The 4th Female; The Ancient Bull

The bond between mother and calf.

I am grateful to Samwise and Emily for being patient with me while we’ve been in bison country. First it was Yellowstone, then Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park.

Mostly, we’ve stayed inside Clarence, but there have also been moments where we’ve sat motionless on hilltops and hillsides watching herds from a distance and, if they approached, up close.

I could spend the rest of my days amidst the bison; being with them is a blissful meditation. It feels otherworldly.

I am fascinated by these fellow mortals, these prehistoric beings—their grace, power, and gentleness.

One of my favorite moments was watching an enormous male nearly touch noses with the tiniest and most curious prairie dog. The massive head tilted down, as if he was looking over the rim of his spectacles, while the prairie dog stood on his hind legs, an audacious fellow with something to say. They lingered like this and I spied on them.

They were c…