William (Bill) Armstrong's photos with the keyword: bison

During my first photography field trip in June 2006 I also saw bison on their native habitat for the first time. Bison had recently been introduced in Grasslands National Park, and this fellow was one of the original herd. This is from a tiff file that I created. at that time. Today's editing tools do a better job of showing the details of its head, including the brown eyes against brown hair.

Metal sculptures of bison are located at different spots on the land in from of the First Nations University of Canada. This image shows the sculptures on a foggy morning.

A bison moving slowly over the landscape at the Old Man On His Back Nature Reserve and Heritage Area in southwestern Saskatchewan. I had first encountered the bison near a road, and I spent the next hour taking photos as it moved along.

The light was on the wrong side of this bison when I stopped to photograph it along a road in the Old Man on His Back Heritage Reserve, but walking past it, away from my car, would be foolish. These huge animals can move surprisingly fast when they feel threatened. To me, this seemed to be close enough.

A lone bison grazing in the West Block of Grasslands National Park, in Saskatchewan.

Two bison grazing at Grasslands National Park, West Block. The bison in the foreground seems to be intent on grazing, the the other one is keeping a wary eye on the photographer.

A solitary bison grazing in Grasslands National Park, West Block.

This bull bison stopped grazing for a few moments to determine if I was a threat or not. Bison have an acute sense of smell, but their sight is not good, so he took a few moments to decide I was just another guy with a camera, and resumed grazing.

A challenge is photographing bison - apart from being chased by one - is to capture the eye, which is dark brown and surrounded by dark brown fur. More powerful editing software has enabled me to achieve some detail around the eye without turning the vegetation an unnatural looking green. Take at Grasslands National Park, West Block.

This solitary bison had been sheltering under the only large tree in the area when I first saw it. After about 20 minutes it wandered into the open, but it did not move in a direction that would put light on its head or flank. With dark eyes surrounded by dark brown fur, seeing the eye of this magnificent beast is a challenge. The half-raised tail indicated that he was aware of my presence, and that I should not come closer. An erect tail would tell me it was time to back off, quickly.

A lone bison roams through an area where prairie dogs make their homes; the mounds you see scattered about. This image was taken in Grasslands National Park in evening light.

A bison crossing the Ecoroute in Grasslands National Park, to reach water on the other side. Don’t use this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission. Copyright William Armstrong. 2020

The very large and the very small. A prairie dog watches as a bison wanders through what is called a prairie dog town, in the West Block of Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. Taken in late evening, July 2017. Don’t use this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission. Copyright William Armstrong. 2020

Bison have poor eyesight, but an acute sense of smell. I don't know how well this fellow say me, but his body language told me he knew I was close by. Don’t use this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission. Copyright William Armstrong. 2019

A rare experience for me of seeing two bison grazing together. Most of the sightings I've experienced is of a solitary animal, or a herd of several dozen. While these two are quietly grazing, at least one of them seems to be aware that I am there, and is keeping an eye on me. It is satisfying to see bison in Grasslands National Park, an area that used to be home to thousands of these beasts, and where they have flourished since being reintroduced. Don’t use this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission. Copyright William Armstrong. 2019

Do not use this image on blogs, websites or other media without permission. © 2017 William Armstrong. All rights reserved.