Young Bison On The Autumn Range ...

“The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will …”

 ~ Theodore Roosevelt

 ~ 1858-1919

 ~ Naturalist & Conservationist

 ~26^th President of the United States of America

 ~ 1901-1909

A young American Bison grazes on an early October afternoon on the autumn range at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. Bison calves tend to be born from late March through May and are orange-red in color, earning them the nickname “red dogs.” After a few months, their hair starts to change to dark brown and their characteristic shoulder hump and horns begin to grow.

This bison will grow up to one day be a national symbol. The American Bison was designated the first national mammal of the United States on May 9, 2016. The majestic bison joins the bald eagle as a national symbol.

Bison live as a herd on the hillsides of the 1,100-acre preserve’s Central Range. When the late General Harry C. Trexler established the preserve in the early 1900s, he did it to save the American bison, elk and white-tailed deer from extinction and assure the species’ survival.

 A conservationist along the lines of Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, General Trexler understood the importance of nature and preserving wildlife in its natural habitat.

A successful businessman who amassed a fortune in the timber and cement industries and founded the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company, General Trexler began purchasing small farms in the low hills of Lehigh County in 1906. By 1913, he had transported eight bison and 20 Virginia white-tailed deer to the preserve. The elk followed soon after.

When General Trexler died in 1933, he bequeathed the property to the residents of Lehigh County. Today, the Trexler Nature Preserve is open to the public for passive recreation and nature watching.