American Bison

Hope
At one point in time millions of bison roamed the open plains in herds that stretched as far as the eye could see. Native Americans harvested the bison responsibly, utilizing every part of the animal for their needs. Through a rather dark part of our history the bison was hunted and recklessly killed to near extinction so that in the late 1800's there were less than a thousand left. Through conservation efforts like those in Custer State Park in South Dakota the bison is making a comeback although it will never again reach the numbers and grandeur of years past. As my wife and I sat and watched in wonder from our jeep in the middle of the herd, a quick moving thunderstorm created some incredible light conditions and spawned a beautiful rainbow. It seemed fitting to frame part of the herd with the rainbow in the background as a symbol not only of hope for the bison, but for other species in trouble around the world.
Down!
Given the number of mule deer bucks that hang around our yard, I shouldn't have been surprised by the differences in size and shape of the horns on the American Bison we saw in Custer State Park in South Dakota. But I was. My wife was driving the new (ok, it's a 2011 but it is still new to us!) jeep - which is great for me, allowing me to scan the countryside better (she is an excellent spotter so I need to up my game!) - when she saw the bison herd along one of the "CSP" gravel roads off the main Wildlife Loop. She slowly drove right into the herd and we stopped the jeep to watch and listen. There was a small thunderstorm that was edging closer which made for very dramatic sky and light. It was really educational and fun to watch the bison interact with each other. We had two young bulls sparring right next to the jeep - that would have been a fun conversation with the insurance agent had they bumped into the car! As we scanned the herd, I could not help but notice the variety of horn sizes, shapes and orientations. These two caught my eye. One thing occurred that just caused us to just shake our heads. There are signs EVERYWHERE cautioning people to stay in their cars and warning of the dangers that these extremely large wild animals represent. Sure enough, a group of folks got out of their vehicles and approached these animals with "selfie" sticks and phones in hand. Is that photo really worth the risk? I must be getting old because I just don't get it :-|
Up!
Given the number of mule deer bucks that hang around our yard, I shouldn't have been surprised by the differences in size and shape of the horns on the American Bison we saw in Custer State Park in South Dakota. But I was. My wife was driving the new (ok, it's a 2011 but it is still new to us!) jeep - which is great for me, allowing me to scan the countryside better (she is an excellent spotter so I need to up my game!) - when she saw the bison herd along one of the "CSP" gravel roads off the main Wildlife Loop. She slowly drove right into the herd and we stopped the jeep to watch and listen. There was a small thunderstorm that was edging closer which made for very dramatic sky and light. It was really educational and fun to watch the bison interact with each other. We had two young bulls sparring right next to the jeep - that would have been a fun conversation with the insurance agent had they bumped into the car! As we scanned the herd, I could not help but notice the variety of horn sizes, shapes and orientations. These two caught my eye. One thing occurred that just caused us to just shake our heads. There are signs EVERYWHERE cautioning people to stay in their cars and warning of the dangers that these extremely large wild animals represent. Sure enough, a group of folks got out of their vehicles and approached these animals with "selfie" sticks and phones in hand. Is that photo really worth the risk? I must be getting old because I just don't get it :-|
Thirsty
A bull bison gets a drink of water along the Firehole River.

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