42 Nebraskaland • January-February 2020
terrestrial animals, as well as places to cool off and rehydrate.
If they are big or long-lasting enough, water-holding bison
wallows can support aquatic vegetation and even provide
stop-over and feeding habitat for migratory water birds.
Cattle don't have the same extensive wallowing behavior as
bison, though they can sometimes provide smaller scale areas
of bare soil. In addition, both cattle and bison create trails
through the prairie along paths between water sources or
favorite feeding or loafi ng areas. Those trails are often used by
many other wildlife species seeking easier movement through
dense vegetation. Reptiles and insects also utilize those trails
as places to come out in the sun and warm up on cool mornings.
Soul of the Prairie
The days of 30 million bison rambling across the prairies
Bison spread out across the Nebraska Sandhills at the McMurtrey ranch.
