Rendering a Bull Bison
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom A
Start Date
17-5-2012
End Date
17-5-2012
Abstract
In February 2012 a lead bull was found dead on the Badger Pocket Bison Ranch, owned by Ron Barela. The bull died from a wound to the neck after an altercation with the #2 bull. This gave an opportunity for the ANTH 425 Zooarchaeology class this winter quarter to do a group rendering project on the specimen. Previously the only bison was a female within the CWU comparative collection, and there is considerable sexual dimorphism between males and females. This bull was at the top size of his herd, weighing 2600 lbs and measuring 12.5 feet from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail. A group of 11 volunteers went out for initial butchery of this massive animal. Much of the meat was discarded and the group disarticulated the bones. The bones were taken in coolers to different locations for rendering during the rest of winter quarter. They were then rendered using the hot water maceration and scraping method. The recovered rendered parts will be used within Dr. Lubinski’s comparison collection here at Central Washington University.
Recommended Citation
Finley, Nick, "Rendering a Bull Bison" (2012). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 41.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2012/posters/41
Poster Number
33
Additional Mentoring Department
Anthropology
Rendering a Bull Bison
SURC Ballroom A
In February 2012 a lead bull was found dead on the Badger Pocket Bison Ranch, owned by Ron Barela. The bull died from a wound to the neck after an altercation with the #2 bull. This gave an opportunity for the ANTH 425 Zooarchaeology class this winter quarter to do a group rendering project on the specimen. Previously the only bison was a female within the CWU comparative collection, and there is considerable sexual dimorphism between males and females. This bull was at the top size of his herd, weighing 2600 lbs and measuring 12.5 feet from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail. A group of 11 volunteers went out for initial butchery of this massive animal. Much of the meat was discarded and the group disarticulated the bones. The bones were taken in coolers to different locations for rendering during the rest of winter quarter. They were then rendered using the hot water maceration and scraping method. The recovered rendered parts will be used within Dr. Lubinski’s comparison collection here at Central Washington University.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Patrick Lubinski