They are! They were the dominant species on the North American plains until the Europeans arrived and slaughtered them in order to clear the way for settlement. There were something like 30 million of them. After the slaughter there were apparently 116 left. Most of the North American bison in the world today are descended the herd found in this place: Elk Island National Park, just east of Edmonton Alberta, Canada. Now there are something like 1/2 million around the world. There are about 700 bison in the park, from what I've read. They roam freely within the park's boundaries. The fence in the background isn't actually a fence. It looks like the remains of a fence, There are plains Bison north of the highway and Wood Bison south of the highway. They keep them separate. The park is 194 square km. They resettled bison all over the world from here, even in Europe.
You can drive around the park in the hopes of finding bison to photograph. There is a spot where they frequent, and I found a herd there. I took this photo from very close to my car, because they are very large and unpredictable animals. My puny 300mm lens was sufficient! I love this photo because it turned out so well even wide open. I think the 300mm f/4L IS is better than a lot of people say. This photo has some real pop, and it's very sharp.
Chickadee on a blustery spring day by Dillan K, on Flickr
