In the 1800s, market hunting and the US Army nearly caused the extinction of the bison.Yellowstone is the only place in the lower 48 states to have a continuously free-ranging bison population since prehistoric times.Can be aggressive, are agile, and can run up to 30 miles per hour.Mate in late July through August give birth to one calf in late April or May.May live 12–15 years, a few live as long as 20 years.Male (bull) weighs up to 2,000 pounds, female (cow) weighs up to 1,000 pounds.Blacktail Deer Plateau, Tower, and the Gardiner Basin. Winter: hydrothermal areas and along the Madison River.This includes two primary breeding herds: northern (~4,460) and central (~1,360). All of the interested parties bring their own wide-ranging values and objectives to the debate.Īround 5,900 bison counted in summer 2022. Conservation of wild bison is one of the most complex of Yellowstone’s resource issues. To prevent conflicts with ranching and other activities outside the park, the National Park Service (NPS) works with other federal, state, and tribal agencies to manage and develop policies for bison access to habitat in Montana. However, some Yellowstone bison are infected with brucellosis, a livestock disease that can be transmitted to wild bison and elk as well as to cattle through contact with infected fetal tissue.

These behaviors have enabled the successful restoration of a population that was on the brink of extinction just over a century ago. They also exhibit wild behavior like their ancient ancestors, congregating during the breeding season to compete for mates, as well as migration and exploration that result in the use of new habitat areas. Unlike most other herds, this population has thousands of individuals that are allowed to roam relatively freely over the expansive landscape of Yellowstone National Park and some nearby areas of Montana. Yellowstone bison are exceptional because they comprise the nation’s largest bison population on public land. Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison (Bison bison) have lived continuously since prehistoric times.

I have lived a thousand years text