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Bison Fact Sheet

Brush up on your bison knowledge Bison: The Basics Male vs. Bison Eating 2,000 lbs 5’6” at shoulder Buffalo Bison are grazers. They feed in the morning and at night, eating grasses and sedges. Female • Two main species found in 800-1,000 lbs Africa and Asia How Do They Eat? • Huge sweeping arcs of horns 5’ at shoulder Bison wrap their tongue around a tuft of • Short, thin layer of hair Average life span grass, pinch the grass off between their 15-20 tongue and lower teeth, and swallow it practically whole. Speed Horns Bison 30-45 mph for • Bison never shed or drop their horns 5 miles Bison • Both cows and have horns Race Horse • Found in and • Horns are black & turn grey as bison 40 mph for 1 mile age • Horns begin to emerge just prior to A bison would outrun • Small, cow-like horns a horse with rider. • Very thick coat of hair with a second pronounced “bear” looping • Horns are used as a weapon Standing Vertical around ribcage • 22-26 inches long Jump • Faster than buffalo • 2.5 feet apart from tip to tip 5-6 feet • Have a large shoulder hump and massive head Herding Behavior • Bison can be found alone or in a herd. • A herd’s social structure is always changing. Visit Midewin National Reproduction Tallgrass What are ? Welcome Center • Hybrid of domestic Bison have a gestation period of nine months and one is born in April or May. 30239 S. State Route 53 (usually male) with bison Wilmington, IL (usually female) Just minutes after they’re born, 815.423.6370 • Physically resemble cattle stand on the ground and within a few hours www.fs.usda.gov/midewin • Created to combine they’re running. Visitors are encouraged to characteristics of both Calves are born with their eyes open, weigh stop at the Welcome Center for production 25-40 lbs and have a reddish-brown coat for current information, maps and advisories. that turns brown as they age.

For more information about the Midewin Experimental Herd of Bison, visit nationalforests.org/midewinbison