Yellow/cream colord bisonhorns due to old age????

[Rolf]

Last fall, I bought two large (16"+) bison horns on eBay from a supplier(highplainstradingco) that specializes on bison horns and skulls.  One of them had yellow areas on the inside ,but the scale on the outside was completely black. When I cleaned but the scale the horn got large yellow blotches on the outside.

I contacted the seller and told him I'd keep the horn since I had not spesified only black horns. But, I asked how common yellow blotched horns were. The seller said "These horns are from an older bull and do have the cream color inside due to the age."

What are your expirences? When bison grow old, do their horns turn yellow blotched?



Best regards

Rolfkt


 

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I have never worked with Bison horns, but after looking at your pictures, I have had horns like that which are new horns.  The molting just occurs naturally while on the animal, perhaps due to diet or health of the animal. 

Coryjoe

[ottawa]

look like it mite bee an interestig hor when done

[G. Elsenbeck]

Well I've done a fair amount of bison horns and have yet to come across any that looks like yours.  Some I've worked were rather large but,  I'd agree with CoryJoe in that diet or health may have played a larger role here.  It would be a rather different looking buff horn.  I, too, have dealt with the same vendor and have not yet had any problems with his horns.  I usually get what I ask him for and then some. 
Gary

[tuffy]

Here's a Bison horn I made for a friend. It too was shaded yellow in places. It came off of an old bison bull that went over 2400 lbs on the hoof. It was taken in Southeastern Kansas about 5 years ago.

[Berks Liberty]

I like both the pure black and the transition of the yellow and black horns.  Really neat!

[winemaker]

On a cow, as they get older and their hair greys around the horns the horns do the same. Same as horses that have white on their legs by the hoofs, the color of the hair on the coronet bands will be the color of their hooves.

[longrifle]

I have also had several Bison horns that had some yellow colored areas on them.

[halfstock]

If you had a way to check the dna I think you would find that  this particular beast had some throw back genes of bovine (cow). I don't think any of the heards in the USA are 100% bison blood.
Halfstock

[Rolf]

I just got an email from the National Bison Assosiation, which answers this question.

According to Dr. Gerald Parsons, DVM, Stratford, Okla., about the horn color.  He says that the light colors show trauma over the years.  They are normal and found in entirely healthy animals.  I guess I'll to specify the color when I purchase future horns.
 
Best regards

Rolfkt

[Randy Hedden]

I guess I'll to specify the color when I purchase future horns.
 
Best regards

Rolfkt

Rolf,

I think that would be a good idea. When I want a Buffalo/Bison horn I want one that is black and with no yellow color.  However, I have seen some that were brownish colored rather than a good solid black and they looked okay.

Randy Hedden

[Dphariss]

When dealing with the American Bison one must understand that there are only 2 herds in America, I am told on good authority, that have not been crossed at some point with domestic cattle. One is the Yellowstone NP herd the other is a herd that was started from stock obtained from YNP in the past some time.
So what you have could be a throw back to so domestic bovine ancestor or its simply something that occured??? There were white and spotted buffalo after all historically.

Dan

[halfstock]

Hmmmmmm, seemingly some of us old greybeards do know what we are talking about.
Halfstock

[Leatherbelly]

  Here in Canada we have two distinct herds. Plains and Woodland variety.Great efforts have been made to keep them seperate due to their distinct qualities,that being size. I believe there are not many freerange plains bison left.(maybe in Waterton National Park,SW Alberta). But in north east British Columbia and north west Alberta we have the Woodland variety and these beasts are huge!
 During the early eighties,a B.C. outfitter near Pink Mtn. imported a hundred head to raise for his paying clientes. Much to Lyn Ross' disapointment,these beasts started to migrate north,out of his guide area. Some biologists feel they are slowly migrating back to their traditional feeding grounds some three hundred miles north east. I've seen a few bulls and they are one impressive  beast. Just a guess but I believe they would weigh over a ton on the hoof. Never seen horns with yellow in them but these posted pictures show 'em.Kinda cool tho. I've seem them dark brown and black.