When the Bison Came to My Window

Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve – Pawhuska, Oklahoma

There are few places left in America where you can watch bison roam across an open prairie much as they did centuries ago. The Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is one of those rare places. More than 40,000 acres of rolling grassland provide a home for one of the nation's largest free-ranging bison herds, and it is a photographer's dream.

Watching them from a distance, it's easy to underestimate these magnificent animals.

An adult bull can weigh as much as 2,500 pounds. Despite their size, bison can run nearly 35 miles per hour, maintain that speed for surprising distances, and even leap six feet into the air. They are incredibly agile, powerful...and wonderfully unpredictable.

That's why I almost always photograph wildlife from inside my vehicle.

Many wild animals pay little attention to a parked car. By using my vehicle as a photography blind, I can observe natural behavior without causing unnecessary stress or altering the animals' routines. It's one of the simplest and most ethical ways to photograph wildlife.

At least...that's usually how it works.

On this particular morning, I was filming a herd of more than fifty bison as they slowly crossed the prairie in front of me. My camera rested on the window, quietly recording as they passed one by one.

Then one of them stopped.

She turned.

And began walking directly toward my car.

As she drew closer, I decided it was probably wise to pull my camera back inside. Moments later, the camera lens was replaced by something considerably larger—her enormous nose.

She gently pushed her muzzle through my open window.

I'll admit, my heart rate increased a bit.

Not quite knowing what else to do, I cautiously scratched her nose and under her chin.

To my amazement, she closed her eyes.

Then came a deep, contented moan.

For several unforgettable seconds, this massive wild animal simply enjoyed the attention before pulling away, rejoining the herd, and disappearing into the sea of tallgrass as though nothing unusual had happened.

It was exhilarating.

It was a little unnerving.

And it was a reminder that wildlife is never completely predictable.

Experiences like this are exactly why I love spending time in wild places. Nature continually reminds us that these animals are not attractions or oversized pets. They deserve our admiration, our respect, and enough space to simply be wild.

Sometimes that respect means staying behind a camera lens.

And every once in a while...

it means finding yourself nose-to-nose with a bison.