Caprock Canyon State Park, Quitaque, Texas

We took a day trip to Caprock Canyon State Park. Caprock Canyon hosts the official Texas State Bison Herd and provides a unique opportunity to observe wild Southern Plains bison in their native habitat where they have roamed for thousands of years. The bison were presented to Caprock Canyon by Mary Ann Goodnight, wife of the legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight. She noticed the declining numbers of bison and urged her husband to round up a handful of bison to save the species from probable extinction.

The park's herd descends directly from the Goodnight bison. These bison represent some of the last of the Southern Plains animals and one of the five foundation gene pool herds from which most of the current herds throughout the country were started.

Later, Colonel Goodnight's bison herd grew and began to thrive. In 1996, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department accepted the donation of these majestic animals of the historic JA Ranch. In 1997-98, the 32 remaining bison were captured and moved to Caprock Canyon State Park.

The Texas State Bison herd is unique because it was kept isolated from other bison gene pools. Therefore, these animals are among the last remaining members of the Southern Plains bison herd.

Today, the herd has grown to around 100 head. Caprock Canyons will continue to preserve this unique herd that is now able to roam in its natural prairie ecosystem. 

Here are some fascinating facts about bison:

(1) Bison are the largest land mammals in North America.

(2) Bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

(3 ) Some bison bulls can reach a height of up to 6 feet at the top of the hump.

(4) Both the male and female bison have short, black horns that curve upward and then inward with narrow tips. Horn spread can reach 3 feet.

(5) Bison can run up to 30 mph and have even been known to jump fences of up to 6 feet.

(6) When bison become disturbed or agitated, they tend to hold their tails upward in a "question mark" shape.

On a less serious note ~~ ever hear someone say "high-tailing it"?  Early settlers knew that if they saw a bison in an agitated state with its tail raised, it was time to get out of there!!

We experienced the natural beauty of Caprock Canyons on our drive through the park and a couple of short walks. 

Natural Bridge

A broken Geode

One of my walking trails

Caprock Canyon is located along the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado. Several Native American cultures made their homes here. This includes the Folsom culture more than 10,000 years ago. Paleolithic hunters, associated with the Plainview culture, lived here from 9,000 to 8,000 years ago. Only slight traces of these people have been found. Hunting and gathering cultures emerged as the climate became drier. They ate smaller animals and plants. 

The Archaic period lasted from 8,000 to 2,000 years ago. Artifacts from this period include boiling pebbles for heating food, grinding stones for processing seeds, oval knives, and corner-notched or indented dart points. Arrow points and pottery appeared during the Neo-Indian state. In the latter part of this period, 800 years ago until the Spaniards arrived, groups established permanent settlements and grew some crops. They traded Alibates flint for pottery, turquoise and obsidian from the Puebloan groups to the west.

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