LOOK: Montana’s Bison Count May Surprise You

Montana’s Bison Population

I grew up in South Dakota in a cattle ranching family.

We had thousands of head of cattle, but I also remember we had one bison as well, and he was a mean SOB.

Montana Livestock By The Numbers: Cattle vs. Bison

Why my grandpa and his brothers had this bison is still a mystery to me. I will never know, but it got me thinking, how many bison are found in Montana?

We all know that there are more cows than people in Montana; estimates put the total around 2.12 million, or just about 2 cows for every person living under the Big Sky.

Thanks to Yellowstone, Montana has a pretty decent-sized bison population, including a mix of both wild and domesticated animals.

Which State Has The Most Bison? (It’s Not Montana)

Color me surprised that the state with the most bison isn't Montana or Wyoming, which share Yellowstone National Park.

Nope, South Dakota actually has the most, and it's not even close, as they are home to a combined total of almost 34,000 bison.

Nebraska comes in ranked second with over 32,000, which leaves Montana in third place, but with a significant drop in totals.

How Many Bison Live In Montana Today?

Here in the Treasure State, you can find nearly 21,000 bison still roaming the plains.

Around 5,000 to 6,000 are living in Yellowstone National Park at any given time, while there are about 15,000 domesticated bison owned by private ranches.