On our recent trip to Yellowstone National Park, we had the pleasure of seeing the BIG mammals that literally stop traffic on the highways throughout the park.
Bison
Bison everywhere! They stop traffic as we all gawk at their immenseness! Bison in North America are mistakenly referred to as Buffalo.
“A bison stands tall in the open field, its thick fur rippling in the breeze—a symbol of the American West.” ~ Isabela Sedano
If you are lucky, you may see a bison grazing conveniently in a turnout. No zoom lens needed here; we were 20 feet away, safely in the truck. We watched as he walked up to the other side of the road to join his mate.
Our “big” mammal, Brodie the Boykin Spaniel, fits right in compared to the bison, right?
Pets are limited on trails and walkways in most national parks. The weather was cool enough for him to wait safely in the truck while we explored. More about the Yellowstone Bison in October and November.
Elk
Along with the bison, herds of elk can be seen from the highways.
I believe this young male elk was smiling at me. A zoom lens was used here.
When we visited the Mammoth Springs area, this bull elk made his presence known by bugling his mating/warning call several times.
A Park Ranger kept us from getting too close. September is rutting season for elk, and they can be dangerous. With his mature rack of antlers, this elk stood close to 8 feet tall. Wasn’t it nice that he posed near the American flag?
If you’ve never heard their bugle, it is eerie…enjoy!
We didn’t see wolves or Grizzly bears, but seeing the bison for the first time was a thrill.
Please join me this Sunday for the theme “Fountains and Falls.” I will share more about the amazing water features in Yellowstone in this post.
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