Bison from the Cheyenne and Arapaho buffalo herd keep a wary eye on the photographer in Concho in 2016. (photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman Archives)

CONCHO — In a first for the state, a herd of more than 60 bison were auctioned to the highest bidder this month — a bidder who has worked for decades to reintroduce the animals to what was once part of their native habitat.

Sold in a state surplus auction, the herd, totaling about 65 head of bison, had roamed the grasslands in Foss State Park but were put on the auction block due to drought conditions in western Oklahoma that left the state relying on costly purchases of hay to feed the animals.

Nearly 110 bids were made for the bison, with the winning bid of $88,002.01, or a little more than $1,350 per head, made by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.

“It’s been the goal to grow a herd and the Cheyenne and Arapaho have a strong cultural connection to the animals,” said Nathan Hart, the economic development director for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Concho.

Bison from the Cheyenne and Arapaho buffalo herd graze in Concho in 2016. (Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman Archives)

Since 1980, with a gift of 29 bison, the tribes have maintained bison herds in central and western Oklahoma. Now, the bison number more than 250, not including the newly purchased herd, Hart said.

With a strong push from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes' governor and lieutenant governor, Hart said it was his priority to ensure the herd stayed in Oklahoma and became part of their tribal program.

Many of the bison are part of what Hart referred to as a “conservation herd,” an effort made by the tribes to foster a strong genetic diversity among the animals.

“The goal there is to have a good breeding stock for the longevity of the species,” he said.

Some of the animals are destined to provide food for a tribal elderly nutrition program, specifically one aimed at diabetes wellness. Currently, the tribes rely on local slaughterhouses to process the animals, but Hart said they are looking to build their own slaughterhouse in the near future.

While many of the bison are based among the 4,000 acres of tribal pastureland in Concho, others will populate land owned in other parts of the state.

“We own ... just a little over 15,000 acres in western Oklahoma, so we've got a couple other areas that we've been getting ready,” Hart said. “Those range anywhere from 800 acres up to 1,000 acres here and 1,000 acres there, that would be solely pastures for the bison.”

In addition to the goal of growing their pre-existing herds, Hart said it was also a unique opportunity to help the state.

Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department officials said they were excited at the news that the tribes would take possession of the herd.

“The cultures of the Plains Indians and the bison have been intrinsically joined for centuries," said Dick Dutton, executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. "We are glad that our herd can play a small part in the Cheyenne Arapaho continuing to bring back this element of their history."

A bison from the Cheyenne and Arapaho buffalo herd keeps watch in 2016. (Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman Archives)