Rut in Hayden

Rut in Hayden. Bison Romance. , Grunts, rumbles, and roars vibrate the air. The summer day sizzles with energy as hundreds of bison mill restlessly. It seems chaotic, but there is a reason for the agitation. One of nature’s most spectacular reproduction rituals is in motion. Adult bull bison chase after a lone cow, determined to be the one she chooses to mate. Young bison hang around the perimeters, watching and learning. Though it happens every year, the bison rut never ceases to be an extraordinary season in Hayden Valley., This cow is mine. , A bull tends a cow by shielding her from other bulls until she allows mating. A challenging bull bellows to get the cow’s attention. The tending bull roars back. Sometimes a brutal battle occurs, Rusty red babies polkadot the valley in April and May. An adult female bison births a calf every one to two years and nurses it for a year. A baby bull born early in the spring often becomes a larger, more dominant adult., Shake, wallow, roll. , Look for clouds of dust rising in the air. Bison wallow in dusty pits to dislodge biting flies and other insects from their fur. Big bulls might paw the dirt and horn the wallows in displays of aggression.