SPENDING TIME WITH BISON

American Bison, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

It’s all about knowing where to find them and predicting when the light is right for a photo of the iconic American Bison in Badlands National Park. However, once more I didn’t find the herd of female bison with their calves. I tried it since three years now but had again no luck to photograph new born calves with their mothers. It’s a big area and not every part is easy to access. Instead I took my chances to work with several of the big bison bulls that stay away from the herd at this time of the year. Some of them were testing their strength for the mating season already and displayed their pure power to each other by making all kinds of noise and even bumping heads occasionally.

There are different ways to tell the story about this majestic animal. Including the Badlands in the background, with early morning light touching both, animal and landscape, leaves no doubt about the presence of the bison out in the great plains. On the other hand a detail shot of the head gives an idea how powerful this wild animal is and a worn out horn gives evidence that many challenges are waiting in their daily life.

NO BADLANDS WITHOUT BISON

The question that came in was, why do you go back for more photography to an area you have been many times before (I was in the Badlands 8 times, Joan even more). After being six times in Badlands National Park, always in the fall and between 2005 and 2020, I just wanted to be there during spring time. Last year it was my first attempt. The story of spring can be told in many ways and making an image of a newborn bison calf is the photo I have in mind for this part of the season. While in autumn the herd of bison would always be around the Sage Creek Wilderness, near the campground we always stay. They are somewhere else in the backcountry during spring time. With other words, I have not seen or photographed a new born calf yet. Main reason is that during just one weekend you can’t hike into the backcountry with such a time limit.

Well, so how can we tell the story about spring with just a bison male in the frame? We saw many bison bulls , just by themselves or in small groups. It always amazes me, how can an animal eating nothing but grass and develop such a muscular body? And yes, there is power behind it. This is not just a grazing cow, bison can employ high speed if they feel threatened. Maintaining a safe distance to the critter is mandatory and it is the law! Even during my limited time out west over the years, I have seen some very, very stupid things people do just to get a snapshot of a bison. I can get excited talking about it…!!

So what else tells the story of spring? You probably have recognized the winter fur of the bison, shed off piece by piece. How do we get this all in one picture? First the eye of the bison bull had to be sharp. Blurry eye means, pic goes to the trash can. With a very narrow depth of focus (@ 600 mm, f/6.3), I figured out increasing local contrast on parts of the fur (which is not 100% in focus) may help to tell the story, while still keeping the focus point on the eye and horn of the bison. Not a perfect image of this resident out west, but I think the story of a male American Bison, roaming in the Badlands, at this time of the year, can be told.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/1000 s, f/6.3, ISO 800

NOT ALL GOALS WERE REACHED

American Bison, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

I thought I need to fill you in a little more about my goals for the photography trip in Badlands National Park, South Dakota last weekend. After visiting the Badlands several times before over the last fifteen years during the fall season, it has been a long desire to do the same during spring, at a time when vegetation renews and birds and critters have nothing else in mind than mating and display themselves in the best way they can.

American Bison mate in August and September and the calves are born after 285 days. The desire to visit the Badlands in spring was fueled by the idea to photograph newborn calves and their mothers. We always have seen the herd with females and their offspring in and around the Sage Creek Valley in the Badlands. Well, this time was different. While I have watched dozens of bison bulls, either solitary or in small groups, I wasn’t able to find the maternal herd. Not a single female or calve came in sight. Badlands National Park is not a small area and they probably found a remote valley where they give birth and nurture the newborn calves. I talked to another hiker and he gave me a hint where the herd might be, but this was too far away for a hike with the small amount of time I had on hand last weekend.

That’s the way it is with wildlife photography. Sometimes all stars line up perfectly and another time we get skunked and have to look for other photo opportunities. The Badlands have plenty of wildlife and there was a lot to do and who doesn’t like a close-up shot of a big bison bull? 😉

BACK IN THE BADLANDS

American Bison, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

My first visit in Badlands National Park, South Dakota was in September 2005. We have revisited the Badlands several times since and always during fall season. Since almost sixteen years I thought it would be nice to go back there again during spring time. Well, it took me a while, but this year the long entertained thought became finally reality. I pitched the tent for three days in the Sage Creek area, at a primitive campground without water and electricity. We know this place very well. It is quiet, remote, with very little light pollution at night, and most importantly it is one of the best places in the Badlands for wildlife watching and photography.

Let me start a little series of blog posts with one of the most iconic animals of the prairie, the American Bison. When you see one of the massive bull bison standing on a ridge during sunset time, you can’t help and just point the camera at it and make the click. All problems of life that might rush through your mind become suddenly irrelevant in such great moments…

THE BISON BELOW

American Bison, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, September 2020

You can tell, this bison has fought a few battles during the mating season, which takes place from late July to August. I was actually looking for some Mule Deer near a trailhead in Roosevelt National Park when suddenly this bull showed up. He disappeared into a small canyon and this allowed me to place the tripod near the edge and make a few clicks from above of the grazing bison. Keeping a safe distance to these large animals is important, not just during the mating season, and no photo is worth risking the life of an animal or your own.

WE ONLY CAN IMAGINE…

American Bison along South Fork Sage Creek, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

We only can imagine how it was when more than 60 million of American Bison once roamed on the plaines and grasslands of North America in search for the best places to feed and to survive the impact of the weather. Today only a number of about 31,000 wild bison can be found, maintained mainly by National or State Parks.

We always know that we have arrived in the west when we see the herd of bison in Badlands National Park, South Dakota again. This time it was very special. While dinner time was already over we sat in our camping chairs and watched them across Sage Creek moving up the valley. With the setting sun in our back the light was gorgeous .

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit, North Dakota

It was quite windy five days later up in North Dakota when we saw a smaller herd in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The bison had retrieved into a small side valley but we were able to park the car safely and tried to get some shots of these majestic animals.

Both photos: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @ 600 mm,

OUT WEST #30 (LAST PART)

Horseman, Badlands NP, South Dakota

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @480mm, 1/640s, f/6.3, ISO100

This will be the last part of my photo story about our trip through the mountains and grasslands of the west in September. I have quite a few more images but for this last post I wanted to use a couple photos that leave no doubt about where they were taken, OUT WEST. Both photos were made the morning of our last full day in Badlands National Park. A horseman, who camped in the same campground as us, went on a ride and gave his horses some exercise and a big American Bison, the iconic animal of the west, gave us a nice gesture with his tongue while interrupting grazing just briefly.

I hope you enjoyed this journey and had as much fun as I had while stitching the 30 stories together. Your echo and opinions helped me to grow as a photographer and I’m thankful for everybody who stops here in the blog on occasion or every day.

American Bison, Badlands NP, South Dakota

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @500mm, 1/640s, f/6.3, ISO200

OUT WEST #5

Wallowing bison, Badlands, South Dakota

Back in “basecamp” at home and after a few days of business related travel, I like to continue my little photo series about our trip to South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana in September.

There are pictures in my mind I would like to shoot and I know some ideas may never materialize, for some others we may come close to our ideas, and ones in a while things unfold in front of us, just the way we have imagined a long time ago. This is one of those shots for me, an American Bison wallowing in the dust of the Badlands, South Dakota. When bisons roamed by the million in the prairies of the west and midwest a scene like this was surely nothing worth noting, it happened all the time. The dust clouds were probably a good indicator where single male bison were located and helped the native people of the region to hunt them.

The dust, the flying grass, and most important the sharp eye and horn as an anchor in this photo, make for great story telling. The photo was made about mid morning, the light was still decent, and the colors are warm. I still decided to make this photo monochrome, better said black & white. Why? Well, I had this picture in my mind a very long time ago….

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @390 mm, 1/2000 s, f/6.3, ISO 320