AMERICAN BUFFALO / BISON

The Shoshone people native to this region of Wyoming called the buffalo "bozheena". While the language of their name has changed, the nature of dominant alphas displaying their superiority among the herd has not. (2016)

As summer begins, the green grasses of spring meld into gold, and the bison enjoy their utopia of food in the Teton valley.  (2022)

American bison belong as much to history, as much to the land, as they do to our present.  They are sacred spirits of a continent that has relied on their presence.  Artistically, I felt the mood of this scene matched the reserved power of the mighty buffalo.   (2025)

With resolute, reserved strength, American buffalo have endured forces of man and nature and miraculously remain an icon of our nation. (2018)

Compositions like this, created at a safe distance, allow the viewer to engage with the subject one-on-one in a way they rarely can. Philosopher Martin Buber once said, “The eyes of an animal have the power to speak a great language”. The more I spend time around these great beings, the more I agree.  (2025)

American bison (buffalo) have faced near extinction and endured the harshest climates. As a testament to their resiliance, a late afternoon summer storm produced lightning and thunder that shook the mountains and echoed through the valley, but it did nothing to deter the mighty buffalo from carrying on. (2019)

The demeanor of this bison paired very well with the mood of the atmosphere on this early morning. Safely distanced from me, he stood as firm and stoically is the Teton range behind him. (2024)

An inside look at the life of a buffalo brings their relationships with the land, weather, and other living creatures into view. They coexist with intimate familiarity and balance having adapted to all the factors that make them rugged symbols of the West.  (2015)

A young bull buffalo struts through the first rays of morning light backdropped by terrain as rugged and timeless as his existence.  (2016)

Over thousands of years, the North American Buffalo have endured intense weather extremes, the march of millennia, and near extinction.  As rugged and dynamic as the illuminated landscape of the Tetons in this scene, they are inspiring symbols of America, endurance, strength and survival.  (2025)

I’ve come to appreciate many nuanced traits of bison over my years of field work with them. Near the top of the list is their humble, unassuming demeanor. They don’t boast or make a show. A simple look or a grunt is often the only hint they give of their nuclear strength and iron will. These insufficient reminders leave it up to the onlooker to understand the unspoken word and observe the respect they so deserve. (2017)  

All of nature seemed in harmony when an early rut season meeting brought these two moose together in the Wyoming wilderness.  (2020)

American Bison have genetic roots dating back 200,000 years in North America – the eons having refined them to endure every hardship on the continent. Their immense mass and muscle, keen awareness, and stoic disposition commands attention. I often find that being in their presence reduces everything to just you and them. (2018)  

While the autumn sun laid a blanket of subtle warmth on this buffalo, winter's voice was looming in the background. (2016)

It was a simple scene -- one filled with golden sunlight, light evening breezes, and the subtle grunt of the buffalo as the day came to a glorious close in the mountains.  (2022)

Each year finds a range of young buffalo - from newborns to adolescents - among the growing herds of Northwest Wyoming. The youngest calves often hug close to their mothers contrasting their small frame and innocent behavior with the size, strength, and awareness of the adults. In a few short seasons, they adapt to the patient rhythm of nature and become the torchbearers of their noble breed.  (2023)