Bison enjoying lip-smacking good plants

This bison was part of a large herd right along the park road in the Lamar Valley of northeastern Yellowstone National Park.  During our visit in early August 2015 we saw herds of bison almost everywhere around the Hayden and Lamar Valleys, where they traditionally hang out, but in numbers much higher than we remember seeing before.  Bison are much larger in their forequarters than in their hindquarters partially as an adaptation to having to bulldoze through snow to get to forage in the winter.  The herds we saw had a wide range of ages from massive old bulls to young calves born this year.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Bison grazing at the National Bison Range, Montana

The American Bison once sustained the Plains tribes, but their numbers were dramatically reduced by a capaign of extermination. They have a few places where they are holding on, and many tribes have established small herds on their reservations. In Montana, the Federal Government has set aside land for several species of grazing animals, including the bison at the National Bison Range.

This bison is showing his summer fur, where the back half of the body is uncovered to stay cooler. As winter approaches, the entire body will be covered in fur in order to stay warmer. We drove through the National Bison Range in June of 1994 on our way between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. This image was taken while in the safe confines of our car. We also saw pronghorn and deer.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!