The American Bison (Bison bison) is the largest land animal in North America. A bull can weigh more than 2000 pounds and stand more than 6 feet tall. During the early 1800s this animal ranged across most of North America and was critical to the livelihood of Native Americans. By the late 1800s the animal had been hunted almost to extinction by the white man. Today the animal survives in decent numbers on preserves, national wildlife refuges, national parks, and other controlled areas. The top 5 images here were taken at Wichita Mountains N.W.R., Comanche Co., Oklahoma, in April, 2007, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 100-400 L IS lens.

The next 14 images were also taken on the Wichita Mountains N.W.R., Comanche Co., Oklahoma, but in April, 2008. These images were mostly taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and an EF 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS lens, but some were taken with an EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens.

The bison cow and calf shown here seemed to be enjoying the pleasant day grazing on spring grass. I suspect the calf was no more than about a week old.

The next 3 shots show a young adult taking a dust bath.

The calf stayed close to mother at all times.