Summer thunderstorms, which occur frequently during the hottest weather. |
In our remote part of southern Virginia the pristine rural silence is usually only shattered by one of five things: thunder, military aircraft, artillery, my tractor, and guns.
As indicated by the above photograph, lightning and thunder are not uncommon on our ranch during the summer. They do not, however, appear to influence the bison. Even when a deafening bolt of lightning struck the trees within 50 yards (which nearly made me wet my pants), the bison didn't care.
An F 15 Eagle engaged in low level flight training. |
A bison sleeping as I drive by with the tractor. |
The same is true regarding their response to my tractor, though they don't seem to like it when I drive the tractor at night with its headlights turned on.
Finally, the last and only loud noise I've ever seen alarm the bison is gunfire. The moment they hear a gun firing within 300 yards of their location they become very alarmed. Their tails raise up, they run to the highest nearby hill, and stand together tight group. These are all signs of upset bison. Even a small .22 caliber rifle fired 200 yards away can startle them.
It's hard to say for sure what would cause them to disregard so many other loud sounds and react so negatively to gunfire. Perhaps they have had a negative experience with guns prior to coming to our ranch or perhaps it's instinctive. Either way it's something we need to keep in mind whenever we consider discharging a firearm on the property.