The Pursuit of Wild: Bison Cow Protects Newborn Calf from Three Yearling Wolves
- rhianapeck
- May 6
- 4 min read
Written By: Rhiana Peck Like all species in Yellowstone, humans communicate and exchange information to their advantage. Ours is called gossip – and in the wildlife guiding world, it looks like saying hello to your fellow guides in passing, and sharing the tea. Did you hear about the situation? There’s a newborn bison calf being pursued by three yearling wolves.
On the creek's edge, we scanned the bands of bison clustered across the valley looking for cow-calf pairs. My source called on the radio that a woman had spotted a charcoal yearling making its way down the creek corridor in our direction. We set up scopes, settled into our position, and packed our patience for potential to unfold.
A wolf darted across the sagebrush parallel to us. My eyes focused on the second following suit. The bark of a coyote alarmed the neighborhood and its owner only came into view when the third yearling had crossed below him. The alarm was constant, and as we watched the coyote raise its snout to yip-bark, the sound was delayed as it crossed the distance to us.
At the far end of the flood plain, the two initial yearlings were looking towards the stream. Below our view, a downed Douglas Fir camouflaged a cow and her newborn calf. Her placenta hung from her body as she led the calf along the waters edge, to a bend in the stream, where the river slowed creating a break in the white water.
The newborn followed its mother as she forded the creek, her head lifted out of the water. It swam but the force of water was too strong and the current pushed the calf downstream and back towards the shore.
The two yearlings raced across the field to seize the calf, but the cow met them at the shore. Through the trees, the confrontation flashed: the color of the red-coated calf, the bison charging the charcoal wolf. When they emerged on the other side, it appeared the cow had won the battle, but not the war. As she walked inland, one yearling followed her. Its amber eyes stared down the bison with a lupine look.
The bison’s tail was tall and erect. She charged their taunt by stomping her hooves to set a boundary; the calf wove her sides. The third wolf laid at the top of the first terrace of sagebrush and surveyed. A meadow above, a band of bison grazed, unaware of the drama below.
The cow gained considerable ground as she negotiated the path of least resistance through the sagebrush and two wolves, until she made it to the top of the first terrace. The three yearlings grouped together, surrounded the bison and calf – she pivoted, and as she bluffed one, another found an opening.
The wolves retreated and regrouped. The cow-calf pair continued their march up the steep incline. The three wolves regrouped and pursued her for a final attack. The calf folded into the guard of its mother as she charged each lunge, the wolves triangulating every pivot. Finally, a yearling wolf clung to the bison's upper body, but had to let go.
Just in the knick of time, a bull bison registered the action. A signal went out and two more mobilized, then charged down the mountain. The stampede dispersed the yearling offense to protect the mother and calf. Alerted, four more bulls joined and formed a defense to distance the hunting party.
The mother licked the calf as it postured to nurse. A bull came from behind to sniff and investigate the new member of the herd. From the east, another band of bison arrived to join the herd. An onlooker shared this was the original band the cow had isolated herself from to give birth.
Two bulls approached the yearling wolves laying above the herd. The wolves stood and walked away. The bison continued to graze, and spar. The newborn calf stood in their midst, the bison protecting the future of the herd.
When reflecting on our day, my participants shared that it would be hard to translate the experience. We may take home videos and photographs and tell our stories, but nothing can truly match the visceral experience of witnessing something so profound that it connects us to the wild and moves us from a place of separation to connection.
Of note:
A bison tail up can communicate charge, or discharge. What I found notable was that the bison calf had her tail up like the bison cow. Was the calf mimicking the behavior or was it instinct passed down through DNA?
The bison cow was aware of the terrain. Her first tactic was to cross the river, then she altered the strategy and moved towards a band of bull bison grazing on the mountainside.
The cow and calf moved in synchronicity, the calf moved from side to side as her mother bluffed and broad-sided.
“The three yearlings are young…they know what to eat, they’re just not organized to get it.” - Ashea Mills. It showed. When a wolf had an opportunity it would pounce and hold an attacking stance but did not follow through. When the one yearling held the bison with its teeth, it released its prey. Visit www.yellowstone.education to book an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
Comments