I spy....Iowa's bison!
Posted on May 26, 2026 at 1:27 PM by Achilles Seastrom
Have you ever seen Iowa’s biggest native mammal, the bison? They can be hard to find even though they’re so big. This is because they nearly went extinct in the early 1900s. Some scientists and historians say there were less than 1,000 bison left in the whole country!
Luckily, nearly 50,000 bison live in conservation herds today. These herds live in federal parks, state parks and on tribal land. Even more bison live on private ranches.
You can visit some of Iowa’s bison! Iowa has a few parks where you can see bison, including The Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County, Jester Park in Polk County and Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve in Plymouth County. The Meskwaki Nation, Iowa’s only federally recognized Indian tribe, also has a bison herd.
Over the years, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has helped the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge add hundreds of acres to their refuge so it can be restored to prairie and give the bison more room to roam.
A long time ago, Iowa had a lot of prairies. Prairies are an important ecosystem full of grasses and forbs (a scientific term for wildflowers). Bison are really good for prairies. They’re a “keystone species” for prairies, which means they help create the prairie and keep the ecosystem balanced.
This spring, bison are helping prairies grow and flourish. Plus, some of the bison are having babies!
If you visit one of Iowa’s bison herds this year, play this “I Spy” game with your friends and family to spot some of the ways bison keep prairies healthy. If you’re playing along at home, don’t worry! You can still spot parts of Iowa’s native prairies and imagine how a bison would help a prairie grow in your yard.
I spy with my little eye…
- mosaic grazing! Instead of eating all the plants in one area, bison move around when they graze. This creates patches of plants that are different ages and heights. Whether you’re out on the prairie or at home, look for a place where you see different patches of plants growing close together.
- a bison wallow! Bison roll around in the dirt to help shed their winter coat and itch bug bites. Plus, wallowing is just fun for a bison! When bison roll around, they create shallow “bowls” of dirt. These bowls collect water for the prairie when it rains. They’re like tiny lakes! If you’re visiting a bison herd in Iowa, you might see a wallow. If you’re learning about bison from home, see if you can spy a dusty spot in the yard where a bison might enjoy wallowing.
- bison chips! Bison “chip” is another word for poop (yuck!). Even though it’s a little gross, bison chips recycle nutrients to keep the prairie healthy. If you’re on the prairie, bison chips will look like little brown circles in the grass. If you’re playing from home, you probably won’t find a bison chip, but you might find deer or rabbit scat (“scat” also means poop!). These are both little spheres that you will probably find in a pile — but don’t touch!
- growing plants! When bison eat old plants, they make room for new plants to grow in the spring. When bison graze the prairie, a “green wave” of new plants follow them. Look for young, growing grass or flowers.
- more insects! When bison help prairie plants grow, butterflies and bees start to show up. The bees and butterflies eat nectar and pollen from the plants (or sometimes, butterflies and other insects will even eat the bison chips!), and accidentally carry some of that pollen with them to the next flower. A fertilized flower creates seeds that grow new plants. Can you find some insects that the bison might help feed?
- baby bison! The Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge announced that their first baby bison were born in late April (cute!). Baby bison don’t look exactly like their parents. Adult bison are dark brown. Baby bison are bright red. This color earned baby bison the affectionate nickname “red dog.” If you’re playing near a bison prairie, see if you can spot a “red dog.” For our friends at home, spy a regular dog! Even if you’re watching a bison herd, you might not see babies. Some herds in Iowa don’t have babies every year. If you don’t get to see the baby bison this year, don’t worry. There will be more babies next spring!
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