Bison In The Badlands – Patagonia Provisions

I feel a connection to bison. I refer to them as my spirit animal. I grew up in North Dakota where it wasn't that uncommon to see bison, mostly on farms. They have always struck me as majestic and powerful animals.

Bison seem immune to the harsh weather that often visits the Great Plains, whether it’s the relentless, extreme heat of August, severe thunderstorms that pound torrential rain into the prairie, or winter blizzards that blow sub-zero winds and heavy snows. Regardless of the conditions, bison don’t seek cover in woody draws or behind buttes. They simply continue grazing, or lie down and chew their cud out in the open, often on exposed hills. The thick, curly hair covering the front half of their body insulates them from both heat and cold. It enables them to face into the weather rather than turning away from it or seeking protection. This is why bison are often described as “facing the storm."

This passage conjures one of my favorite scenes of bison. You could see them on the most intense blizzard in a North Dakota January. They would be in the open facing into the snow. Often there mane would be layered thick from blowing snow. And they honestly didn’t seem to care at all. It was as if it didn’t affect them at all. Stoic perhaps.