Where The Wild Things Are
A bison takes a dust bath just after sunset in a wallow along the Storm Point Trail. This is one of those times where I really wish I had a video camera with me, partially to record the low grunts that the bison were making to each other as they walked across the field, and partially to better capture the power of such a large creature rolling around in the dirt.
The title refers to one of my favorite books when I was a child; the buffalo's head reminds me of the creatures in the book.
What Are Your Intentions?
Bison are the easiest of the big mammals to see in most of Yellowstone, in some areas they hang out in large groups near the road. They generally leave people alone and seem docile enough that inevitably someone will get too close and end up getting hurt. It's not so easy to underestimate them on the trails, where it's hard to ignore their size and speed and of course the horns. You are in their domain and there is no car to retreat to.
This was one of a group of bulls that was coming in my direction on the Storm Point Nature Trail. While you are supposed to stay on the trails in Yellowstone, I decided to let the bulls have the right-of-way and stepped into the meadow. However, they soon veered off the trail themselves to go for a romp in the wallows so I was able to safely continue down the trail.