Considering how common it is to see fields full of horses in rural Texas, many Bastropians have likely passed by the pasture on the edge of Carter Street and Riverwood Drive without thinking twice.
For those who have given a second look at this particular field, however, they surely would have noticed one of its inhabitants is a bit unusual looking.
The oddball in the group is Bumper, a four-year-old buffalo owned by Gene Davis of Bastrop.
Davis, who purchased Bumper from an exotic game sale where she was the runt of a litter, says the buffalo has come to think of herself as just another one of the eight or nine horses he also owns.
“She has been raised with horses and thinks she is a horse,” Brown said. “Horses are herd animals so a lot of their instincts are the same as buffalos. She (Bumper) has kind of adopted the horses as her herd. She has been with cattle and horses in the same pasture but would rather stay with horses. She doesn’t care for cattle.”
Davis says he initially purchased the buffalo hoping he might be able to train her for riding as a feature in local fairs or rodeos. It was in the first few months of training, in fact, that he figured out the name for his newest pet after she developed a habit for bumping her head into fences. Since that time, however, Davis’s plans have not exactly worked out.
“I saw it in a rodeo act once where they saddled and rode a buffalo,” Davis said. “I thought I would try it and see what would happen but I just haven’t had the time. It was a lot of work and I have got three little boys so that kind of took precedence.”
Although not rideable, Bumper is friendly enough that she has been exhibited at the Elgin Pumpkin Festival and the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm.
As for anyone who thinks of approaching her to say hello in her field, Davis says it might not be the best idea.
“She is not really fond of being touched,” Davis said. “If she is really comfortable with you she’ll eat out of your hand but not if she doesn’t know you. And if you have a bucket in your hand she’ll chase you across the pasture.”