Montana BUFFALO BISON BULL

Bison are large, bulls can weigh upwards of 1,800 pounds. strictly vegetarian, a grazer of grasslands and sedges in the meadows, foothills and even... more

by Karon Melillo DeVega

Title

Montana BUFFALO BISON BULL

Artist

Karon Melillo DeVega

Medium

Photograph

Description

Bison are large, bulls can weigh upwards of 1,800 pounds. strictly vegetarian, a grazer of grasslands and sedges in the meadows, foothills and even the high-elevation forested plateaus.

standing at approximately 6 feet tall at the shoulder, bulls can move with surprising speed. It was an incredible experience to stand so close to this magnificent bull, within 20 feet. With great respect and admiration, I thanked him for allowing me to take his picture.

photographed at the National Bison Range, which was established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, The National Bison Range is one of the oldest national wildlife refuges in the nation. National Bison Range is located in the Mission Valley of northwest Montana.

Technically, these North American animals are bison and, sure enough, their scientific name is 'Bison bison', while buffalo are in the 'Bubulus' genus. All are related in the cow family but they have some physical differences, including horn shape and type of fur.

Bison are the largest North American land mammal in existence.
Since the National Bison Range refuge is over 100 years old, the area was never cultivated and much remains as it was.

Today, the National Bison Range is a diverse ecosystem of grasslands, Douglas fir and ponderosa pine forests, riparian areas and ponds. The Range is one of the last intact publicly-owned intermountain native grasslands in the U.S. In addition to herds of bison, it supports populations of Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep as well as coyotes, mountain lions, bears, bobcat and over 200 species of birds.

Canon EOS 50D

© Karon Melillo DeVega
All rights reserved

Uploaded

July 12th, 2013