Annual Trek of the Yellowstone Bison

Bison slowly head north, down the Gardiner River, out of Yellowstone National Park, like they have done so for thousands of years, to lower elevations where grass is easier to find during the harsh winter months. Too cold, with snow usually too deep, the region where the park sits historically has not been the favorite habitat of the bison. Before European settlement of the continent, Yellowstone only hosted several hundred Bison at a time. Currently the population sits at 5,500. 900 animals will be culled in 2017 to control the population, which is controversial for a variety of reasons.