A public auction to reduce the size of Land Between the Lakes’ bison herds will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023. The sale begins at 9am Central Standard Time at the South Bison Range corral. Bidder registration, final sale list, and viewing begin at 8am CST. The Forest Service has scheduled approximately 32 bison to be sold individually to include:
- 1 cow born 2015, tested for pregnancy
- 9 large young bulls born 2020
- 4 cows born 2020, tested for pregnancy
- 6 yearling heifers born in 2021
- 7 yearling bulls born 2021
- a 4 to 5 bull and heifer calves born in 2022
Auction location: The auction will be held at the South Bison Range corral in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The South Bison Range corral is located on the west side of the Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway (TN461) just south of the KY/TN state line. This location is across the Scenic Byway from The Homeplace 1850 historic farm located at 4512 The Trace, Dover, TN 37058 (GPS coordinates: N 36 39′ 17.4”, W 87 58′ 32.9”), also found on some online map searches as Model, TN.
Payment: Purchases of the bison may be made with cash, credit card or personal check at time of bid acceptance. Additional services may be purchased from the on-site veterinarian by cash or check to include vaccinations at time of bid acceptance.
Import regulations: All animals will be tested for brucellosis and tuberculosis by a licensed veterinarian before the auction. 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 the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, and North Carolina. Know the import regulations of your state before you buy. If you need a different state import permit than listed here, notify our offices at 270-924-2061 on or before Monday, February 6, 2023 for it to be available at time of sale. Some states have specific requirements as to age, additional testing (such as trichomoniasis), and vaccinations. Know what import requirements are required for your state.
Loading bison: Because of bison size and temperament, we require closed-topped trailers or vehicles for transportation. Once the bison step off the loading chute and into a buyer’s trailer, the animal becomes the property and responsibility of the buyer. Bison must be loaded by the buyers immediately following the auction. For an additional fee of $30 per animal, arrangements can be made at time of payment to load bison on Monday, February 13, between 8am and 10am only.
About our bison: We manage two herds of American Bison at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. All bison bloodlines originated from three sources – in 1969 from the 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.
For more information: Preliminary details regarding the age, sex, and weights of all animals to be sold will be available after 2:00pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 with the final list available at 8am on the day of the sale. For a preliminary list or if you have questions about the auction, call Curtis Fowler, Range Technician, at 270-924-2061 or email frederick.fowler@usda.gov.
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