Apparently Charging Buffalo at National Bison Range

Apparently charging buffalo at National Bison Range

by Jason Vines

The National Bison Range in Montana is a fun diversion on the trip between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. On my most recent trip out West, Yellowstone couldn’t be fit into the itinerary because the road into it from the Grand Tetons was closed on account of a forest fire, and driving around to enter another way would have taken too much time when we had destinations we hadn’t already seen before awaiting us. That meant missing the buffalo that roamed the Yellowstone area. But the residents of the National Bison Range proved a nice consolation.

In some of my photos, a bison is taking what’s called a “dirt bath,” which isn’t an oxymoron. It helps remove loose hair, and the resulting layer of dirt on the skin wards off flies.

Buffalo rolling in the dirt at National Bison Range
The same buffalo shortly before the featured shot, rolling in the dirt
Naughty buffalo at National Bison Range
The buffalo on the left looks like it’s licking the butt of the one on the right, which I thought was funny because apparently I’m 12

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