Elk and bison in Wind Cave National Park

Elk in Wind Cave National Park

Elk in Wind Cave National Park

It was a beautiful day in the Black Hills Saturday so I drove into Wind Cave National Park. The elk and bison seemed to be enjoying the warmish weather (40 degrees) and sunshine.

Elk in Wind Cave National Park

The little guy below approached my truck. I assumed he wanted to either inspect it for road salt that he could lick off, or might want to use it as a scratching post, so I moved forward about 50 feet. He followed, so I moved again, and he came along again. I blew my horn thinking it might scare him away. It startled him and he froze, but then the rest of the group, about 30 bison, started walking toward me, and I, uh, suddenly remembered something I needed to do and left the area.

Bison in Wind Cave National Park

 

All photos are by Bill Gabbert, and protected by copyright.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

6 thoughts on “Elk and bison in Wind Cave National Park”

  1. they’re actually very friendly animals- you should’ve jumped out and tussled with them a bit- I’m sure they would’ve had a lot of fun with you!

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  2. @zero:
    Buffaloes are found in Africa and south Asia. The critters with humps in North and South America are bison. But it’s okay if you want to say it the Duke way.

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  3. Very nice pictures. It looks like the bison and elk are ahead of their “game” by preparing the defensible space before its too late. I think I’ll ship them one of my fire protection devices.

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  4. good pics of the elk. One thing though, I always like to call them buffalo. I never remember John Wayne calling them Bison.

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