These aren’t the best photos …
… but I wasn’t going to get out of my truck for better ones, either.
Bison are hungry, unpredictable and big. Really big. They weigh up to 900 kg (2000 lbs), so photos have to come from the protection of my vehicle.
Greetings from the woodlands bison of the Northwest Territories. 🙂
I’ve seen the bison in Yellowstone National Park several times … magnificent creatures, but as you say, best viewed from the safety of a vehicle! Are wood bison a separate species / sub-species?
They are sub-species. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bison
I’m not sure if the bison at Yellowstone are wood bison or plains bison. In any case, it’s best to view them from a distance. 🙂
Thanks for the link. The animals in Yellowstone are definitely Plains Bison. They seemed massive to me, but the link you sent suggests Wood Bison are quite a bit bigger. Wow! In 2018 I wrote a blog about a road trip in the Yellowstone area – if it’s of interest, here’s a link to my post on the local bison https://yellowstoneplatypus.wordpress.com/2018/09/20/yellowstone-highlights-bison-the-heavyweight-superstars-of-yellowstone/
Thanks for the link – a very interesting and informative post. They look the same as ours and also stand in the road the same way, too. Driving after dark in the autumn can be dangerous as they like to stand there at night, too. As it gets colder, they head into the forest, so not much of an issue after about the end of October, though.
How great to see these out in the wild. Thanks for sharing, Lynette. I’m glad you stayed in your truck!
It is pretty wonderful. They roam very freely all over this area and don’t seem too concerned if you stop your vehicle to watch, but I have heard of them abruptly charging people (and vehicles sometimes, too) who get too close.
Just to see such magnificent creatures in the flesh must be wonderful, a real privelege. You do well to keep to the safety of your vehicle, Lynette. Outside, you might be seen as an invader in their territory.
They are really something! So big. I had to stop on the highway because there was a large herd of them just standing there in the road. I stayed a respectful distance away and waited. I took a couple of photos through the windshield but it was so covered in bug juice that they weren’t at all good.
Another good reason for staying inside is that their distance eyesight isn’t great, and you don’t want to be mistaken for either an invader or a rival! 🙂
It’s good to know they’re still around and running wild. As I recall, they were nearly hunted to extinction at one time. Keep safe and stay well.
They were nearly wiped out, yes. They are still either threatened (woodland bison) or endangered (plains bison). Human behaviour is just so unforgivable sometimes.
Thanks, Stuart, you too.
Yes – big! Glad you are smart enough to know they are not cute and cuddly!!
Definitely no cuddles there! And they are kind of smelly, too. Not sure how to describe it; it’s a real bisony, earthy- pungent smell.
Yes they are huge…and wild…and the teenagers can be unpredictable…as I’m sure you know ~ smiles hedy ☺️
Oh yes, the teenagers are the worst. Very unpredictable. They have been known to charge vehicles. You have to be careful and back off, even if you stay in your vehicle.
I thought Bison were less dangerous than other animals but, over the weekend, a guy got killed by one sadly. https://www.ksl.com/article/50012156/syracuse-man-likely-killed-by-bison-remembered-as-genuinely-good
Wow. That’s so sad. I didn’t know that there were bison in NY. With bison, you never know; they are so unpredictable and their actions can be so abrupt.
I’m loving these Monday morning photos–keep them coming:)
Thank you! Good to hear. 🙂
Beautiful animals! I read how we nearly annihilated them in our attempt to annihilate Native people, and it’s only due to their work that bison have made a comeback.
Yes, the wood bison were nearly wiped out. They are still defined as threatened as there are only about 12000 of them. What’s worse is that there are only about 2000 plains bison, although their habitat in western Alberta has been preserved and they should make something of a comeback. Human behaviour can be so sickening sometimes.
Sickening, indeed. And it doesn’t help when we refuse to admit it.
That’s so true.
No, I wouldn’t get out. Great pictures.
Thank you. 🙂 Nope, inside is best!
Cool. The only time I was around bison was my two times in South Dakota. As a kid, we went on a jeep safari of sorts, with our parents, right into the middle of a herd. I remember being told not to make a sound or they might stampede. I was scared, but glad I experienced it. We saw a few in the Badlands a few years ago when I went with my husband.
Glad you stayed safe. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome. 🙂
We have big herds of them around here. This herd was parked right in the road and I had to stop and wait for them to decide to move. I would never try to drive through them, though. They could turn my vehicle into scrap metal.
That must have been really scary, driving among them when you were a kid.
There used to be this tiny park close to me when I was growing up that had some. I’m still not entirely sure how or why because we were in the suburbs so it seemed odd. They did some renovations (I think someone bought the property) and the bison were gone after that.
If they were in the suburbs they may have been a cross between bison and cattle. The result is an animal that looks a lot like a bison but much smaller. Wild bison don’t do well in captivity.
Seeing bison from a car is good enough for me too. I can’t believe how close some people try to get to the wildlife to take a picture. The zoom button works just fine on my phone.
Right? I once watched from a hotel window in Lake Louise as a tourist approached a full-grown moose that was shedding the velvet from his antlers! As you likely know, that means they are mating and very dangerous. I couldn’t believe my eyes. This guy was maybe centimetres away. It was the moose who was smart enough to leave. People can so stupid, and then it’s the animal who pays.
Lovely photos. And a wise decision to stay in your truck. Sometimes distance can be a wonderful thing… 😉
Thank you. 🙂 Yes, I agree; distance can often be the better part of valour.
I don’t blame you for not getting out of the truck to go closer. I’m even afraid of cows. The domestic kind. They stare at you, and stare, and you don’t know what (or if) they’re thinking, and then the slime drools down from their lips and you wonder if it’s time to get out of there. I imagine bison are the same only way scarier. Great to see at a distance though.
Your description of the “cow stare” is so accurate! That’s exactly what they do! I don’t know if bison behave like that as every time I see them, they have their heads down eating. Takes a lot of vegetation to keep those bodies going! 🙂
I think it would be really something to be close enough to take bison pics (with the zoom). I felt that way when I saw pronghorns in Alberta and then Montana for the first time. Very cool. Enjoyed this post.
I didn’t have a good camera with me, so I’m happy these turned out as well as they did.
The pronghorns are beautiful – so elegant. 🙂
What good judgment! there are indeed times to stay right there in the vehicle.
Thank you. 🙂 Yes, staying in your vehicle can sometimes be the better part of valour!
They’re very impressive creatures. Great captures from the safety of your vehicle.
Thank you. 🙂 Yes, they are, and deserving of our respect.