calf, she happened to be bred when she came in. It was a nice surprise and one I wasn’t ready for. I wanted Wesley to be more mature before being introduced to a baby calf.
In raising a calf that gets to be around 2000lbs, if they are a bull. I didn’t want him doing anything as a calf that I would like to see or not see in a grown bull. I see lots of people socialization the heck out of their bottle calves. If their grown animals experience that, I get it. But if they don’t and you want that animal back in your herd, I’m not sure how fair that is to the animal. What I see happening is a bison who was a people person and now you want them to be a bison with a bison herd. Problems ensue with that, they jump fences to get back with their people, they don’t mix with the herd, loaner in the herd etc.. I kept Wesley away from all people as a small calf. I wanted him to never be completely comfortable with strangers/people. The reason why, if I have someone approach my fence, Wesley will not go greet them. I didn’t want him thinking all people are good, because let’s face it, they are not. YNP is a prime example. He has met others since he became a yearling. The first is my friend Susan Dianne Hays. (pictured above) Later in the year, actually Christmas day, he experienced the first person to be in the same pen with him besides myself. He was a police officer that wanted to get some images of Wesley injuries after being ran through the fence by some dogwalkers dog who got away from them. I was so proud of Wesley, even with me standing beside the officer, he did not approach. He stayed about 20′ from us and as time went on , he would take a step closer, testing the situation. After two or three steps, I told the officer we need to leave. Wesley at two coming three, will approach the fence rarely if a new person is on the other side, if he happens to be in the area. He now has his bison family and no longer needs attention from the outside world for stimuli.
We are now in his first rut. Willow had her calf back in May and that took some negotiations with Wesley. It took me until try three before he was excepting the calf and not trying to hurt her. It went pretty smoothly really, but at the time I had no idea how long this would be before I can put them all back together again like a bison family.
Now its August and I haven’t really seen any signs of rut with Wesley. September, its here. Ugh.
October 4th was tough, Wesley was acting like grown bull but I think was confused. He actually tried to cover Willows calf. She was just 5 months old. She was so sore the next morning I left her in. The night before her mother came in without her, so I didnt want that to happen again. She did survive, but I also moved Wesley out. She is way too little to be packing around a 1000#+ bison.
Its now November (about a month after the injury) and I saw Two Easy play for the first time since Wesley ‘s attack on her. She is making a come back, finally and gained her weight back. She was really sore for weeks, barely ate or moved. I was concerned she had a broken back or internal injuries. She wasn’t defecating any where near normal and struggled when she tried. There was nothing I could do, except hope and keep an eye on her to see is she got worse. Thank goodness she improved, slowly but she, I feel is back to normal.
Wesley has adjusted to his new digs as well.
He went through a little stress at first, but quickly adjusted, he did have his old family herd right beside him for company.
Wesley is back out with the ladies and at first he ran to everything that was his, so excited.
Digging in the dirt, banging the water tank, pushing on the empty hay rack.