Pawnee Bill Ranch celebrates birth of baby bison

PAWNEE COUNTY, Okla. — There’s a new resident at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum.

A baby bison named Doc Holliday was born Tuesday night.

This is the second calf born on the ranch this year. Kathryn, named after the artist Kathryn Woodman Leighton, who painted a portrait of Pawnee Bill displayed inside the museum, was born in October.

The National Park Service (NPS) says about 80% of bison calves are born in April and May so these winter babies are welcome surprises.

The NPS says bison calves are born with reddish-tan color coat and can stand and nurse within 10-30 minutes after birth. They begin grazing and drinking water within one week of birth.

The bison was named the state mammal of Oklahoma by the legislature in 1972.

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