Historic Indiana bison makes perfect mascot for IU

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A new era is starting at Indiana University as the school is bringing back the bison mascot.




The bison has a history at IU, serving as the mascot in the 1960s. It has a deeper history in the Hoosier State and there are several places you can still go to see live bison today.




About three hours northeast of Bloomington sits Ouabache State Park in Bluffton. About three hours to the northwest sits the Efroymsom Prairie at Kankakee Sands in Newton County. Both parks have bison people can go and visit.




"Our bison came from Pokagon State Park, which were descendants of Yellowstone," said Tyrone Jessup, assistant property manager at Ouabache State Park.




He said wood bison would have been more native to Indiana, but they have plains bison at the park.




"Which usually tend to be around 200 or 300 pounds lighter, but most of the features are the same," he said.




While wood bison were once thought to be extinct by the early 1900s, they have been reintroduced to native ranges across north America. They are now listed as a federally threatened species.




At Kankakee Sands, there is a bison herd 100-strong grazing on more than 1,000 acres of prairie.




"By the late 1800s, bison were no longer free roaming in Indiana," said Olivia Schouten, bison manager at Kankakee Sands. "European settlers moved into the state and we converted prairie into agricultural land. Increased pressure from hunting eventually pushed the range of bison further west."




According to a history account put together by IU Athletics, the bison first appeared on official court documents signed by Indiana Territory Governor and future U.S. President William Henry Harrison in 1801. The Indiana Territory seal depicted a woodsman chopping trees while a bison runs in the foreground. The bison has been part of Indiana's state seal ever since.




Hoosier the Bison mascot first came on the scene at IU in 1965. IU said the original intent was not to have a costumed character, but to purchase a live bison that would be housed at Brown County State Park when the animal wasn't on campus for gamedays or special events.




IU said state and university officials warned students about the perils of keeping a live bison so they moved to Plan B: the bison costumed mascot. The first bison mascot debuted just in time for the last game of the year - Old Oaken Bucket game played on Nov. 20, 1965.




IU said the mascot had a few strong years before student and fan support waned by the end of the 1969 season, which led to its long hiatus.




But just like the mascot eventually made its return, so to were live bison brought back to Indiana in captivity thanks to the efforts of places like Kankakee Sands and Ouabache State Park.




Schouten said bison are an important part of Indiana's ecosystem.




"As they graze grasses, they create more space for wildflowers to grow which then supports pollinators and butterflies and produce seeds that mice eat and you can then imagine the predators that are then able to have food from there and on and on," she said. "You can just connect all these species back together by bringing bison back to a prairie."




Jessup said they have seven to ten bison on their 20-acre enclosure, including a baby born back in May.




"Our second to oldest female, she's got quite a personality," he said. "She's the one that usually has the calves lately, but she's protective."




Just like the Hoosiers will be protective of their QB1 on the field, Schouten and Jessup say the bison mascot will help embody the animal's instincts and spirit in a great way for the team.




"They are a herd animal so they work together as a team," said Schouten. "They can turn around in really tight spaces, they can jump up to six feet high."




"People don't understand how athletic a bison is," said Jessup. "They can run up to 35 to 40 miles per hour. They're big and menacing. They have a certain aura to them that makes people give them respect."




Every Saturday morning at 10 o'clock at Ouabache State Park, they host bison feeding events where you can see the bison up close.




The bison viewing area at Kankakee Sands is open from sunrise to sunset. The conservatory recently renovated its visitor areas to have new shaded pavilions.




IU, currently ranked No. 20 in the nation, kicks off against Old Dominion at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.



via: https://fox59.com/indiana-news/historic-indiana-bison-makes-perfect-mascot-for-iu/