Hanksvilie area buffalo herd continues to thrive 11 V Hniliiirn I'.klwT The 1U7H Uliih Buffalo hunt which begins Nov. 1th tinil runs sixli't'ii days to Nov. 19th prompts u review of how this herd, .Niicressor of the wild herds of lone; ii'O, ot its start in Southeastern Utah and are now bein hunted on u limited basis during seasons .specified by the Board of Bi Game Control. It is a once-in-a-life-time hunt, a permit holder allowed only one chance to hunt these buffalo in his lifetime. In April of 1911, the Carbon Kmery Kish und Came Protective Association Associa-tion came up with the idea of attempting to transplant trans-plant buffalo to the desert nrea near the famed Robbers Roost in Wayne County. Through cooperation coopera-tion of the Grazing Service, Ser-vice, the Utah Kish and Gume Department and stockmen who ranged their livestock herds in this area, arrangements were made with the National Turk Service to obtain IS two-year old animals from Yellowstone National Park. The first herd consisted of three bulls and 15 heifers transported from Yellowstone Yellow-stone by local sportsmen organization in Price using us-ing trucks and drivers supplied by the Grazing Service. Taking part in the transporting of these animals ani-mals was George Grivet (presently doing business at Helper Furniture in Price, Utah), Dr. H. B. (Buffalo Bill) Goetsman (actual originator of the transplant project), Tony Poloni, Fred Flaim, Rye Hyatt, Ray Walters, Vic Orlandi, Sr., Fred Larsen, Sr., Erwin Wimber, Gene Plaga and Ken Mower. The animals were transplanted trans-planted in individual crates built to government regulations. The first herd was released at Jeffery Wells near the flat Tops in Northeastern Wayne county (20 northeast of Hanksvilie). During the fall of 1941, the herd remained fairly well together toget-her in the Roost area. However, in the early winter they began to scatter. Two of the bulls drifted north and were traced and last seen near the Wyoming-Utah border several hundred miles from where they were released. Seems their instincts were guiding them back to their old habitat in Yellowstone Park. The other bull, along with one heifer traveled west and were last heard of in the Fishlake area in western Wayne County. Because the bulls had left, another trip to Yellowstone was a necessity. neces-sity. On April 17, 1942, five more bulls were transplanted in the same area of the San Rafael Desert. Subsequent mi gration took the herd south to the Henry Mountains Moun-tains where they could winter on the Burr Desert und summer at the heights of 11,000 feet. The first hunt for these magnificent magni-ficent animals was conducted con-ducted in 19,r)0 with a limited number of special permits issued. Similar hunts followed through the years. In 1902 during one such hunt blood samples were taken from each animul killed and results proved carriers of brucellosis organism within with-in the herd. When the herd was first brought into the Stale all animals were tested for and inoculated against brucellosis. This was a brucellosis free herd so they must have become infected in Utah. The solution to this problem became the responsibility of the Utah Department of Fish and Game. In the Spring of 1963, the calves from the previous year were captured cap-tured and inoculated, but this didn't take care of the adult carriers. Plans were broadened to set up a program to eradicate this dreaded disease. First the department had to construct a capture corral. A site was chosen at Granite because the animals could be herded into this area from either side. Fences and winged gates would send the animals into the corral built of 2 x 12's. On the morning of November 20, 1963 Fish and Game personnel gathered gath-ered in Hanksvilie and airplane pilots began hazing haz-ing the two herds that had separated on the Burr Desert and pushed them together about three miles from the trap. Men on horseback moved in and pushed the herd. These 'herders' were giving their 'all' to keep up with these massive animals who moved quite easily. The herd hit the north wingleft of the con-al gate, and one monster went thru. Quick work by a spotter helicopter pilot pushed this leader back into the main herd. This pilot kept with the herd until he had them thundering thun-dering down the alley to the trap. Three straggling bulls watched as the main herd entered the corral and rushed to the far north end compartment. It wasn't until the main gate slammed shut that they reulized they too had been trapped. They raced back to where they'd entered and tried to jump the fence and it shattered like match sticks when the weight of the animals was felt but they fell back into the enclosure and joined the milling herd after their escape failed. The corral chutes installed in-stalled proved worthless on these massive animals and so a squeeze shoot was hurriedly installed. The calves were cut out, inoculated and turned loose. Then the remainder of the animals were run through, tested, inoculated inocu-lated and released. Out of the 69 animals only 11 proved to be carriers and were marked with bright flourescent streamers and released to be hunted that following January. This became the hunt of hunts because these rare game animals began to know man as enemy so they didn't now just stand and graze when a vehicle appeared in his grazing area as before. The first day of the hunt two were harvested and then the herd scattered to the roughest heights of the Henry's. Snow began to fall and two more animals were spotted and killed. A second group of hunters were selected after the first group gave it up in defeat. Then additional hunters were selected for a third attempt and three more animals were spotted spot-ted and killed. Then the department called a halt to the hunt so the herd could settle down before the calving period. Early in August on 1963 the herd began to wander buck to its old haunts at Nasty Flat on the northern end of the Henry Mountains. Moun-tains. The calf crop wa9 normal and the only problem was getting this new herd inoculated. Each year ten permits were issued and raised to 15 permits in 1968 and dropping back to 10 in 1969. This year's hunt for 22 mature animals is the largest hunt ever and includes two out of state permit holders from California Cali-fornia and Wyoming and 20 resident hunters. The fee is $1,000.00 for nonresidents non-residents and $100.00 for residents.