Sample Collection
Collecting Samples at a Roundup
The following is a retelling of a roundup for the collection of bison blood and hair samples for DNA Analysis at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska, USA, which took place September 23–27, 2002. Staff from the VMBS at the roundup included James Derr, Joe Templeton, and Natalie Halbert.
The roundup begins as bulls, cows, and calves are penned separately.
Roundup Begins
- Far over the hill…the roundup begins…
- Can you hear the thundering herd?
- The final push to the corrals. Remember, dust washes off.
- They’re here…now pen ‘em up! Separate bulls, cows, calves, as necessary.
Bison can be a lot to handle. They don’t mind hurting you, but really want to be your friend!
Bison Can Be A Lot
- Here are a few boys who want to have fun!
- Remember, they don’t mind hurting you.
- But, they really just want to be friends…pet me!
- The calm before the storm.
Be sure to set the scene and organize your DNA collection materials so they’ll be ready to go in the heat of the moment.
Set the Scene
- Always include competent and hardworking graduate students to keep the books straight.
- Make sure everyone has proper attire for the job.
- Organize all of your DNA and data collection equipment in logical order.
- Because the action might be fast and furious later…
Come to an agreement about your procedures with the people who are responsible for the animals from which you are collecting samples.
The Right Staff
- Are these bison or buffalo we are working with today? The stage is set.
- Hire good help, not just any wino off the street.
- Make sure the “BIG SHOTS” from the refuge, park, or private herd are in agreement with your procedures—like Kathy McPeak at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska, USA.
- The first animal goes into the chute. Have a good veterinarian, like Dr. Coil here, a federal USDA vet from Nebraska.
Grab the bison’s tail and pull straight out about 20–40 hairs.
Sampling the Tail Hairs
- Grab the tail and pull straight out about 20–40 hairs.
- Cut off the hair about 1 inch above the hair follicle, but save the follicle end.
- Make sure the hair follicles are still on the hairs.
- It’s best to store the hairs in a paper envelope and always label the envelope with a pencil…
A tail stick with an 18-gauge needle is the safest way to collect the 2 mL of blood from the bison.
Sampling the Blood
- Be sure to stay out of the animal’s face…
- A tail stick with an 18-gauge needle is much safer for the workers than neck bleeding.
- However, sometimes on small animals, you must neck bleed.
- The DNA work requires about 2 mLs of whole blood.
Be sure that the blood samples are completely dry before storing the FTA Whatman cards.
Applying Blood to the FTA Whatman Card
- Remove the needle from the syringe.
- Apply the blood with even strokes across the card. Less is better than too much. (Optimally, we would like enough blood that you can see red through the back of the card, but not so much that it flows through.)
- Blood can be applied anywhere on the card. (The circles serve only as a guide.)
- After the blood is on the card, it MUST dry out completely before storage.
- Be sure the samples are clearly labeled in pencil and set the cards up “tee-pee” style to dry.
A good roundup ends with no one getting hurt — animals included — and great samples for genetic analysis!
At the End of the Day
- Be sure to turn them loose, happy…Everybody will be tired after a long day…
- A good roundup ends with no one getting hurt and great samples for genetic analysis!