Big Tatonka Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A regular-sized cache placed on Corps of Engineers property with written permission. Remember, there is more than one way to this area, and if the low road is closed, it's probably for good reason.
The American bison (Bison bison) are the largest native terrestrial animals in North America. Bison live in river valleys, and on prairies and plains. Typical habitat is open or semi-open grasslands, as well as sagebrush, semi-arid lands and scrublands. Bison are able to survive in many climates, and are able to move and graze even in the deepest of snow by using their large heads as plows.
Bison were, and still are, a central figure in the the culture of Native Americans; providing everything from food and shelter, to clothes and tools. Whole populations of Native Americans migrated across the plains following the great herds.
At one time, there were at least 25 million bison spread across the United States and Canada. However, by the late 1880s the total number of bison in the United States had been reduced to 541 individuals, primarily in the area of Yellowstone National Park. Numerous long-term efforts have saved the American bison from near extinction, and there are now approximately 500,000 in managed herds between the U.S. and Canada.
The bison's temperament is often unpredictable. They usually appear peaceful, unconcerned, even lazy, yet they may attack anything, often without warning or apparent reason. They can move at speeds of up to 35 mph and cover long distances at a lumbering gallop. Their most obvious weapons are the horns borne by both males and females, but their massive heads can be used as battering rams, effectively using the momentum produced by 2,000 pounds moving at great speed. The hind legs can also be used to kick with devastating effect. At the time bison ran wild, they were considered second only to the Alaska brown bear (Ursus arctos) as a potential killer, more dangerous than even the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)! In the words of early naturalists, they were a dangerous, savage animal that feared no other animal and in prime condition could best any foe.
Bison, and other wildlife use a feature of the landscape to keep cool in the summer. Wallows are small depressions in the landscape that tend to hold water longer than other areas. Bison and other wildlife will "wallow" around in the mud to cool off. Each time, more mud would be taken from the area, thereby expanding the size of the wallow. There is a small wallow very near this cache, and depending on your approach, you may have walked though it.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)