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You say buffalo, I say bison

Tales from the Backroad Posted on by

You say buffalo, I say bison

Everyone knows what a buffalo is, right? But did you know that the animals we have here in America, are actually bison? A buffalo is really a big water buffalo that lives in Africa and parts of Asia, and is no relation to what we have here. Early settlers called the bison they found here buffalo, because they thought they looked somewhat similar to what they had seen before, and the name sadly stuck. 
Bison are a species all there own, and only found in North America. There is a pretty good size herd that hangs out in this area. It’s amazing how much ground these guys cover. Some days they are miles away, and some days they are much closer. Saturday, was a much closer day, so off I went with my camera. Every year I take pictures of these magnificent animals, I just can’t get enough. My favorite is the babies. we have sat and watched them run and play, just like any other young animal.
Bison calf
When they are born, they are a very light buff color. As they get older, their fur gets darker and darker. Even at this young age, they have the start of their horns. 
Mom and calf bison
 This little guy was pretty far away, so I couldn’t get good photos. He was very young, about half the size of these two. I’m positive it was a male, he wasn’t paying very good attention to his mom, and kept falling behind. 
Tiny baby bison
This big bull stopped right in front of me. Bison have pretty poor eye sight, so I was ready to bolt if he got any closer. He sure was impressive though. 
Big male bison
Large male bison
My photo for day 11 in my 100 Days project, shows how loving and caring bison mothers are. They are very protective of their calves, and I would never, ever want to find myself between them. 
Day 11 in my 100 days project
As I was getting ready to leave, one mom kept running back and forth in front of me, grunting, and obviously frantic. She was trying to find her calf. It was so sad to see her distressed like that. I have to just tell myself she found her baby, and all is well. 

Comments

You say buffalo, I say bison — 20 Comments

  4. Holy smokes…that one bison turned and looked right at you and the camera! What a GREAT shot! The momma and her calf photos are so sweet. You were so lucky to be able to get so close to these magnificent animals.
    Happy Monday,
    Oz

  6. I love Bison. I once saw a cowboy ride a bison at a rodeo. He raised it and taught it tricks. Bison I saw a documentary on that they used them in a movie on an island “Catalina” in California and now the heard keep s expanding there and they take them and thin them out and ship them back to South Dakoda where they are from.

  8. They are truly magnificent beasts. Sad to think that the large herds that once roamed the prairie are mostly gone.

  10. The photos of that bull are wonderful! Just gorgeous creatures. I have to wonder, though, which part are the buffalo wings??? Wait, maybe they originated in Buffalo, NY :)

  11. The calves are obviously born to match the dry grasses. John has gone to the big motorcycle rally in Sturgis and said how you could come upon a large herd of bison just standing in the road, unwilling to move out of the way.

  14. Wow – those photos! Love the babies too! So cute. Isn’t it interesting how animals’ fur can change color as they age? (Even our beagle changed SO much as she aged. Her head was almost completely black as a pup, but faded to brown over the first year.) I had heard folks say both buffalo and bison. Didn’t really know the difference! Will be sure to say bison from now on!

  16. I always really enjoy seeing them! There’s a sort of preserve park near here where a herd of bison roam and I know that I would never want to make one mad at me!

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