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+---- Thread: American Bison (Bison bison) (/topic-american-bison-bison-bison)
American Bison (Bison bison) - brotherbear - 07-05-2015
Some picture comparisons of large hoofed animals would be interresting. Especially such as gaur, bison, water buffalo, and African buffalo. Also camel, moose, horse, and giraffe.
This thread in particularly is dedicated to the American Buffalo (Bison bison).
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - brotherbear - 03-06-2016
Cowboys, Mountain Men, & Grizzly Bears by Matthew P. Mayo... For more than five thousand years, the Plains Indians hunted buffalo throughout the Rocky Mountains by driving entire herds over high cliffs. The Head-Smashed-In site was in use for many centuries, as evidenced by the thirty-foot-deep deposits of bones at the base. It got its name from the young Blackfoot Indian who wanted to see, up close, the buffalo as they jumped off the cliff.
In addition to the Head-Smashed-In site, located near Fort Mcleod in Alberta, Canada, Ulm Pishkun Buffalo Jump, the largest in the world, is located just south of Great Falls, Montana. The cliffs there range more than a mile in length, and archaeological digs at their base have turned up evidence of bison bones compacted to a depth of thirteen feet. The site, in use between 900 B.C. and A.D. 1800, was given an extensive mention in Meriwether Lewis's Journals of Wednesday, May 29, 1805.
RE: Big herbivores! - Tshokwane - 05-07-2016
Running Wolf Nature Photography by Deby Dixon:
Tenderness
A bison cow and bull lick a new born calf, trying to encourage it to get up and move around. The calf would get up and then plop right back down. Perhaps it was enjoying the attention!
This is the first time I have ever seen tenderness towards a calf from a bull and it was an incredible moment to watch. He was so sweet with the young one.
After working on the calf for quite some time the little one finally got to its feet and began enjoying life with some wild kicks and jumps. Success!
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Big herbivores! - Tshokwane - 05-12-2016
Wild at Heart Images-Wildlife and Nature Photography
"Cold as Ice"
After a few days of summer-like weather, we were greeted with 20 degree temperatures, howling winds and a few inches of snow in Yellowstone today. I certainly could feel the difference in temperature as I bundled myself in my heavy winter coat and snow pants. Even though I was freezing, most of the wildlife, including this bull bison, didn't seem to mind the wintery weather. As I was shivering from the cold, I watched this big bull plunge into the frigid Yellowstone River and swim to the opposite shore. When he reached the river's edge, he shook a few times, but his coat was still soaked. After a while, the bull's coat was covered in ice, but the mighty bull didn't even feel it and continued on his way through Hayden Valley, impervious to the wind and cold.
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - brotherbear - 05-16-2016
Cowboy's, Mountain Men & Grizzly Bears by Matthew P. Mayo.
Within 15 years, from 1868 to 1883, the great plains buffalo herds, which at one time may have numbered as many as one hundred million, were almost entirely killed off. In 1873, in the midst of the buffalo boom years, railroads transported 754,329 hides, 4,852,800 pounds of meat, and 8,229,300 pounds of bones. The very next year, twenty million pounds of buffalo bones were transported east to refineries for the manufacture of sugar and fertilizer. More often than not, the hides were stripped and the carcasses left to rot, though sometimes the tongues were cut out, salted, smoked, and sold as delicacies.
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - brotherbear - 06-09-2016
http://fox4kc.com/2015/06/02/second-yellowstone-visitor-injured-in-bison-encounter/
(CNN) — The sheer size and wildness of Yellowstone National Park’s signature bison provide a magnificent subject for camera-toting tourists.
But officials caution visitors not to come within 25 yards of the animals, noting that they are unpredictable and able to sprint three times faster than people can run.
A 62-year-old Australian man who ventured to within 3 to 5 feet of one bison was seriously injured Tuesday when the animal charged and tossed him into the air several times, park officials said in a statement.
This is the second such incident within weeks.
A 16-year-old Taiwanese exchange student was gored by a bison on May 15 while posing for a photo.
Both encounters occurred in the popular Old Faithful portion of Yellowstone. Tuesday’s was near the lodge. According to witnesses, several people crowded a bison lying near an asphalt path, the park said.
The unidentified man approached the animal while taking pictures, the park said, and the animal came at him. The visitor was taken by ambulance to a hospital; his injuries weren’t considered life-threatening.
In the May incident, the teen girl was visiting Yellowstone with her host family.
As they were hiking near the Old Faithful Geyser, they stopped where a group of people had gathered to watch a bison grazing next to the trail.
“The girl turned her back to the bison to have her picture taken when the bison lifted its head, took a couple steps and gored her,” the Park Service said.
The family was believed to have been standing between 3 feet and 6 feet from the animal, the park service said. She, too, sustained serious injuries.
Every year, some visitors to Yellowstone are gored by bison, sometimes fatally, according to the park service.
“Visitors are reminded that Yellowstone wildlife is wild,” it said. “Wildlife should not be approached, no matter how tame or calm they appear.”
The park is dotted with signs warning people not to get too close to animals. The bison population in Yellowstone is estimated to range between 2,300 to 5,000.
The park’s website details efforts to manage the herd and restore the species.
“Bison are a migratory species, and they move across a vast landscape,” the park says. “When they are inside Yellowstone, they have unlimited access to every square inch of habitat.”
RE: Big herbivores! - Tshokwane - 07-10-2016
Sudipta Shaw:
A Bull American Bison.... Full frame image.
I made this images on July 3rd, 2016 at Mud Volcano area of the Yellowstone National Park, US.
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - Tshokwane - 07-20-2016
Yellowstone Association:
Love is in the air! Hundreds of bison are beginning to gather in the Lamar and Hayden Valleys for the annual bison rut. Although the rut is a fascinating time to observe bison displaying mating behavior, be sure to give them plenty of room (at least 25 yards). Bison are surprisingly agile and quick, capable of speeds of up to 30 mph.
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - Tshokwane - 07-24-2016
Wild at Heart Images-Wildlife and Nature Photography:
Instead of sharing something cute to start your day, how about something a little different.....like one ton of angry bison?
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - Tshokwane - 08-05-2016
Wild at Heart Images-Wildlife and Nature Photography:
The Evil Eye......
Always a favorite time of year for me, the bison rut is upon us in Yellowstone. My friend, Steve, likens this spectacle to a barroom brawl, and I can't say I disagree with him. For the next month, bulls will be busy chasing cows and each other as they determine which of them will have the right to breed. During this time of year, bulls are even more aggressive and unpredictable than usual, so please never approach them.
In case you might be wondering, this photo of a very annoyed looking bull (he was eyeballing another bull that was nearby) was taken from the safety of my vehicle with a telephoto lens. There's no way I'd ever think of getting close to this guy. Would you?
*This image is copyright of its original author
Frosty the Bison....
Yes, that's frost on the head of this big bull bison. Well, it's not exactly frost. Technically, it's frozen fog. It was 28 degrees in Hayden Valley this morning, so the ever-present fog froze on the bison's fur, making him and the rest of the herd look like they were sprinkled with powdered sugar. It's hard to believe it was so chilly that I needed my gloves!! With this afternoon's sweltering heat (94F in Wapiti, WY), I know I'd feel a lot more comfortable if the temps were still hovering around freezing. Winter can't come soon enough!!
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - Tshokwane - 08-18-2016
Thomas Szajner Photography:
Paying attention to a rival's cow...she very close to being receptive and that drives all adjacent bulls crazy.
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - Tshokwane - 08-18-2016
Totally consumed by her scent...bison in rut, Yellowstone. Credits to Thomas Szajner Photography.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Keeping a close eye on the cow and potential rival bulls
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - Tshokwane - 08-18-2016
This powerful bull, rushed a rival who came too close and nearly gored his flank...although the horns did contact the rival's flank, the protective bull was out of position to deliver this potentially fatal blow. The two fought for about 30seconds then as quickly as it started it just as quickly ended...seeing it upclose was beyond thrilling...too bad I had too much of a lens on my camera to capture some of the action. Credits to Thomas Szajner Photography.
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - Tshokwane - 08-18-2016
Sometimes, when a cow is young and the experience of estrus is her first, she might want nothing to do with the mating...act scared and run away from any aggressive advances. Bulls hate that and will persue her relentlesly, sometimes for a very long time. The cow on the image was tag-chased for a good 20 min, full speed. During the chase, the bulls persuing the cow will run too close to other bulls that are paired-up with their cows, and as it happens, it is not uncommon for these bulls to start fighting...never a dull moment when watching these beautiful animals.
Credits to Thomas Szajner Photography.
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Hoofed Animals ~ - Tshokwane - 08-18-2016
In general...once the "girl" is chosen, the bull will spend all of his time guarding her, up until the time of mating. He will vocalize repeatedly his aggresive warnings to the resident bulls, but he will also vocalize using softer sounds and gentle nudgings, with the chosen cow. Credits to Thomas Szajner Photography.
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author
*This image is copyright of its original author