Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 29 Four Angus bu•s from Scotland were brought to America in 1873 for cross–breeding. Initia•y seen as unusual because neier bu•s nor cows have horns, ey possessed many desireable bovine qualities such as superior meat and e ability to survive winters. Quickly Angus cale were imported in large numbers and have become e dominate breed in e United States. e largest mammal currently in Nor America, vast herds of bison roamed from e plains as far east as New York state and as far sou as Georgia. Westward expansion and commercial hunting slaughtered e bison, from over 60 mi•ion animals down just over 500 head by 1889. A massive effort save e majestic animals has brought e bison population up over 30,000 in e wild and ano˜- er 500,000 in livestock ranches A BISON CAN BE UP TO SIX–AND–A–HALF–FEET TALL AT THE SHOULDER AND WEIGH OVER 2,000 POUNDS. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE BISON HAVE LIVED CONTINUOUSLY SINCE THE PREHISTORIC ERA. ANGUS Bos primigenius TEXAS LONGHORN Bos primigenius LONGHORNS BECAME NEARLY EXTINCT IN THE 1920S AS BEEF CONSUM- ERS PREFERRED LEANER AND MORE FLAVORFUL MEAT. WHEN THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CHOSE THE LONGHORN AS ITS MASCOT, THE CATTLE BECAME A POPULAR ICON OF THE LONE STAR STATE. A MATURE ANGUS BULL AVERAGES A HEIGHT OF FOUR FEET TO THE SHOULDER, AND COWS ARE AN AVERAGE OF TWO INCHES SHORTER. LONGHORNS CAN BE SIX FEET TALL AT THE SHOULDER. BULLS CAN WEIGH 1,200 TO 1,500 POUNDS, WHILE COWS CAN WEIGH BETWEEN 900 AND 1,200 POUNDS. BOTH LONGHORN BULLS AND COWS HAVE THE DISTINCTIVE HORNS THAT CAN MEASURE OVER EIGHT FEET FROM TIP TO TIP AN AVERAGE ANGUS BULL WEIGHS 1,300–1,600 POUNDS, AND A COW CAN WEIGH BETWEEN 900–1,100 POUNDS. A BISON'S DISTINCTIVE HUMP IS MADE UP OF MUSCLE MONTANA HAS BEEN HOME TO A VARIETY OF BOVINE FAMILY FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS, FROM THE GIANT EXTINCT BISON TO NEWCOMERS SUCH AS ANGUS AND LONGHORNS. e ancestors Texas Longhorns journied wi Chrisopher Colombus as food for his expedition. Spanish colonists brought eir own herds as ey colonized Mexico and e area at would become Texas. Early cale drives used Longhorns for eir hardy characteristics AMERICAN BISON Bison bison

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