How to have the best chance of seeing bison in Riding Mountain National Park
If you want to see bison in Canada, you don't have to drive for hours through the wilderness. Around 40 plains bison live in the Lake Audy Bison Enclosure in Riding Mountain National Park. Here you'll find out when your chances of spotting them are highest and why a visit at sunrise is particularly worthwhile.
I set my alarm for half an hour before sunrise. When I get up, an orange band is already visible in the sky.
I'm excited! Will I see the bison?
The chances of observing the animals are particularly good in the cooler morning and evening hours. During the day, they often hide in the shade of the forests.
I've already covered half the gravel road that circles the fenced area. So far, I haven't spotted a single bison. As I round the next bend, there they are, suddenly. Right in the middle of the road. Directly in front of me. They're grazing contentedly in the sunrise.
It's magical to watch these animals in the early morning.
I'm completely alone. There's no one else in sight. The bison don't even look up when I arrive. I park the car and watch the shaggy animals. There's a pair that are clearly in love. They always walk together, very close to each other. They keep touching their nostrils.
Bison love. How romantic.
My request: Even if this is a unique experience for you, such encounters may occur several times a day for the animals. If you get too close to a wild animal, or allow it to approach you, it can cause them to lose their fear of humans, which endangers not only you but also the animals. In such cases, they will be shot. Therefore, please always maintain a safe distance – for bison, this should be 100 meters .
Breakfast with bison
As the herd slowly moves on, I have the brilliant idea of having my breakfast at the fenced-in viewpoint.
There I enjoyed the most amazing breakfast of my life.
While I drink my coffee, I observe bison less than 100 meters away, grazing, playing, tending to their young, romping, fighting, rolling around, or simply being romantic.
The furry brown animals look absolutely beautiful against the autumnal backdrop of golden leaves.
I kept thinking, "I really should go now," but then I ended up spending more time watching them. In the end, I was there for three hours, and it felt like the blink of an eye.
When is the best time to see the bison?
My tip: Come as early or as late as possible.
You have the best chance of being spotted if:
shortly after sunrise
shortly before sunset
Then the temperatures are more pleasant and the animals are significantly more active.
During the day, they often retreat to wooded areas and are much harder to spot.
Please keep your distance.
Even if an encounter with a bison is a unique experience for you, it can happen several times a day for the animals.
When people get too close to wild animals or allow them to approach, the animals often lose their natural fear of humans. This can be dangerous not only for visitors but also for the animals themselves. If wild animals become too tame or exhibit aggressive behavior, they can, in the worst-case scenario, be killed.
Therefore, please always keep a sufficient distance.
Parks Canada recommends a minimum distance of 100 meters for bison .
I had a 600mm telephoto lens with me and was always far enough away from them. Unlike the car you can see in the photo below.
Almost extinct
By the end of the 19th century, bison had almost disappeared from North America.
Where indigenous communities had lived in harmony with the animals for millennia, a ruthless hunting began with the arrival of white settlers. The animals were no longer just used for sustenance, but often killed for sport.
Where once millions of bison roamed the prairie, by the end of the 19th century only a few hundred animals remained.
Today, the population has recovered. There are an estimated 160,000 bison in Canada, most of them on private farms and ranches.
Riding Mountain National Park is home to a herd of approximately 40 plains bison in the Lake Audy Bison Enclosure. The animals were reintroduced here from Elk Island National Park in the 1940s.
Click on the first image to start the photo gallery:
How lovely to witness a bison romance! While I kept a safe distance, other people were in more of a hurry. Plains bison were once almost extinct
General information
General information about Riding Mountain National Park can be found on the Travel Manitoba website and the Parks Canada website.
Lake Audy Bison Enclosure
The bison enclosure is located in the southern part of Riding Mountain National Park and can be circumnavigated via a gravel road . Plan plenty of time for your visit. Even if you don't spot the animals immediately, it's worth driving slowly and observing the area carefully.
There's also a very basic campsite here, but it's perfect for an early morning start. At night, I even saw the Northern Lights and the most impressive Milky Way in the world here.
National Park entrance
There is an entrance fee for national parks in Canada.
If you plan to visit multiple national parks, the Parks Canada Discovery Pass is a worthwhile investment. It's valid for one year at all Parks Canada facilities.
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