"You don't really herd them," he said with a laugh. "You just kind of haze them and coax them. If they decide to go the other way you let them go."
Bangerter and two of his adult children traveled from St. George to work with about 60 other volunteer wranglers Wednesday to get the 20th Annual Bison Roundup started on this island of the Great Salt Lake.
More than 700 bison call Antelope Island home, which state wildlife biologists say is too many. This year, the goal of the annual roundup is to get the number down to about 550, which is what range managers say the island can successfully support.
Steven Bates, wildlife range manager for Antelope Island State Park, said 230 bison, ranging from yearling heifers to mature bulls, will be sold in a live auction at the corrals on Nov. 18.
Bates, now in his seventh year in charge of the island's bison, continued to take the roundup back to its beginnings 20 years ago by removing chase vehicles and helicopters as the primary means of herding.
"We once had as many as 300 to 500 riders, but we were using helicopters to move the bison and it turned into more of a range ride. About three years ago we started changing it back to getting the riders really involved," Bates said. " It's a lot easier on the bison than moving 15 miles with a helicopter chasing them. That's a lot of wear and tear on bison and any time we can eliminate stress on the animals we will do it."
The volunteer wranglers Wednesday gently pointed the bison in the direction of corrals on the west side of the island, where the animals will be weighed, have their blood tested for disease, get inoculated and have a microchip implanted to track health issues.
Riders moved two-thirds of the herd last year. Bates pushed the roundup to four days this year in the hope they will be able to get them all. If the bison continue to cooperate like they did Wednesday, Bates said, all the animals could be in the corrals by this afternoon. A helicopter will likely be used Saturday to haze any stragglers.
Dean Berrett of Park City can't remember exactly how many roundups he has volunteered in, but he was wearing a commemorative scarf Wednesday from the 1991 event. He likes the shift back to the horse and rider over the trucks and helicopters.
"Let us work first and then bring in the copters. It makes it feel like the old days when we were out here making a difference instead of just watching the bison," he said.
For Shari Bangerter, Wednesday's activities were a chance to ride with her father and brother in pursuit of a beast not many other cowboys can say they have had a chance to chase.
"I came out once before when I was 11 and just stayed in camp and played with my friends. I loved hearing the stories from my dad," she said. "It's great to be back. I love horse riding and now I'll have stories to tell."
The roundup is not for casual riders, although they are welcome to participate.
"I watched a gal get hit by a buffalo once. Her horse stumbled as it was running away and [the bison] hit its rear end," Kent Bangerter said.
Bates confirmed that injuries are common during the roundup, but they do not usually involve bison.
"Every year there has been an incident, but they are not typically between a bison and a rider," he said. "They are typically a rider and rocks. It's been a while since a bison has actually done some damage to a horse."
brettp@sltrib.com
