Bison - the Heart of the American West

by Laura Drake

I wrote last month about a research trip I took to learn about bull riding and bull fighting (if you missed it, you can read it here.)

Since then, I've taken another research trip - for the next series I'm proposing to by editor - to a Bison Ranch!

I just Googled the closest Bison Ranch to me (how did we live before the internet?) and it turned out, it's outside Bryan, Texas, about 400 miles from me. ROAD TRIP!  I got in touch with Beverly Brown, the amazing woman behind the Lucky B Bison Ranch, and she was amazingly helpful. She invited me down to tour the ranch, and agreed to answer my questions.

We were lucky enough to get there just before they were going out to supplement feed the herd, and we rode in the bed of the pickup. Here's a short (1 min) film clip of the amazing experience:

 They came over the hill, and you could literally hear the thunder of their hooves. I thought westerns made that up with sound effects, but it's true!  I was thinking how darned cute they were - until I looked into their eyes. Instant respect - there is no doubt that these are wild animals.

Background I learned from Beverly:

• We use the terms 'buffalo' and 'bison' interchangeably, but actually, bison reside in North and South America - buffalo are in Africa and Asia. We have the American or Plains Bison - Alaska has the Wood Bison, which are larger. 
• Bison are the largest land mammal in the Americas, and has received the designation as the National Mammal of the U.S.
• There were once millions here. They were hunted almost to extinction to starve out the Native tribes, and for sport. At the end of the 1800's, it's estimated there were only 1,000 left.
• Many of the bison today have bovine DNA thanks to breeding to increase the genetic pool - the herd in Yellowstone is pure.
• Ted Turner has the largest herd, scattered over several of his ranches - he's a huge proponent of conserving the species. Today there are 1/2 million bison in the U.S. and Canada
• Their low heads and large necks are  powerful so they can sweep snow away to get to grasses in the winter
• They can run 30 mph, turn on a dime, and jump 6 feet from a standstill

Beverly has a friendly bison, Reaganne. When its mother died, the vet took the calf by C-section. Beverly bottle-fed it four times a day for months. Reaganne imprinted on her, and to this day, Beverly can walk into the pen and scratch her. She suggested I stay a bit farther away for this photo.

Why does Beverly do this? Aside from falling in love with bison because she's a huge fan of underdogs, the ranch keeps bison for:

• Breeding 
• Selling meat to grocery stores and restaurants
• Ecotourism - she has a sweet cabin you can rent, right on her ranch!
• Education - she has children and adult groups out for lectures
• Fundraising - she has funded a legacy scholarship for Native youth

And look how much healthier Bison meat is! I know my local HEB carries it. I'm going to get some and check out recipes!

For more info on the bison industry, check out http://luckybbison.com/  

Tell Beverly I sent you!

Guest Author, Laura Drake

Please welcome to Cowboy Kisses western romance author Laura Drake!

Laura is joining us today to talk about her new release, The Last True Cowboy, A Chestnut Creek Novel.

  

This cowboy's got one last chance to prove himself

   Carly Beauchamp has loved cowboy Austin Davis since first grade. Ask anyone in their dusty, backwater New Mexico town of Unforgiven, and they'll say “Carly and Austin” the way some say “big trucks and country boys.” But after years of waiting for a wedding ring, Carly’s done with being a rodeo widow . . . 

    Austin never meant to put his career on the circuit before Carly. She’s always been his future, his one and only. But now that she’s moved on, he’s beginning to see where he went wrong, and he’ll do anything to win her back. The only thing is, Carly’s suddenly acting differently, and she’s definitely hiding a secret—one that will test the depth of their love and open up a whole new world of possibilities.

Excerpt:

I want to be part of a whole again, not a limping shell. I want . . .

The light is blocked out, and his lips are on mine. My hands steal to the sides of his face, and I take him in; a sweet kiss that makes me want to cry.

There must be a term stronger than wanting, but it’s lost in his gentle touch. Like our first kiss, that day in the homestead house when we looked at each other and realized we were doing more than playing house all those years; we were practicing.

The want pulls my brain from reason. This must be how addicts feel. My fingers slide down the stubble on his soft cheeks. I know the topography of his face better than my own. I’ll pay the penalty later. I need this. I’m taking this. Not sure I could stop now, anyway.

He slants his head, and when opens his mouth, sweet turns hot. He seems as desperate as I feel, tasting, testing, pushing. We can’t get close enough. His hands cup my butt and he lifts and turns me, so I’m standing on the running board. We’re the exact same height. I know, because we tested it out before he bought this truck. I’m squeezed between the truck body and his, yet still, it’s not enough. Wrapping my fists in his shirt, I pull him closer and melt into his mouth. Tonight’s memory is going to have to last me the rest of my life.

Buy Link:  Available now at your favorite digital store!

Get to know more about Laura:

Laura Drake is a New York published author of Women's Fiction and Romance.

Her romance series, Sweet on a Cowboy, is set in the world of professional bull riding.  Her debut, The Sweet Spot, won the 2014 Romance Writers of America® RITA® award. She also published a four-book small town romance series with Harlequin’s Superomance line.  Her women's fiction, Days Made of Glass, released January 2016, and The Last True Cowboy, first in her Chestnut Creek series will release in December of this year.

Laura is a city girl who never grew out of her tomboy ways, or a serious cowboy crush. In 2014, Laura realized a lifelong dream of becoming a Texan and is currently working on her accent. She gave up the corporate CFO gig to write full time. She's a wife, grandmother, and motorcycle chick in the remaining waking hours.

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THANK YOU!

Laura