As I jump out of the car, I am surprised to sink just above my knees in the snow. Everything all around is white on white, except the beasts before me. Just on the other side of the fence are a herd of buffalo. Their giant bearded heads and humpbacks are a welcome contrast to the monochromatic winter scene around us. 
Aileen, Shelley and I are at Perrault Farms in the Toppenish area, where about five years back, Steve Perrault decided he wanted to have some fun with his acreage and get a few head of bison. Not for sales or commercial purposes, just to have something to look at other than hops. Today, Jeff and Sylvie Perrault are kind enough to push through the snow and take us back to where most of the herd is munching on hay grass.
Watching them is captivating. Up close, there is something downright prehistoric about their large shapes and dark eyes. Big cows they are not. They are agile, playful and aggressive (Jeff has the dents in his truck to prove it), and impossible to herd–they go where they want when they want. We watch some high spirited tussling and several displays of dominance.
Abe, the dominant male of the group, doesn’t disappoint. Completely self-sufficient, they thrive in the cold with their thick coats, and birth totally on their own.
In the spring, the babies will come. When the herd gets too large, the dominant males will actually kill the newborns, so some of the males over two years old are slaughtered and eaten by the family every year to keep the herd size manageable. Jeff and Sylvie tell us that the meat is terrific. Super lean, so they don’t steak well, but awesome ground.
We are mesmerized. Even the dogs sit and watch. Sylvie, who lives next to the 18 acres where the buffalo abide, says that she never gets tired of looking at them. It truly is like looking through a window into the past. It’s easy to envision them a few hundred years ago wandering the open land being their wild selves. 
While they might not get to roam the open plains these days, that primordial feel still lingers around them, beautiful, dangerous and compelling.
Thank you, Jeff and Sylvie Perrault, for your time and patience in the snow!
What beautiful animals to see up close. Thanks for sharing this!
Andreana,
Very nice artical, awesome animals. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing. Once again another great article!
This is great stuff Andreana, very cool article about these beautiful animals. Sean shared your blog with me…these are great! Glad to hear you are running the yakima valley.