'Bison whisperer' in demand across southern Alberta

To see Ivan Smith coax a bison cow through a narrow gate on his property is to begin to understand how the quiet rancher has gained a reputation for being something of a "bison whisperer." The 37-year-old has made a living for more than a decade working with bison, raising them on his ranch west of Penhold, Alta. - about 130 km north of Calgary - and selling their meat at shops and restaurants all over southern Alberta. While business is booming, Smith finds himself becoming the go-to guy for ranchers in desperate need of help with their "buffalo problems." Sometimes it's helping during the spring calving season, when getting between a cow and her calf means taking your life in your hands. But where Smith excels is in rounding up wayward bison, coaxing and corralling them for loading and trucking. Equal parts soft-spoken and fearless, Smith uses his pickup truck, his quad, and even his body to manoeuvre the massive animals. He says his skill is not so much in "whispering" as it is grunting and hissing - sometimes imitating a calf, other times using aggressive sounds to force a bull that's holding his ground to move along...more