A long beard is present, especially in males. From the shoulder on back, the body is covered with short, fine, brown hair. Occasionally the hair is white, gray or piebald in color. Both sexes have smooth, curving horns up to 22 inches in length. The sense of smell is highly developed.
Hearing is good.
Eyesight is probably better than is usually attributed to these animals. During most of the year the bison herds are small, consisting of females and young, including bulls up to 4 years old. Older bulls are in smaller groups of 12 or fewer animals near the periphery of the mixed group. A straight dominance hierarchy exists. He is dominant over all others.