Bison are one of the hardiest animals I’ve photographed. I also find it special to have the opportunity to photograph these beasts. But despite their hardiness, or perhaps because of it, they’ve been persecuted for a very long time. This winter has been an especially difficult one for a species that is adapted well to Yellowstone winters. With record snowfall to start winter in December followed by some warm temperatures in January which froze some of the snowpack to ice, and then more heavy snow through February and March, bison are trying to survive through some very difficult months. On March 7th, the first grizzly bear of the 2023 was spotted by Yellowstone Park Service personnel in Pelican Valley, a part of Yellowstone in still in the very grips of winter. Yet a bison carcass provides sustenance for bears waking up now. Typically males come out of hibernation by mid-March and bison carcasses are an important food source. While I’m still out on snowshoes, I started carrying bear spray on March 1st. As I explore the wintry landscape looking for bison, I also know it’s time to be bear aware and stay alert and away from other large brown mammals.