In Awe of Bison

One day I went cross-country skiing with friends on a national forest road just outside Yellowstone. As we rounded a bend into a spectacular view of Electric Peak, I spotted a group of bison. One in particular caught my attention. She stood apart from the group and looked toward Electric Peak, while the terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs steamed in the distance far behind her. As I stood there, I found myself in awe of this species’ incredible ability to survive.

To reach here, this group likely migrated at least thirty-five miles from Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley. They were led by a matriarch; she had learned the migration route from matriarchs before her. Along the way, they often walked in the plowed park road, conserving energy and giving them a better chance to win this annual struggle between starvation and spring. Migration comes naturally to bison. In fact, migration is how we have bison in Yellowstone at all. Two to three million years ago, a much smaller animal in Asia began moving north and evolving…

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Indie author Rick Lamplugh lives at Yellowstone’s north gate and writes to protect wildlife and preserve wild lands. His new book, Deep into Yellowstone: A Year’s Immersion in Grandeur and Controversy, is available signed from Rick, or unsigned on Amazon.  His best seller, In the Temple of Wolves, is available signed, or unsigned on Amazon. A signed set of both books is available with FREE shipping.