Bison: The Symbol of the West

Nothing symbolizes the American West more than the American Bison (Bison bison), the nation’s national mammal.  Although commonly referred to as buffalo, bison are not actually buffalo. True buffalo are a different animal found only in Asia and Africa. Still, the name buffalo continues to be used interchangeably for bison.

Bison once populated the grasslands in most of the interior of what is now the United States extending as far east as the Appalachian Mountains. They existed in unbelievable numbers, with estimates ranging from 30 million to as high as 60 million. By 1820 their range had shrunk to primarily the plains and prairies of the American West where they still existed in great herds and still numbered in the millions.

As people moved west, bison became easy prey for hunters with rifles as they would stand and not run while they were shot one by one. They were killed for their hides, tongues, meat, and bones and even killed just for sport and left to rot. By 1889 the great herds were no more and it’s estimated that only about 23 animals existed in the wild in Yellowstone National Park. At about this time, efforts to save the bison began in earnest and just in time, barely.

Bison were the lifeblood of the Plains Indian people, providing food, clothing, shelter, fuel, and utensils. When bison were exterminated, the very existence of the native people was threatened. Elimination of the bison was a major factor that drove the nomadic, native plains people onto reservations, where they depended on government handouts to survive and their spirits were broken. It was a tragic chapter in the history of the West.

Today, bison have made a comeback and an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 exist in national parks, wildlife refuges, state parks, American Indian reservations, zoos, and in private herds. An estimated 20,000 are considered to be wild herds. Yellowstone National Park is a well-known place to see them roaming freely. Another great, but lesser-known place, is Wind Cave National Park and adjacent Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Both the Yellowstone and Wind Cave herds have pure bison DNA with no cattle genes.

I saw my first bison in Yellowstone NP when I took my first trip to the West while in college. Later, I worked at Wind Cave National Park for 10 years, and it was there that I became more familiar with bison and learned to appreciate them as truly magnificent creatures. Bull bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds or more and stand six feet tall. Females weigh about half as much and stand about five feet tall.

I learned to watch a bison’s tail for a sign that it is getting agitated. When the tail is down and calmly switching back and forth all is well, but when the tail rises, it is preparing to charge. At that point, you are in big trouble. If you are in front of a charging bison it is futile to run since they can run up to 35 miles per hour, faster than even the fastest human. The best defense is always to keep a safe distance of at least 25 yards.  The most dangerous times to be around bison are when calves are with their mothers and during the mating season, mid-summer into September, when the bulls are most aggressive.

The scariest experience I ever had with bison was at Wind Cave NP. I lived in Hot Springs, SD, and drove to work each day. Driving into the park on an early summer day, I noticed a bison herd ahead and a car parked along the road near the herd. As I got closer, I was alarmed to see a man standing near the bison herd taking photos of his two children standing among the bison, surrounding them on three sides. The herd included many cow bison and calves, making it even more dangerous since cows are very protective of their young.  I jumped out of my car yelling at the man to get his children back to his car. All the while, I was anticipating a horrific scene of seeing his children gored or trampled right before our eyes. Fortunately, the children were retrieved safely. Normally a calm and diplomatic person, but with my adrenalin pumping, I was not on this occasion. I let the man know, in no uncertain terms, that he had placed his children in a very dangerous situation. He looked at me as if I was crazy and said, “Aren’t they tame?” I explained to him that all animals in national parks are wild. 

It is a privilege to observe these impressive creatures that came very close to becoming extinct. Thankfully, there are places where they still roam and rule the grasslands as their ancestors did. The spirit of the West lives on in them.