Feb. 22, 2003

Nolanville man adds 'buffalo' to his bevy of unique animals
 

BY BOBBI EASLER
Herald Staff Writer
 

NOLANVILLE — A chance conversation led a Nolanville man to take a trip to South Dakota, where he fulfilled a childhood dream of owning his own herd of bison.

“I was at the Sam’s store in Temple buying a gift to take to a sick friend when I felt someone tugging on my jacket,” said David Sutton, whose stature easily fills a doorway. “I turned around and there was this little old man standing there.”

“He pointed to my hat and asked me if I had family in South Dakota,” he said, pointing to his baseball cap imprinted with his “Sutton Ranch” logo.

Sutton said his impatience to head out the door was corralled when the stranger said the Sutton family he knew of not only had top-quality quarter horses, but the oldest herd of privately owned buffaloes in the state of South Dakota.

Hearing the word buffalo stopped Sutton in his tracks and he quickly jotted down all the information the gentleman had to share before they parted ways.

“I’ve always wanted to own a herd of bison,” said Sutton, looking out on the bushy brown creatures. “I grew up watching Davey Crocket and Daniel Boone on TV. Maybe that was what influenced me. I’ve always loved the wild West.”

Over the years the Sutton acreage has been home to a variety of unique animals including show goats, elk, antelope, “guard donkeys” and belted Galloway cattle often referred to as “Oreo cookie cows” because of the white swatch that encircles their black bodies.

Sutton took the information about the bison and began calling around until he located Raymond Sutton Jr. of Gettysburg, S.D., who maintains the herd his family first started around 1909.

Raymond Sutton’s family has raised prize-winning quarter horses and paints, along with registered horned Herefords and black baldies cattle for six decades. He is used to getting calls about his livestock, but was a bit surprised to hear from someone named Sutton in Texas calling about his bison.

“Out of the blue one night he called me about getting some buffalo and wanting to know if we were related,” Raymond Sutton said with a laugh. “We talked about where our families were from and whether or not we’re related. Who knows? We’re not sure, but it doesn’t matter. I invited him to come on up.”

The Texas Sutton flew north where he spent about a week visiting the South Dakota Suttons learning about the disposition of the animals which grow to be about 2,400 pounds and tips on raising them. David purchased 13 buffalo from his newfound “cousin.”

“We sold him 13 head; one yearling, 10 heifer calves and two young bulls,” said the South Dakota native. “I told him one thing — they are wild animals, so treat them like that.”

“Too many people get hurt because they fail to treat the animals with respect,” he said. “You have to be ready. When that tail goes straight up that’s when they are going to charge. They are a lot quicker than cattle and don’t tire like cattle. They can run nearly as fast as a horse.”

Raymond Sutton’s future son-in-law, who is originally from southwest Texas, agreed to transport the animals. David took possession of the herd in December.

“Raymond suggested getting young animals because they will grow up thinking this is home,” said David. “Otherwise their nature instinct is to head back home and they’ll go right through a fence.”

The animals have made themselves at home on a portion of the land Sutton’s great-grandfather settled. He and his parents, Alvin and Christine Sutton, need only walk out the front door of their adjacent homes to watch stately beasts grazing.

“I don’t know what it is about the bison, but I feel much calmer when I watch them,” he said.

Americans commonly refer to the bison roaming the land as buffalo, which is a misnomer, according to the Texas Bison Association Web site. A true buffalo includes the African Cape buffalo and the Asian water buffalo.

In North America there are two subspecies of bison, the plains bison found in the United States and the wood bison which are germane to Canada. There is also a European bison called the Wisent, which is pronounced “weé-sent.”

“We don’t know how many people own bison in the state,” said Susan Batchelder, whose husband Eric is secretary of the Texas Bison Association. “We have 100 members in our association, but I’m sure there are many more people out there who have them.”

The Batchelders, who live in Houston, keep their 25 head with a friend’s herd of 400 bison in South Texas.

Eric Batchelder grew up watching the animals grazing in Custer State Park near his grandmother’s home near Rapid City, S.D. Much like David Sutton, Batchelder decided he wanted to own some of the animals that have intrigued him since childhood. They have had their herd about six years.

“Most of the people I’ve talked to who own bison are fascinated by them,” she said. “They are full of interesting stories about what the bison have done. They seem to have a lot more character than cattle, although I’m sure the cattlemen would argue that point.”