There's a particular kind of quiet that settles over the ranch after a big snow. The valley goes white, the mountains disappear into the clouds, and the only sound is your boots crunching across the pasture.

And there, standing in the middle of it all, is the herd, completely unbothered.

Winter is when bison are at their most impressive. Here's what we've learned about how they handle the cold, and what our job looks like when the temperature drops.

A coat made for this

A bison's winter coat is one of the best insulators in the animal world. It has two layers: long, coarse outer hair and a dense, woolly undercoat. Together they trap so much heat that snow can sit on a bison's back without melting.

When you see a bison with a blanket of snow across its shoulders, that isn't a sign it's cold. It's a sign its coat is doing exactly what it's supposed to do: keeping the warmth in.

Facing the storm

Cattle tend to turn their backs to a storm and drift with the wind. Bison often do the opposite: they turn and face directly into it.

Their heavy head, thick fur and massive shoulders are all at the front of the body, so facing the wind puts their best protection where it's needed most. It's a small detail, but watching the whole herd turn into an incoming storm together is something you don't forget.

Plowing for dinner

In winter, much of the grass is buried. Bison have a solution for that, too. They swing their heads from side to side, using them like a snowplow to clear snow and reach the forage underneath. That big shoulder hump is muscle, and it's what powers those head swings.

On a cold morning, you can see the sweeping marks in the snow where they've been grazing.

Slowing down

Bison naturally slow down in winter. They tend to move less and conserve energy, which is part of how they've survived harsh northern winters for so long. It's a good lesson for the rest of us, honestly.

What winter looks like for us

Bison may be built for the cold, but winter is still the season when we pay the closest attention.

• Water. Fresh, unfrozen water is essential. Keeping water available when everything else is frozen solid is one of the most important winter chores on any ranch.

• Feed. When snow is deep or grazing is limited, ranchers commonly supplement with hay. [CONFIRM WITH FAMILY: describe your winter feeding routine.]

• Fences. Snow and ice are hard on fences, and bison are hard on fences any time of year. Winter means walking the lines and fixing what needs fixing.

• Watching the herd. Every day, we check on the animals: how they're moving, whether they're eating and whether anyone seems off. Young animals in their first winter get a little extra attention.

Our first winters

[CONFIRM WITH FAMILY: a short memory of the herd's first winter on the ranch, such as the first big snow, a cold snap or what surprised you most.]

What we can say is that every winter has taught us to trust the bison a little more. They know how to do this. Our job is to make sure they have what they need, and then mostly stay out of their way.

The best season for photos

If you follow along with us on Instagram (coming soon), you'll notice that some of our favorite photos are winter photos. There's something about dark bison against white snow, with the Bitterroot Range behind them, that captures exactly why we fell in love with this.

Stay warm out there.