American Bison | Yellowstone National Park Bison Photography | Springtime in Yellowstone

You’ll find me cruising through Yellowstone National Park two or three times a year. When it first opens, as it nears its closing date, and if I have the time, during the dead of winter. Less crowds equal better photographic opportunities, and a 3:30 AM wakeup call guaranteed that I would have a majority of the park to myself.

30-60 million bison once roamed the continent of North America. They grazed their way south into Florida, as well as east though-out New York. Now mainly populating the grasslands and plains of the United States and Canada, the Bison bison bison (scientific name) represents a spiritual signal of abundance, resilience, and strength. 500,000 of them are now reported to be living alongside the very species that almost once completely eradicated them.

Animal photography is something that I’ve never really been excited to do. I enjoy watching them with my own two eyes, rather than from behind the window of a lens. That being said, I’m beginning to enjoy the various captures that these lumbering beasts present before me. Living 56 miles away from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park, allows me to easily partake in this convenient activity.

My plans were to make it to Old Faithful for sunrise, then meander my way back towards West Yellowstone through the Midway Geyser Basin. Through-out the summer, I speak with people who tell me that their time spent in the park produced them with no sightings of the American Bison. They’re always rumbling around, you just need to be in the right place at the right time to see them at their best.

As I waited and hoped for a colorful sunrise above Old Faithful, I looked off to my west and saw a couple of Bison grazing through the Upper Geyser Basin. I made a note of it. The skies had failed to co-operate on providing me with a vibrant sunrise, so I decided to make my way over to the extensive network of trails that snake their way through the geyser basin. The bison “hunt” was on!

The smell of sulphur permeated through-out the chilly morning air, and steam rose from the various pools surrounding me. While the sighting of a bear had crossed my mind (I had forgotten my bear spray at home), I was really hoping to catch up to the bison that I had seen about thirty minutes earlier. When the steam lifted, and the fog on my glasses had finally cleared, I saw a bison munching on some evergreen branches nearby. We were close to each other, but I made sure to leave him enough room as he grazed on his early morning breakfast. For such a large beast, he was very evasive and it seemed like he wasn’t in the mood for a photography shoot. Lucky for me, two more had appeared over my back shoulder, so I creeped my way back in an attempt to capture at least one of them. This time, the bull was more than happy to oblige.

While I like the way the original capture of this came out, I really love the color pop version of it. I think it’s going to look fantastic framed in repurposed barn wood.

After my intimate encounter, I made my way back to the truck as my fingers were beginning to freeze. The next few hours afforded me a few more opportunities to photograph these gentle giants amongst their habitat.

This would be my favorite capture of the morning, as this American Bison waded its way through the Firehole River.

Four bison lounge along the Firehole River, catching the early morning sunshine. It reminded me of these elderly Costa Rican men that I once saw sitting around a park table playing dominoes.

This is the same bison that was captured above wading through the Firehole River. I wasn’t particularly happy with the original capture, but this rustic look gives it a really cool look. Almost as if you’re looking into the past, a time when these animals freely roamed the land. I’m planning on popping this photo into a 5×7 repurposed barn wood frame for the upcoming fair circuit. I think it’s going to look sharp!

In the park before the crowds, out of the park as they were coming in. Just how I like my visits to Yellowstone National Park, even if it does lead to a little bit of sleep deprivation. But if these bisons reminded me of anything during my spring time jaunt through Yellowstone., it was the simple reminder to slow it all down.

To read about my early spring adventure through Yellowstone National Park in 2024, link back to my blog post entitled Cycling in Yellowstone.

Want to see a little bit of North Yellowstone in the winter, I have a blog post entitled 24 Hours in North Yellowstone from January of 2022.

For more inspirational tales, thoughts and photography visit me on instagram: @ryan.j.drewes.