Buffalo Tails

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Do you have a buffalo tail to contribute? Share photos, stories and experiences here

Here is a buffalo I found on a trip to Oklahoma City. We had been to St. Anthony's Hospital, and on the way back to I-40 I spotted it a block away. I made my husband turn around and go back so that I could take a picture. I am trying to get as many pictures of them as I can because I collect buffalo and love to take their picture when I see them.

Thanks for your hard work on this.

Eunice  
Sayre, OK
Click photo for closeup



We will be having company from Georgia and Texas in the next month and I am hoping to take them on a "buffalo tour". Such fun!


Love the idea of a book. I have taken over 200 pictures myself and have books on the cows in Kansas City and the jayhawks in Lawrence, KS. I'm sure there would be a market for it. The idea of another 100 new ones next year also sounds great. The project has been such fun and I certainly have seen parts of Oklahoma City, Bricktown, and the rest of the state that I had never seen before.

Karen
Oklahoma City


Mitakuye Oyasin

My favorite buffalo was the very last one I saw. My sister and I looked for a long time yesterday for the white pearl buffalo. We drove around and around the Oklahoma and Sheridan area in Bricktown. When I got home and looked on my computer, the location had been changed to Main & Oklahoma inside the Karchmer Properties Bldg. We went back this morning and the subject buffalo is really spectacular. With the exception of three that were at the Fair, we have seen all of the ones in Oklahoma City. I have to see "Mr. Mac" because I know the artist (Linda Tuma Robertson). Her daughter roomed with my granddaughter at OSU. I have had many fun hours looking at buffalo.

Myra Owens
Oklahoma City


Keeping the buffalos up

As an artist (Barry Bosnyak - "Stampede of Stars") I realize I could be considered biased, but I am also a fan of the project as a whole. I have tried to take photos myself of all of the Buffalo for my own record of the event. And I have spent a few Saturdays walking around downtown with friends and family. My aforementioned biased opinion is that it would be great for the buffalo to stay up past September - at least the ones that are holding up. I don't know if it realistic to ask that they stay up through the centennial, but It would sure be neat to see them in the fall and winter - how cool would it be to see them covered in ice and snow? I also think it would be really cool to produce a coffee-table book of the Buffalo. There seems to plenty of great photography of the Buffalo both by the Nature Conservancy and the public - and I'm sure if they were left through the fall and winter there could be some beautiful photography yet to come. I would volunteer my page layout and graphic art services to layout the book if needed.

On the issue of the centennial, many people have spoken to me about how I could paint a buffalo "next year." I know this is a one-time project, but I was wondering, if there seemed to be enough demand, if there was a chance that the project might be repeated around the actual centennial. Maybe there could be a 100 new buffalo as well as re-exhibiting some of the buffalo from this original project.

Just a couple thoughts from a biased fan of the project,

Barry Bosnyak


Out of state visitors...

I think if the Buffalo get to stay then we should promote them so that out-of-state visitors will be more aware of them. I work in Leadership Square & there are always people down looking & photographing our small "herd"!

Please leave our endangered species alone & let them stay!

Kathy McKinney


LOVE the buffalo!!!

I really hope you keep them around longer! I spent an entire weekend in August traveling all over the City and Norman and Ardmore looking for them. I found almost all of them and really hope to find the rest!!!

Rhonda

This is a photo of my grandmother, Joyce. Her niece is Tamara Sigler. Tamara painted "Bufferflies" & "Wichita Landscape". My grandmother has had her picture taken with many of the Buffalo. She has really enjoyed seeing what all of the different artist have come up with. Although I think she is partial to her niece Tammy's "Butterflies" buffalo.

Melissa Reed
Moore, Oklahoma
Buffalo Lover

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I work downtown & love being able to see the Buffalos 5 days a week!!! I agree with all the others that have commented about needed replicas!!! I collect the Cow Parade [saw them in Kansas City, & yes it was hard to find them!] & would love to add some Buffalos to my collection!!

My youngest son was fascinated as a child with buffalo so I sent him this website to check them out. At the time, he was serving his country in the Persian Gulf. He's in the Navy & enjoyed getting to see the pictures and areas of his hometown!

One of my younger brothers lives in Oaxaca Mexico so I sent him the picture of the Oaxacan Buffalo. It was good for him too, so see areas of his home state!!! I hope a way can be found to keep them around for a while longer...the are an ASSET to our community & our state!

Janie
Norman OK


I think the buffalo not only brought so much interest to the people of our city, but also to people of other states. I have heard many people say that taking a tour to see the buffalo passed the time of day when in between meetings. They were so impressed with our city. The buffalo is part of Okla. History. I cannot thank the artists enough for their wonderful and beautiful work. I do hope the buffalo stay here.

Sincerely,

Deana Duncan


I went on a buffalo hunt with house guest who was from Germany. Her comment was that the buffalo were great and it would be a shame for the buffalo to go way. She felt this was something our city would become known for and that others would want to come to OKC to see them.

Shelby


I told my (grown) sons that, like the little old lady that chains herself to a tree to save it, if I thought it would help I'd chain myself to one of the buffalo (the hardest part would be picking which one!!). They both threatened to disown me. . . although I think it was tongue-in-cheek, I don't think I'll test their resolve!!

Hopefully they will be around at least through the Statehood celebration.

Thanks for a WONDERFUL "program"!!

Cheri Weintraub

Here is a picture of my boyfriend Johnny and myself with the most elusive buffalo, Will "The Wiley" Flying Buffalo. He lives at Will Rogers and you can only see him if you are a ticketed passenger. I have been telling everyone that if I sponsored a buffalo I would want him to be the hardest one to find or to get to. For example putting one on top of the spinning U-Haul truck downtown would have been awesome. We went to Colorado last week so I got my chance to have my picture taken with Will.

Melissa Reed
Moore, Oklahoma
Buffalo Lover

Click photo for closeup


Hi, y'all! I'm up to 74 on my buffalo visits, thanks to a nice friend I met through these "tails." She drove around the block so I could visit some of the buffalo in areas where it's hard to find parking. I am happy to see there are a lot more beautiful photos and artist's explanations in the buffalo scapes and buffalo gallery areas. And the buffalo polls are "going my way." Happy hunting everybody! Lilmoongal13@aol.com

Judy
Oklahoma City


I have enjoyed exploring your website and am looking forward to seeing the buffalo in person.

I believe that somewhere along the way, there was mention of voting to extend the time the buffalo would be on display...it would be wonderful to have it available through the holidays, at the very least. Considering that the football season will be bringing vast numbers of visitors in from other states and that so many families will have relatives coming for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I should think it would be a wonderful and very popular tourist attraction -- one more reason to enjoy downtown Oklahoma City.

Also, Ann DeFrange's article in the Norman Section of The Daily Oklahoman (Tuesday, September 14, 2004 -- page 15A) states that according to this website, "groups and individuals are designing tours, safaris, scavenger hunts and photo junkets." I was unable to find any such information and would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me where to look for details on those topics. Please Email me if you know of any tours.

Sandra


I haven't been to see the buffaloes myself as I live out of town, but my grandson has and he loves them!

Marie


I was glad to see the buffalo hit the streets of downtown, etc. Originally, from OKC, my family and I moved to St. Paul, MN from 1996 to 2001, then we moved back. They had a similar thing going there, only it was Charles Shultz's Peanuts characters. They kept them out for 6 to 12 months, auctioned them off, waited awhile and then put out another character (first was Snoopy, then Lucy, then Charlie Brown, etc.). This kept the event going, but also added some "newness" to the displays every year or so. You may want to talk to the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce or Arts Council (?) to get the details of how they did it, and how successful it was. I believe it brought a lot of people downtown who wouldn't normally go. Some tried to get their picture with each Snoopy, etc.

Doyle
Oklahoma City


Hi!  

I'm really enjoying the buffalo!  I've been downtown 4 times and also to Ardmore once. I have taken about 5 rolls of film. I'm making an album.  It's been great fun.  I have my list and camera with me all the time.  I just missed seeing the buffalo at the Capitol, hoping to see them at the State Fair.  

I was fortunate to meet several of the artist!  This has been great fun, drawn me downtown and surrounding areas.  I've talked to others that are having as much fun as I am.  My Aunt is visiting from New York, we took her downtown too.  I think she enjoyed the buffalo most of all.  

E. L. Cox


I am a huge fan of the Spirit of the Buffalo project and I know many many others who are as well. I have taken over 2,000 pictures and see a new 'view' of them each time I visit.

I would like to see them stay indefinitely and would be very willing to contribute to the cost of keeping the website active.

It would be great if a program could be setup to allow SOB enthusiasts to participate in the cost of keeping the website active and updated. Something like the 'adopt a bison', but this would pertain strictly to the Spirit of the Buffalo project.

Hopefully, one or more of the sponsors will be willing to manage a project to keep the SOB projects on display and the website active. I personally would be willing to help with this effort.

The Buffalo Polls are a good tool to see what the interest level is in the project.

Linda Barry


I think if miniatures of the buffalo were for sale, they would be very popular and would help defray the cost of preserving them. The "long horns" in Dallas were available to purchase several years ago.

Myra Owens
Oklahoma City


I Live Massachusetts, but was born and raised in Bethany, Okla. Recently I returned to OK for my sister's 50th Birthday and my father set up a contest for my family to see who could photograph the most buffalo. It was only in OkC and Bricktown (maps were provided thanks to the Spirit of Buffalo website.) We all agreed that we had more fun than we've had in OKC in a long time.

I would love to see the buffalo stay until the Centennial celebration. I think they bring a lot to OKC. A special thanks to the sponsors who made this all possible.

PS the day after my sisters left for CT, OH and Walters,OK, my mother and I went looking for the buffalo at the capitol building (they were at the governor's Mansion), we saw the one at the Zoo, at Lake Hefner, and Kerrphilo at 12501 May Ave. Another great day of exploring the ever Expanding OKC!

Thanks again for an enjoyable visit.

Linda (Corley) Appleman


Hi, My husband and I have photographed over 30 Buffalo in the past two days. Although parking is not very accessible downtown we managed to find quite a few. I have posted these on my hometown website www.lowestoftonline.com - you can see the pictures here. Lowestoft is the most easterly point in the British Isles and lots of the members have commented on the Buffalo. Elvis & the Buffalo Soldier being the most popular. One member even sent the "Elvis"-Blue Suede Hooves to his niece in Crete who is a big Elvis fan -so you see they are getting around.  

We have company coming from Lowestoft in October and they are very anxious to see the Buffalo. What a great tourist attraction for our State and a treat for tourists and residents alike.

A great big "Thank-you" to all the artists and everyone associated with this project. Please keep them around for a long time.   

Sincerely

Megan F Harris
Del City OK 73115


I have enjoyed the buffaloes so much and have taken friends from Edmond, Oklahoma City, California, and Kansas City to see them. A friend and I have the goal of seeing all of them and have seen the ones in Norman and Oklahoma City. We are off to see the other cities soon. In particular, I have loved the ones with Oklahoma history on them.

Thanks so much for having them for us.

Karen
Oklahoma City


When I read about the buffalo project I decided to try to visit each of them before September 30. "Visiting" means actually getting out of the car and walking up to, or near, the buffalo. So far I've visited sixty-four including the four in Ardmore and the one in Checotah. I believe there are twenty-two left on my list now. Is anybody else keeping a count of their "buffalo bounty?" If so, please let me know at Lilmoongal13@aol.com

I recently read that there is talk of keeping the buffalo out past the September 30th date and certainly hope it may be possible! I've met a lot of nice families, couples and single people out on my trek, all enjoying the buffalo experience. According to one text I've read, some Native Americans consider the buffalo to be a totem of prayer and abundance and consider them "a sign of support to complete a new endeavor."

Good stuff!
Judy
Oklahoma City


My wife, Laurie, and I belong to the Oklahoma Bicycle Society. A few members have gotten together for two different trips in the downtown area to locate all the buffalo we can find. We have a great time hunting for buffalo by bike.

Good work.

Here is a web site I am working on that shows pictures of our travels.

Jim Allshouse
www.wyokies.com

The joy of touring is riding your bike, meeting people, having adventures and seeing the country!

Click photo for closeup

Keven,

You have done a wonderful job putting this together. The number and diverse group of sponsors, the number of talented artists that have turned these fiberglass replicas into works of art and all the other unknown things you and your group of volunteers have done overshadows any other project attempted in this city. Congratulations on a job well done. I had some friends stay with my wife and I over the 4th of July weekend. On Sunday we brought them to Bricktown and had a great time looking for and at the numerous Buffalos scattered around downtown. I wished there was a way to keep this going beyond September. I will truly miss seeing the Buffalos on my trips downtown. Oklahoma's Centennial celebration is only a few years away, what a great addition the Buffalos would be to this "once a lifetime" celebration.

Phillip Wulz
Tuttle, OK

Hi,

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Oklahoma City and will come back again sometime in the future. We particularly enjoyed the Cowboy Museum, the Chilhuly exhibit, the Botanical Gardens, and your wonderful Bricktown. The buffalos scattered around town were an innovative touch...here is a picture of my wife in front of one. Sincerely

Chuck & Jayne Feldman
Upperco, Maryland

Click photo for closeup


Fabulous!

Took tour of the city today & the buffalo are the neatest I've ever seen! Thank you so much! Sure hope we can keep them for a while.

THANKS AGAIN FOR MAKING OUR DAY!

Maggie
Red Hat Society
Cherry Tarts

Emrick's Van & Storage, agent for Allied Van Lines is proud to be part of the Spirit of the Buffalo. Our office and crew have enjoyed being some of the first people to see the completed buffalos. Many of Emrick's employees have traveled around downtown on weekends to show them off to their families.

Stacy Baker Cumpton
Emrick's Van & Storage
Enid, OK • Oklahoma City, OK
405-946-4472 ext. 124
www.emricksallied.com

Click photo for closeup


Dear Nature Conservancy,

It's been great to see the buffalos around--we particularly like the one on our Health Sciences Center campus. My parents own land in Mustang where, to this day, there are still many buffalo "wallers". My dad pointed them out to me--I just thought they were little ponds! It's sad to see that the wallers still exist nearly 100 years later but the buffalo are no longer around.

Sheryl Buckner RN, MS, CM
Clinical Instructor and Case Manager
University of Oklahoma


Good morning! I love the buffalo photos and project! Excellent! I have a buffalo story...

My late father Russel Richter used to work at the Holiday Inn in Enid, Oklahoma. (it has since closed.) At one point in our recent cultural history (early 1980's I suppose), there was a buffalo that 'acted' in tv commercials and that appeared in print ads. That buffalo came to Enid many years ago on a publicity tour. It was a hot summer. To give the animal some freedom and relief from the heat, the caretakers led the buffalo from its trailer and staked him out one afternoon on the back lawn of the Holiday Inn property. Of course, daddy went to take a close look at the lone animal. Daddy knew that my best friend Tom, a Cherokee from Nowata, saw the buffalo as his power image, his totem. Well, daddy thought that Tom could use a bit more power, something substantial and tangible. He got a pair of scissors and approached the buffalo cautiously. He got close enough to the animal to cut some of his hair from his neck. In the process, the buffalo tossed his head and daddy to the ground, but other than that, no harm. Daddy put the hair in a glass box and glued a metal buffalo on the top and presented the gift to Tom. Today, Tom still has this gift of the buffalo and of daddy on his office desk. There is power in the buffalo--of friendship and of legacy between generations and beyond the grave.

Sara Jane Richter, Ph.D.
Dean, Liberal Arts Professor, English
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Goodwell, OK



A couple of years ago, we traveled to San Antonio to see the "Cows on Parade." It was very frustrating that there was not a compiled listing of the locations of the cows. We relentlessly searched the web in vain and stopped by the downtown San Antonio tourism office, leaving frustrated. You've done an excellent job both with the web site and the buffalo! Thanks to the Downtowner for publishing the locations and map of the buffalo. I collect the miniature "cows." Hope to add miniature buffalo soon!

Denise



I have been following your progress...I'm a photography nut and have enjoyed taking photos of all the buffalos. I love the idea and I have sold the idea for several of my co-workers, friends, and family to go see these.  Many were totally unaware these even existed. 

I know of a couple of church groups that are starting do "buffalo hunts" on weekends.  I hope this works well for "The Nature Conservancy" since I would enjoy more of these type of "art shows/fund raisers", along with the very positive message and feelings it gives the city. 

GREAT Idea!!!  THANK YOU!    

Jim DeLong



I LOVE THE BUFFALO'S!  THEY ARE FANTASTIC!   I collect the "Cow Parade" replicas, so I think that it is wonderful that my state is doing something similar with something that represents our state: the buffalo.  I have seen most of the ones in OKC this past weekend.  I was short on time or I would have found all of them.  Also,  will you be creating the replicas for sale to the public like the "Cow Parade" has done?   Thanks and keep up the great work  

Barbara Beasley
Lindsay, OK



THANKS SO MUCH!!! My family and I are going on a "buffalo hunt." We want to see as many of the buffalos as we possibly can. Your web site will help us tremendously! Several family members have worked at some of the places that have displayed or sponsored these buffalos...we want to get photos of those for sure.

Will there be miniatures...like the Cow Parade?

Charles and Eva Cox



Spirit of the Buffalo originated as a public art project combining art, commerce and civic pride in Oklahoma featuring Oklahoma artists. Initial proceeds benefited the Nature Conservancy's work in Oklahoma. The website project continues through private funds.