Monday, May 21, 2012

Plains Bison

A couple of days ago I went to Elk Island National Park hoping to get some photo's of the Plains Bison.  I did manage to find a fairly large herd however they were about a quarter to half mile walk off the road.  I observed their behavior for a bit before trying to get too close because I saw so many calves in the herd.

I saw that the moms were very protective over their calves and since I was in the middle of a large field with no cover, I very slowly worked my way to within 150 yards of the herd.  I kept a low profile which helped.  I may have been able to get a bit closer, but what looked like the largest Bison in the herd was paying very close attention to me no matter how careful I was and how slowly I moved.

I decided against trying to get closer on this attempt as I didn't want to encounter an overly protective Bison that might charge.  I know that Bison can run at speeds of up to 60-70 Km/h and have been known to injure and kill people.  I watched a small group that ran full out for about a quarter mile to join the larger herd and I'm sure they were easily running those speeds!  Taking into consideration that my only cover was a blade of grass I think I wisely chose to keep my distance and maintain a very low profile.  I did manage to get some shots of the herd but not the one shot that I've been trying for since late February.  I thought I would share a few of the shots here.  I hope you enjoy them!

 This is what looked like the largest Bison in the herd.
 It was paying very close attention to me.
 A small part of the herd.
Mom with her calf running to keep up.

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