One of the reasons I buy the Utah State Park’s annual pass is to photograph the incredible amounts of nature and wildlife on Antelope Island in Northern Utah.
I wholeheartedly admit birds are my main subject of interest while I am driving around the park, but the bison on Antelope Island are a very interesting and quite an easy subject matter to photograph as well.
On any given day, the Bison on Antelope Island are in a variety of places that lend themselves to some rather interesting photography opportunities.
Just the other day, in fact, I came across a rather large bison bull that was wallowing in the dirt.
Naturally, being an outdoor photographer I had to stop and take a few photographs.
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With the onset of summer just a couple weeks away, intense heat and annoying bugs can be quite a nuisance for the herd of bison on Antelope Island.
Bison have a very thick winter coat that helps them endure the sub-freezing temperatures of winter.
But after winter has ended, that heavy layer of fur is not so helpful when the temperatures reach into the upper 90’s like they are now.
To help them shed their heavy winter fur, bison roll in the dirt, otherwise known as wallowing.
This dirt bath, as it were, helps remove the loose fur from the bison as well as aids in helping to deter biting flies and other annoying insects this time of year by leaving a protective layer of dirt on the large herbivore.
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During the breeding season, the big bulls will also roll in the dirt to leave behind some scent and help display their strength in an effort to help deter other bulls from their herd of female bison.
If you pay attention while on the island, you will notice a lot of bare spots in the middle of the grass and other vegetation.
Bison have specific locations they use to clean themselves in these shallow dirt patches, commonly known as wallows.
The soil in these wallows is oftentimes sandy and very dusty, and that isn’t a coincidence either.
It is the dust from these shallow depressions that helps the bison cleanse themselves from the biting flies and other pests, so the dustier the wallow the better it seems for the bison.
During the summer months, the best place to find wallowing bison on Antelope Island is around the visitors center and on the east side where the road splits and takes you to the Garr Ranch.
Both places have numerous wallows, and during the summer, the bison use them quite frequently to combat the biting flies and other pesky bugs.
The bison on Antelope Island are wild animals and do roam free all over the park. Keep a safe distance while viewing and photographing the bison.
I use a 600mm lens when I photograph these rather large animals. All of the close-up images of bison on my blog were taken with my 600mm lens from a safe distance.
This large of a lens helps me get the image I want without putting myself in harm’s way.
I have seen numerous times people getting way too close and sometimes being charged by the bison.
It’s not worth the risk of injury or even death to get this close to a bison.
They may seem tame but the bison on Antelope Island are very much wild animals that need to be respected and given their proper distance.
For those interested in visiting Antelope Island, the current day fee is $15, payable at the toll booth as you reach the causeway.
It’s an incredible place, full of wildlife and nature if you know when and where to look.
The bison are easy to find all over the island, but they are most commonly found near the visitors center and on the road to the Garr Ranch.
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For those interested in what camera lens I use to photograph the birds, bison, and other creatures for my blog, I use the Tamron 600mm lens.
I have used it for several years now with some great results with all three of my cameras.
If you are interested in learning more about this particular lens, visit the Amazon listing below for more of the technical information about the lens.
I use it almost daily and when this one wears out, I will be buying another one. For the money, it’s a hard lens to beat, at least in my opinion that is.
(The Tamron 150-600mm lens is the lens we use to photograph birds and other forms of wildlife. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
