Rusty felt lucky until he saw SUGAR wink. Traditionally Mustangs have a mild temperament and are extremely sure footed on the trickiest of terrains. Halfway to the hills this horse had already made TWO attempts to throw him and slipped more than once on the flattest of shale. SUGAR was no sweetheart!

At approximately 3-miles from the base of the mountain the terrain began to slowly roll with easy ups and jagged downs. Even though you peaked a knoll… You were still gaining altitude.

Jackie Loonsuckle had been correct in his assumption. A week prior the herd had been spotted at 8000 feet. Now, the impending weather had brought a massive swelling of bison down the not super steep mountain, and they could be glassed with binoculars (Kowa’s Highlander 32x82mm) from a high vantage point as they freely roamed the grassy foothills. Their range was currently 3200-yards as the slightest snow began to fall.

With direction from their lead guide… Both Sally and Rusty dismounted to position a tripod for closer inspection. The film crew was held in the rear by Ron and Geoff. This was crunching time, and no excessive amount of movement or noise was allowed.

Rusty viewed the innumerous bulls, cows, and calves as Sally perched nearby (why does she ALWAYS smell so darn good) in anticipation of further instruction. Any official game plan for success could potentially be altered on the fly.

Everyone wanted a glimpse of the GIANT bull… Early reports put this bison at 2000+ pounds if it weighed an ounce. Currently, it was nowhere to be seen.

“Let’s keep moving forward,” Jackie called out to the party. “This next knoll up ahead, RUSTY, I want you and Geoff to circle around it from the east. I’ll take Sally and Ron with me to the west, and we’ll split the balance of the film team between us. Meet back in the middle after we circle around this ridge.”

As instructed the group parted ways. There was a crosswind circling around the ridge that put Rusty and his half of the ongoing downwind. Good odds when you’re looking for a bison that could be hiding in small patches of habitat while resting between stints of food or water. The spitting snow had now turned to quarter sized flakes, hitting the searchers head on as they straightened their path and moved over the next incline.

Wind direction was crucial as the hunters closed in on the pending herd. Their vantage point at the crest of this next knoll would potentially put them on target.

Rusty had field glasses in his left hand and reins in his right as he circled the slope to gain a new viewing angle on the bison. The downward drop on the mogul was tough to make out with the snow pelting his straining eyes.

From his distance it appeared as though the herd was bunching tighter. Safety in numbers he assumed.

Raising his arm to begin glassing… SUGAR took an ill advised step forward off the peak of the little knoll, and instantly went into a four legged skid. By the time her brakes were fully engaged, she came to a screeching halt and immediately came unglued!

Normally, most Mustang’s remain calm when something out of the ordinary happens. Nothing about this situation was ordinary… Standing next to a pile of buckbrush she snorted twice, turned sideways, and reared up on her hind legs. Then… She slammed her front hooves to the ground, and went vertical with her hind end… SUGAR was anything but sweet!  She looked more like Skeets Neimiah attacking the high hurdles with her legs constantly kicking up and down.

Rusty felt the distance grow between his ass and the saddle as he went airborne (high-right) heading directly toward the pile of brush. It was in THIS instant, that the GREAT BISON rose from his slumber! There was no conditioning in the world that would prepare him for what was about to happen.

Bison are the largest land mammal in North America, and this beast of a male stood 7 feet tall at the shoulder, and weighed over 2000 pounds on the hoof. His protruding shoulder hump that allowed him to swing his head for foraging, was large enough to move granite boulders.

Also peculiar to note… There was an abnormal amount of dense hair on the flanks and hindquarters of this bull, which was oddly long. In this instance it provided RUSTY something to grasp onto, as he had landed perfectly on the bison’s back (JUDGES SCORED IT A PERFECT TEN), albeit facing the animal’s rear. Hang on COWBOY!

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the ridge… Sally and Jackie, along with Ron Heimburg, were crouched behind their own clump of bushes… Frozen.

They could sense it coming… The vibration… The thunderous roar of hooves is fast approaching.

–            To Be Continued –