Bison Viewing

Respect the animals and their home.

Safety

For bison safety and your safety, remember:

• Stay 100 feet from the bison at all times, even when separated by a fence.
• No admittance to the North or South Bison Units by foot or vehicle.
• Use the provided pull-offs to view the herd and turn on your car's hazard flashers!
• Do not stop on the road. Pull off!
• Close the car doors when you exit your vehicle.
• Cows are extremely protective of the calves & defend them at all costs.
• Bison can quickly accelerate to 30+ miles per hour and jump 6 feet vertically.
• When a bison's tail begins to raise, it is stressed and agitated.

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Calves Are Born in April-June

• Cows usually go off by themselves and give birth in an area with vegetation cover.
• Calves weigh about 50 pounds at birth.
• The calves are born with a rusty, orange coat.
• The earlier they are born, the better chance of survival. Those born earlier in spring grow into larger and more dominant adults.
• Calves are able to move with the herd within just a few hours after birth.​
• Calves run around and play hard . . . then power nap.
• Calves nurse for about 7 months and sometimes longer.
• Calves are weaned in about one year.

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Where to See Bison at Nachusa

• From the Visitor Center, look out across the prairie.
• Look west into the bison unit from Lowden Road.
• Look north from Naylor Road.
• Look north and south from Stone Barn Road.
• The bison roam across 1,500 acres of rolling land in no particular pattern, at no predictable time, and are often not visible from the Visitor Center or roadsides.
• More on Nachusa Grasslands' bison herd

Unless accompanied by a trained volunteer or staff member, no one can enter the bison unit on foot or drive into the bison unit.

"Bison Babies Broadcasts" YouTube Videos

Bison Calving
Bison Viewing
Bison Research

Please note that the fundraising campaign has ended, and the photo gifts are no longer available.

UPDATED 12/2021