It's Red Dog Season

 It's red dog season here in Yellowstone.

Red dog is the affectionate term we use for the bison calves that are born in the spring.

There really isn't anything cuter.  They're born with this red fur and by the end of the summer it will turn dark brown like their mamas.

We came across the cow/calf herd in Mammoth one day.  They were grazing on the lush green lawns there and then all the sudden the #1 female decided it was time to head to the hills.

The little red dogs kept up with the herd.

Have you ever seen anything more adorable?  It's hard to believe they will grow up to 2,000 pounds if they're male and 1,000 pounds if they're female.

The size difference is the biggest indicator of a bison's gender.  Another way to tell is the shape of their face.  Males have more of a triangular face while females have more of a rectangular face.

Here's a big bull I got a shot of at Fountain Flats.  Males are quite often solitary or in groups of two or three.  

Some people think the terms bison and buffalo are interchangeable.  

Buffalo are indigenous to South Asia and Africa such as the water buffalo or Cape buffalo while bison are indigenous to North America and some parts of Europe.  Folks, this is an American Bison.  There is one guy out there who likes to annoy me by continuing to call them buffalo, but I think I've finally educated him on the correct terminology. 😆

Here's a yearling elk that we came across at Mammoth also.  It looks like he had a really rough winter.  I hope the poor guy didn't become dinner for a grizzly or wolf.  He's pretty smart hanging out in the populated areas.  Good luck little guy!