American Bison
(Bison bison)
Introduction :
The American bison once roamed most of North America but it was almost Hunted to extinction in the United States. Yellowstone National Park is the only place in the US where bison were not completely eliminated in the late 1800’s. Since then bison have been reintroduced to several parks in the US.
Habitat :
Bison frequent plains, open grasslands, and prairies in select National Parks and reserves.
Signs :
Bison tracks and scat are pretty unmistakable. The huge '“pie” like scat is in a circular shape around 12 inches in diameter. The scat and hoof prints can resemble cows but currently where wild bison are there is a slim chance cattle will be present in the area.
Precautions :
Bison can be very dangerous if disturbed or if they feel threatened. it is very important to keep a safe distance when photographing these animals as they can be unpredictable. they may seem slow but can charge at a moments notice.
-Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone is the first place that comes to mind when you think of bison. The population in Yellowstone is around 5,000. They can frequently be seen on the side of the road as you drive through the park.
The best spots to see larger herds are at Hayden Valley and Lamar valley.
-Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota (South Unit)
There are approximately 400 bison in Theodore roosevelt national park. They can be frequently seen from the road. The badlands create a great opportunity to get an interesting background for the bison subject.
larger herds also frequent at the big plateau wilderness area. This are is accessed from a Road on the west side of the park. Take I-94 west then take exit 23 and head north 6.2 miles on a well maintained dirt road. If you hike in the south petrified forest trail until you reach the grassland you can sometimes see a larger herd of bison. This is also a great hike where you can see a petrified forest.
-Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
One of the lesser know national parks but one of my favorite is Wind cave national park. The park has a herd of about 400 bison. TheSE bison are considered to be one of the few genetically pure herds in the US.
Again driving down the road is a great way to view theSe animals. Using your car as a blind you should be able to come away with some good images.
There is a good campground at the park so you can camp and get up early for sunrise and stay out late for sunset.
The park borders Custer state park wich also has a bison population.