The bison is surely one of the most iconic of North American animals. So much so, that it was declared the national mammal this past year. When you watch bison, you are certainly transported back to ancient days. They can be docile, they can powerful, and they can dominate the landscape. These images were made during the summer in Yellowstone. 
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nomadruss in words and photos 
Wonderful photos. You have a very good eye!
Thanks Jadi!
Reblogged this on O LADO ESCURO DA LUA.
Beautiful photographs!
Thanks Belinda!
wonderful photos, I especially liked the one with the pink reflection.. and buffalo near a campground? how exciting that would be.
Thanks Vicki, and yeah, wouldn’t that be fun to wake up to!?!
You have the essence of the great lumbering beast. I feel extremely sad when I think we almost drove them to extinction ; once they were everywhere.
Apparently they were such an importance to the ecosystem of the great plains. The buffalo wallows held rain water and were a temporary watering hole for animals, and a place for tadpoles to grow. The water from the wallows seeped back into the underground water table. And that’s just the beginning…
Yes, they were an incredible and essential asset to the health of the prairie — at the time (pre-1800s), the largest continuous ecosystem in the world. Unlike cattle that are incredibly ill-suited to the landscape, bison are able to withstand below-freezing to 115+ temps and keep the grasses healthy through grazing, roaming, wallowing, and roaming incredible distances. These are beautiful photos (as always!) but I can’t look at them without heartbreak — the largest mass-slaughter of mammals in the history of the world. They were easy to kill because they’ll only run away if they see where danger is coming from. So, the long-range buffalo guns that could be fired from trains were the weapon of devastation. I hope the efforts to maintain healthy herds (apparently, most American bison carry a disease related to cattle, even if latent) and reintroduce them in new areas is successful. Thanks for sharing, Russ.
Wow… Amazing photos. Great that they have plenty of wilderness space 🙂
We have got their brothers here in Europe, the European bisons. They majority live in The Białowieża Forest (UNESCO World Heritage site) on the border between Poland and Belarus. There are also some in the northwestern Caucasus (Caucasus Mountains in Eastern Europe) which are called Caucasian wisent.
You given me another good reason to get back to Poland!
Awesome! Loving them all, especially the reflections, the lone bison shots…the third one I almost missed the two bison’s reflections in the water with the trees AND the bison themselves. Smile. Old, I guess. Or maybe just a great shot!
…in His service,
Melinda E jmeric2@gmail.com
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Thanks Melinda, I do like the solitary shots. They are such beautiful creatures…
Great images, Russ. The next to the last is pretty cool with that little bit of reflection in the pool. Bisons are such a powerful animal!
Thanks Eliza! Yes, they are very powerful, and should definitely be respected. As the National Park Service reminds people, stay at least 25 yards away!
Incredible photos!
Absolutely stunning Russ. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos.
Fabulous shots! Congrats!!!
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Incredible photos! 🙂
Thanks Megan!