Yesterday I did my typical hike on the La Chua Trail. I saw the alligators that are always there and some turtles. As I was a little more than half way through the trail, about 30 feet in front of me was a BISON! I heard people have seen them on the trails, but this was a first for me. I took a few shots of it. As it got closer to me (about 15 feet), it stopped and looked at me. With the trail only being 15 feet wide, I had nowhere to go. I went to the edge of the trail and stood still. After a few seconds, it galloped past me then continued to graze. When it galloped past me it had to be less than 10 feet away. I felt the wind that it created while passing by.
I always thought that the alligators were the coolest things I’d see on the trail, I was wrong. After seeing the bison, I was fine with not seeing an alligator walking around or catching fish. I hope that I have another close encounter with a bison soon!
The photos can be found in the
Gainesville Gallery.
