More shots I'd taken at Yellowstone a few years back. Without a doubt the absolute most dominating creature in the park are the Bison. They are every where. One morning I'd even seen a bull casually passing the day in our campground.
It's August, the time of the Rut. The bison cow is getting some serious lovin' in the form of licking and groom from a bull who's singled her out to be his own. And this Bison bull has only one thing on his mind! Each mature bull will pick out one female to be the object of his affection, never leaving her side and never letting any other bull get any ideas that she's up for grabs. If another does get ideas, that's when tempers flare, leading to anything from a mock charge on up to full scale warfare between rivals. Seldom are the battles lethal, but they can often become serious, and injuries are common. Occasionally when I young bull takes on an old monarch and succeeds in driving him off, this will mean the end of the old bull's days of dominance, spending the rest of his life sucluded as a lone hermit.
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