Dressing for Winter - Bison Style

Bison and elk at LC Nature Park, Winter 2021. 📸: Ruth Yaro

When you head outdoors for a winter hike, you bundle up in a warm coat, woolly hat, and insulated gloves. But the bison at LC Nature Park can’t reach into a coat closet for cold-weather gear. Instead, they spend the autumn months growing a thick coat of fur to thrive in even the harshest winter conditions.

The job of the bison’s fur is to prevent body heat from escaping the animal’s nearly 2,000-pound body. The furry coat is so effective that during snowfalls, any snow that lands on the bison’s body does not melt! Instead, snow accumulates on their backs while the bison stays toasty warm beneath the fur. 

In addition to growing thick fur, the bison’s skin will thicken in preparation for winter. They will also produce fatty deposits beneath to skin to provide extra insulation. 

Bison covered in snow. Yellowstone National Park. 📸: John Morrison

Finding food in winter can be a challenge for wild bison. The nutritious prairie grasses that the bison graze on slow their growth in winter, so there is less food available. In response to the limited food supply, bison are able to dramatically slow their metabolism, reducing their need for calories. 

The elk at LC Nature Park have winter survival strategies, too. They’ll shed their summer coats and put on not one but two winter coats. This two-layered coat includes an outer layer of long coarse fur, known as guard hair, and a dense woolly undercoat. Elk can also make their hair stand up, which traps air in the coat to retain body heat. So don’t be surprised to see the elk with snow accumulating on their backs, too.

At LC Nature Park, we give the bison and elk hay several times a week throughout the winter months, when the supply of native grasses is limited. 

Just when you are ready to put your winter coat away in the spring, the bison and elk will also begin to shed their winter coats in anticipation of warmer weather. 

Plan a snowy visit to LC Nature Park to see the bison and elk in their furry finery!