Elk Island Wood Bison Trail

At 16 km, the Wood Bison Trail is one of the longer hikes on our schedule—and there are no shortcuts. Thirteen people came out on this fine Sunday morning to take up the challenge and to observe the woodlands waking up for spring.

As we approached the lake, noisy Franklin’s Gulls circled over our heads. We knew the Wood Bison were with their new calves, so we expected them to stay out of sight. So, we were delighted when we spotted a group high up on the crest of a hill. They paused to stare at us while we stared back at them, and then they moved on.

We also encountered an aggressive grouse (apparently well-known to hikers) and saw what was probably a muskrat in the water.

Flowers in bloom include violets and wild strawberries.

Thanks go to the following people:

  • John from the Friends of Elk Island Society who joined us on the hike and talked about the Park’s activities and their methods of studying the ungulates and other wild creatures.
  • Terry for guidance on planning for the hike.
  • Lee Stickles for scouting the hike and his relative Lee Hecker for detailed information on the Wood Bison.

You can see more photos on Flickr.

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