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Bison
The Yellowstone bison (Bison bison) story covers
more than one hundred years of struggle and conflict surrounding one of
America's most majestic animals. In the early 1800's, an estimated 65
million bison roamed throughout the continent of North America. However,
market hunting and poaching had a devastating effect on the bison
population; and by 1890, fewer than 1,000 remained! Even with the
establishment of Yellowstone National Park, protection and sanctuary for
the bison did not occur until the U.S. Army arrived in 1886 to protect
the park's resources.
Due to protection and manipulative management (transplanting bison to
different parts of Yellowstone), there were approximately 1,500 bison in
Yellowstone National Park by 1954. Beginning 1968, the manipulative
management of Yellowstone bison was discontinued and the population was
allowed to fluctuate based on environmental conditions (i.e. winter
weather, food availability, etc). In the 1970's and 1980's, there were a
series of cool, wet summers followed by mild winters. These conditions
allowed for an abundance of grasses for the bison to feed on and a
reduction in the winter mortality rate.
In addition, snowmobiling in the park has helped more bison survive
winters since the groomed roads cut down on the amount of energy that a
bison uses to travel when compared to traveling through deep snow. By
the winter of 1996 to 1997, there were approximately 3,500 bison in
Yellowstone National Park.
The bison (often referred to as buffalo) is truly a majestic animal. An
adult bull bison may be six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh 2,000
pounds. Females look like the males except that they are smaller and
have more slender horns. Bison mate from July through early August, and
the calves are born in April and May. During the spring and early
summer, new-born calves can often be viewed in the Firehole area and
Lamar Valley. Although viewing the young calves can be an exciting
experience, it is very important that you do not get too close to the
animals for observation or photographs. Bison may appear big and slow,
but they can run up to 30 miles per hour. Yellowstone visitors are gored
every year, because they venture too near in attempts to photograph the
animals.
Today, the Yellowstone bison still faces conflict and struggle. The most
recent modern issue is the disease called brucellosis which can cause
abortions in domestic cattle. Some bison as well as elk are infected
with the disease. Although there are no documented cases of wild,
free-ranging bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle in the wild, the
possibility of transmitting the disease exists if domestic cattle come
into contact with infected birthing material or a new-born calf of an
infected bison.
Due to a lawsuit filed by the State of Montana, a new bison management
plan was developed. All bison entering Montana along Yellowstone's north
boundary would be shot or shipped to slaughter. In addition, all bison
entering Montana through the park's west boundary would be tested for
brucellosis. Any bison testing positive for brucellosis would be shot or
shipped to slaughter. Due to the management removals and winter-kill,
the Yellowstone bison population in March of 1997 was estimated to be
approximately 1,200 to 1,500 animals. That is less than half of what the
population was estimated to be at the start of the 1996-1997 winter.
Yellowstone National Park now has a new bison exhibit called "Where the
Buffalo Roam". It opened on August 1, 1997 at the Canyon Visitor Center.
The exhibit traces the story of the Yellowstone bison and features
educational stations and two full-size dioramas with taxidermy
specimens. The exhibit also presents issues that arise when the wild
bison confronts the modern world. Although the Canyon Visitor Center is
closed for the winter, it will be open again for the summer season. If
you are planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park for next summer,
try to visit the new bison exhibit. Also, if you will be in Yellowstone
during the late spring or early summer, stop by Lamar Valley or the
Firehole area as they do present an excellent opportunity to view
new-born bison calves.
 Where
to find them
Bison are almost always on the move and are seen in different areas
during different seasons. Probably the best spot is in Hayden Valley
along the Yellowstone River. Some other spots are along the Madison,
Firehole and Gibbon Rivers. Look for bison in the Fountain Flats area
and the Mud Volcano area, also in Lamar Valley. Lone Bulls are often
seen around the Lake Hotel and Fishing Bridge.
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