As the Colorado Front Range was finally seeing its first, decent snowfall of the month yesterday, I headed to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. The action was pretty light as most animals hunkered down to wait out the wind and snow.

I staked out a spot to watch four bison bulls as they laid in the grass, gradually getting more and more covered in snow. Finally, one of them stood up and gave a big shake, sending snow flying everywhere. Cruddy light and a long distance between him and I made for tough shooting but it gave me a fun sequence of images.

The vast open spaces we enjoy here in the American west are tough for those in more populous areas to understand.

With just a short trip outside the metropolitan lights of Denver, you can find yourself surrounded by nothing but openness. No sounds but an occasional plane overhead and clear horizons every direction with only a power pole or two to be seen.

It is one of the things I value most about living here and why I never contemplate leaving. Sharing time in these areas with iconic wildlife after a recent fall snow is invigorating and something to be treasured.

I always say that there is something about these icons of the American West that begs to have them viewed in black and white. It just always seems so fitting.

This big guy was wearing a coat of white from the snowstorm this past Sunday night. The rising sun behind him provided somewhat harsh backlighting so I cranked up the highlights for this image.

It used to be we called these buffalo but that actually was incorrect. While they are part of the same family that includes the European and African buffalo, the Bison is its own, distinct species.

It is believed they were called #buffalo by early North American explorers due to their resemblance to the Old-World species. Native Americans call them Tatanka, a Lakota word that translated means “bull buffalo.”

Even bison like to catch the snow on their tongues! 😉

In actuality, he was doing the flehman response, trying to get a good smell of something. I ventured out yesterday just as our latest snowstorm was beginning, hoping to catch some cool scenes.

There were a few worthy captures making braving the cold worth it, including this one. The bison were very active with lots of battles between bulls going on although that action was too far away to get decent shots of.

Taken at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

It was well worth the trip too. The defense looks outstanding again, the offense, well, it needs some work. 😉 It is always fun when I can get the #bison in front of the Mile High City like this. Bummed I only got rear-end shots though. 😀

Mental note: Do NOT put your head down when walking through a patch of sticker burrs. 😀

Goodness! This poor bison must have had its head down or rolled on a bunch of stickers. As thick as their fur is, I am sure it wasn’t even touching its skin but just the thought of it makes me go, “Ow!” One for #TatankaTuesday.

 

It isn’t often you get to see a one ton creature roll around on the ground like a dog does to scratch its back but that is what this big guy was doing.

A couple weeks ago he was working on getting rid of the remnants of his winter coat and had found a patch of dirt that he felt would do the trick. It seems like kind of an odd thing for such a massive creature to do but it isn’t uncommon at all and very fun to watch.

While it may have worked to get off some of its fur, it did make him a dusty mess though. 😉

It is Tatanka Tuesday!

This past weekend the bison were doing their best to get rid of the remnants of their winter coats and rolling in the dirt creating huge clouds of dust.

It was fun to watch but unfortunately this was occurring straight into the sun which made getting a decent exposure tough.

A conversion to black and white helps I think and adds a good bit of drama.

These massive animals were hunted to the brink of extinction in the 1700s and 1800s with as few as 750 reported by 1890. Through conservation, numbers have since rebounded with about 500,000 now living on public and private lands. This particular big guy was at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

If you are interested in owning a copy of this image, I have it available in my online store. You can select everything from just a standard paper print to one with framing to metal prints. At checkout, if you use discount code FZPNMB, it will take 50% off my markup on whatever you choose. 

Winter on the Great Plains can be pretty harsh. The cold and snow create conditions inhospitable for us bipedal creatures. The American bison though has lived and thrived here for thousands of years and are certainly built to handle it.

After a snowstorm last month, this cow at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was covered in snow and while she can handle it, I don’t expect she enjoyed it much. 😉 

It used to be we called these buffalo but that actually was incorrect. While they are part of the same family that includes the European and African buffalo, the bison is its own, distinct species.

It is believed they were called buffalo by early North American explorers due to their resemblance to the Old-World species. Native Americans call them Tatanka, a Lakota word that translated means “bull buffalo.”