Breakfast with a Bull Bison

In late spring 2021 I had the opportunity to travel to northwest Wyoming to record the sounds of the backcountry, specifically a mountain meadow that from previous trips I knew was very special for a lot of reasons, including acoustically. One morning I woke up early to place my microphones in the middle of the meadow where I saw several bison feeding the morning before. I thought maybe they would return the next day to feed.

Sure enough, a single bull returned the next morning and put on quite a show, not 20 yards from where I hid my microphones in the vegetation. Listening to this recording is as if you're sitting only feet from him, hearing every bite and chew of grass. It's really quite remarkable how clear you can hear him.

As if that isn't enough, all of this is happening to a backdrop of songbirds and crane sounds filling the valley, along with the roar of a nearby river flowing through a canyon. I'm not sure I've had many mornings better than this one, and I feel fortunate I get to share part of it with you!

Habitat: Mountain meadow at 8,000ft

Species present: American Bison, American Robin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Spotted Sandpiper, Pine Siskin, Yellow Warbler, Sandhill Crane, Savannah Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Hairy Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wilson's Snipe, Song Sparrow

Recording Length: 00:14:39

File size: mp3: 33.5 mb & Flac: 144 mb

Sampling Rate (kHz): 48

Bit Depth: mp3: 320 kbps & Flac: 1065 kbps

Recording Setup: Sennheiser MixPre 6 digital audio recorder and MKH20 omnidirectional microphones

Channels: Stereo

Recording type: Binaural

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