The Rut of the Bison
This is another in a series of videos about the mating habits of large ungulates. Previous videos of featured: elk, red, deer, moose, and fallow deer. This one features North America's largest land mammal; the plains bison or as it better known to the general population the American buffalo.
If you watch this video you will see several behaviours common to most animals that rut. (The term "rut" comes from the German word for roar.)
Behaviours to watch for in this video and the others in this series include:
Roaring (or bugling in elk) which is a challenge to other males
Flehem or "lip curls" which is done by testing the cow's urine by sniffing it
Displacement where an bull takes a sudden interest in anything beside another bull
Wallowing or rolling
Slashing or horning
Chases
Courting and
Herding of the cow in breeding condition away from the herd
Fighting, often quite violent clashes between rival males
This video has all of these behaviours.
Personal Note:
We, my wife and I, went west this fall to photograph a few things. The bison rut was high on the list. Yellowstone National Park has the largest herd of free roaming bison in North America and this video was shot there. As you will see in later videos, we watched lots of bison behaviour but a real good, drag out, knock 'em down brawl between two massive bulls eluded us...until it didn't. We sat for four hours watching a small herd of 50. Bulls displayed and challenged each other but no fight. Then the herd crossed the river...
Note: for more information on bison check out my new Kindle eBook: Lifestories Plains Bison on Amazon