LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES, KY/TN – January 6, 2017 – A public auction to reduce the size of bison herds in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area will be held on Saturday, January 28. The sale will begin at 9am CST at the Elk & Bison Prairie corral. Bidder registration, final sale list, and viewing begin at 8am. Bison purchases may be made with cash, credit card, or personal check at time of bid acceptance.
The Elk & Bison Prairie corral is located on the east side of Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway, KY453, just north of US68/KY80.
The Forest Service will sell approximately 49 bison to the highest bidder, including:
- 6 cows born between 1997 and 2005
- 1 cow born in 2013
- 1 mature breeding bull born in 2003
- 1 large young bull born in 2014
- 7 yearling heifers born in 2015
- 11 yearling bulls
- A mix of 22 bull and heifer calves born in 2016
All animals will be tested for brucellosis and tuberculosis by a licensed veterinarian before the auction. Preliminary details regarding age, sex, and weights of all animals to be sold will be available after Wednesday, January 25, with the final list available at 8am on auction day. For a preliminary list or any questions, call Curtis Fowler at 270-924-2061 or email ffowler@fs.fed.us.
An on-site veterinarian will issue Certificates of Veterinary Inspection as required for interstate transport immediately after the auction. Import permits will be on hand for Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, and North Carolina. Buyers are responsible for knowing import regulations of the home state before purchasing bison. If additional state inspection certificates are required, contact 270-924-2061 on or before Monday, January 23.
Some states have specific requirements as to age and vaccinations. Buyers are responsible for knowing what vaccinations are required for the home state. Additional services may be purchased from the on-site veterinarian by cash or check to include vaccinations at time of bid acceptance.
Because of size and temperament, closed-topped trailers or vehicles are required to transport bison. Once bison step off the loading chute and into a buyer’s trailer, the animal becomes the property and responsibility of the buyer. Buyers must load animals immediately following the auction. For an additional $20 per animal fee, arrangements can be made at time of payment to load bison Monday, January 30, between 8am and 10am only.
Land Between the Lakes manages two herds of American Bison. All bison bloodlines originated from three sources—in 1969 from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, in 1988 and 2012 from Fort Niobrara National Wildlife refuge in Nebraska, and in 1996 from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.
To find more information about Land Between the Lakes, log on to the official website at www.landbetweenthelakes.us or call 1-800-LBL-7077 or 270-924-2000. Photos available on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lblkytn/albums.