Sacred Ground International

THIS YEAR BEGAN AS THE MOST CHALLENGING MONTHS PERHAPS IN OUR HISTORY AND MOVED TO SOME OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST. THE WINTER WEATHER PRESENTED SUBZERO TEMPERATURES, EXTREMELY DEEP AND ICY SNOW THAT WAS TRULY BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO NAVIGATE.THE BUFFALO WALKED OVER FENCES IN SEARCH OF GRASS CAUSING A GREAT STRAIN ON NEIGHBOR RELATIONS. VOLUNTEERS BROUGHT MANPOWER AND ADDITIONAL WHEELERS TO BRING THEM BACK IN DANGEROUS TEMPERATURES SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK. THEN THE SNOW BECAME IMPOSSIBLE AND THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO. A SNOWMOBILE WAS PURCHASED OVER THE PHONE, A VOLUNTEER PICKED IT UP AND BROUGHT IN FOOD, SUPPLIES AND OVER TIME WE WERE ABLE TO DIG, BREAK TRAIL AND GET TO THE HAY AND ABLE TO GET IT OUT TO THE BUFFALO. WE FED TO OUR LAST BALE, JUST AS SPRING GRASS SAVED THE DAY.HUNTS WERE CANCELED AND MOVED TO THE FALL SCHEDULE. WE DID MEET OUR MINIMUM QUOTA FOR NECESSARY CULL NUMBERS TO KEEP THE SIZE AND THE HEALTH OF THE HERD. ONCE SPRING ARRIVED AND THE CALVES CAME, THE HERD SETTLED DOWN AND HAVE NOT BROKEN OUT SINCE. A GREAT DEAL OF TIME WAS SPENT WITH THEM TO MONITOR AND WATCH FOR ALL WE COULD DO TO SUPPORT THEM AS A WILD SPECIES.THE WINTER MELT AND SPRING RAINS WASHED OUT CRITICAL CROSSINGS, CULVERTS AND THE DAM. WE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY, TIME AND VOLUNTEERS REPAIRING AND REPLACING THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND FALL. A SECOND 4-WHEELER WAS PURCHASED TO ASSIST IN ALL THE MILES OF FENCING REPAIR ON OUR RANCH AND THE NEIGHBORS. THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WERE SPENT ON FENCING SUPPLIES FOR REPAIR AND EXPANSION OF GRAZING ACRES.THE HAY SITUATION CHANGED. WE NO LONGER COULD HARVEST ON SHARES BUT HAD TO PAY PER ACRE. THIS WAS AN UNEXPECTED EXPENSE WITH A HUGE BENEFIT. WE GOT TO KEEP ALL OF THE HAY AND IT WAS A BUMPER CROP EQUIVALENT TO A YEAR AND A HALF SUPPLY. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF OUR TWO HAY TRUCKS FINALLY SAID NO MORE. WE HAVE ONE TRUCK FOR FEEDING HAY AND FOR THE HUNT SEASON. WE ARE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR ANOTHER.THE SPRING AND PRIMARY SOURCE OF WATER AT THE RANCH COMPLETELY WASHED OUT AND BROKE APART, PRIMARILY THE UNDERGROUND PIPING SYSTEM. THIS WAS A HUGE JOB AND WAS REPAIRED AND REPLACED WITH A VERY BASIC AND FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM TO SAVE COSTS. THIS AND OTHER EVENTS WERE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND VOLUNTEERS AND FINANCIAL AID POURED FORTH. MET A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE, MADE FRIENDS AND STRENGTHENED OUR SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR TIMES LIKE THESE.THE SUMMER WAS FULL AND SPECTACULARLY LUSH AND BEAUTIFUL. THE BUFFALO THRIVED. THE FALL HUNTS STARTED IN SEPTEMBER AND WE WERE READY. ALL INVOLVED POURED HOURS OF TIME INTO UNDERSTANDING THE SACRED HUNT TEACHINGS FOR THE BUFFALO ESPECIALLY AND FOR ALL THE HUNTERS SOON TO ARRIVE. WE VOWED TO BE MORE AND BETTER IN EVERY WAY. WE CHANGED THE SCHEDULE TO ALLOW MORE TIME BETWEEN HUNTS AND LIMITED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO COULD ATTEND AND THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS HARVESTED EACH HUNT. WE THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE MORE WORK AND CHALLENGING TO MEET QUOTA. WE ALL AGREED IT WAS THE BEST AND TRULY RIGHT WAY TO GO. TO OUR SURPRISE AND HEARTFELT JOY, IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE MOST WONDERFUL SEASON EVER. THE BUFFALO WERE SO COLLABORATIVE AND COOPERATIVE! LIKE NEVER BEFORE! THE HUNTERS WERE SO RESPECTFUL AND PROFOUNDLY TOUCHED BY THEIR EXPERIENCES. WE ALL GAVE THANKS AS IT WAS THE EASIEST, MOST EFFICIENT, MOST SUCCESSFUL, MOST COLLABORATIVE, MOST ENJOYABLE SEASON EVER! DEVOTION TO TREATING ALL AS SACRED, VALUING OUR RELATIONSHIPS, ESPECIALLY WITH NATURE, GUIDED US THROUGH IT ALL.