Bison in Montana in May
Yes, May is a good month to see bison in Montana. It is the 4th busiest month of the year, with 90 of the 664 sightings logged across the year (13.6%), based on verified iNaturalist records.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself. Updated July 2, 2026.
American Bison · Karen Szafrajda CC BY
American Bison · Public domain CC0
American Bison · Jens-Christian Svenning CC BY
Good month for bison in Montana
13.6%
of yearly sightings
90
records in May
#4
busiest month of 12
664
verified records a year
April 6.9%, May 13.6%, June 19%. Busiest month is June at 19%.
664 verified observations of bison in Montana, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When bison are recorded in Montana
Peak month
June
126 records (19% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 3% |
| February | 21 | 3.2% |
| March | 26 | 3.9% |
| April | 46 | 6.9% |
| May | 90 | 13.6% |
| Junepeak | 126 | 19% |
| Julypeak | 107 | 16.1% |
| Augustpeak | 97 | 14.6% |
| September | 89 | 13.4% |
| October | 32 | 4.8% |
| November | 3 | 0.5% |
| December | 7 | 1.1% |
Bison you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| American Bison | 664 |
In Montana, May carries 13.6% of the year's bison sightings, about 5.3 points above an even month-to-month split. That makes it the 4th busiest of the twelve months, out of 12 months with recorded activity.
Activity is rising from April (6.9%) into May, and it heads toward June (19%) after. The busiest month is June (19%), so if timing is flexible, that window is the safer bet.
The bison most often recorded in Montana are American Bison. Those counts are annual totals rather than a May split, so treat them as which species you are likely to encounter, while the month figures above show how many sightings fall in May itself.
Which bison you are most likely to see
- American Bison664 records
Gear to see them
Frequently asked questions
Can you see bison in Montana in May?+
Yes. May accounts for 90 of the 664 verified bison sightings logged in Montana across the year, which is 13.6% of the annual total.
Is May a good time to see bison in Montana?+
May is the 4th busiest month. It is workable, though June and July is the stronger window for a reliable sighting.
What month is best for bison in Montana?+
June is the single busiest month, with the broader peak running through June, July and August, based on 664 verified observations.
Which bison are you most likely to see in Montana?+
The most-recorded species in Montana are American Bison, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.
See bison in Montana in other months
More places to see bison
More wildlife in Montana