Bison History

American bison are known for living in the Great Plains and were hunted close to extinction during the 19th century. Buffalo and bison are often confused; “buffalo” is considered to be a misnomer for this animal since buffalo usually refers to an animal south of the equator. Bison is the correct term for animals north of the equator. Bison have rebounded in recent years and are no longer listed as endangered but the species is not secure so active private wildlife conservation measures are practiced in the fragmented herds across North America that total 500,000. There are also remnant purebred American bison herds that total about 20,000 on public lands in North America that can be found in Yellowstone National Park, Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, Blue Mounds State Park in Minnesota, Henry Mountains of Utah, Elk Island National Park in Alberta and Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan. Bison are also the largest mammal in North America.

Bison temperament is often unpredictable. They appear peaceful, unconcerned or even lazy but they will attack anything without a warning. They are very agile and can move fast or even up to 35 mph. Their most obvious weapons are the horns of males and females but their massive heads can be used a battering ram using their momentum produced by their heavy bodies and speed. Bison are dangerous, savage animals that fear no other animal and have been only challenged by wolves and brown bears.

Female bison typically do not reproduce until 3 years of age and can reproduce to at least 19 years of age. Female bison calves annually as long as their nutrition is sufficient but will not give birth to a calf or “red dog” after years where weight gain was too low. A mother’s probability of reproduction the following year is strongly dependent on the mother’s mass and age.