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National Bison Day

Animal · Nature · The first Saturday in November

National Bison Day turns attention to the American bison, the shaggy, heavy grazer of the plains, and to ways to see and learn about it respectfully.

National Bison Day falls on Saturday, November 7, 2026. That is 11 days away.

The American bison is a large, shaggy grazer with a humped back, short curved horns and a heavy head held low to the grass. It is the biggest land animal in North America, and this day, on the first Saturday in November, is given over to it.

Up close, a bison looks built for weather. Its thick winter coat is dense enough that snow can settle on its back without melting. It swings that big head side to side to push snow away and reach the grass beneath. Bison live in herds, graze for much of the day, and roll in dirt to shed insects and old fur, leaving shallow bare patches called wallows across the prairie.

They are also quicker than they look. A bison can run fast and turn sharply, which is why parks ask visitors to keep a long distance and stay in their cars when herds are near the road. Watching from far away, with binoculars, tends to be the better show anyway, since the animals behave naturally when no one crowds them.

Many people mark the day by visiting a park, refuge or prairie preserve where herds roam, or by reading about how bison shape grasslands. Their grazing and wallowing leave a patchwork of short and tall grass that birds, insects and wildflowers make use of.

In early November the herds are usually growing into their full winter coats, so a bison seen this time of year often looks its woolliest.

Ways to celebrate

• Visit a park or preserve with a bison herd and watch from a distance.
• Bring binoculars so you can see the herd without approaching.
• Read about how bison grazing shapes prairie grasslands.
• Look up a local prairie restoration project and learn what it does.
• Sketch or photograph a bison from a safe distance.

Dates

All national days on November 7

Also on November 7

• National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
• Hug a Bear Day
• Notary Public Day

Categories: Animal daysNature days