Don’t fence me in: Life on the American Prairie Reserve

The American Prairie Reserve is open for camping year-round, offering visitors a chance to experience the true American prairie in its purest form.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

A large Charolais cow grazes in central Montana. For over a century, ranching dictated how the land was used in much of the state. With the American Prairie Reserve, conservationists and ranchers are working together to find better solutions for cattle and wildlife to coexist.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

American bison graze with their young near Antelope Creek. Restoring wild bison herds to their native habitat is a key initiative of the American Prairie Reserve.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

A lone male bison forages in the heart of the American Prairie Reserve in central Montana.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

The American Prairie Reserve includes the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, an area where water erosion has carved out impressive “badlands” from the high prairie.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

Wild bison roam freely without fences in a field of wildflowers in the heart of the American Prairie Reserve.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

A prairie dog pokes his head up from his burrow, checking for possible predators. Perceived as a nuisance by local ranchers who often flood or destroy the colonies, the American Prairie Reserve seeks to protect prairie dogs as part of the greater prairie ecosystem.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

Often overlooked as “flyover country,” the untouched landscapes of the American prairie are vivid and full of life, comprising the largest ecosystem within the United States.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

America’s only “antelope,” the pronghorn is not an antelope at all, but in fact, more closely related to giraffes. Considered the fasted land animal in North America, the pronghorn can reach top speeds of 55 mph.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

A summer storm invades “Big Sky Country.” Montana is home to the American Prairie Reserve, made up largely of repurposed ranchland.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )

A golden sunrise brightens the beige grasslands of the American Prairie Reserve in central Montana. Throughout the year, temperatures on the expansive grasslands range from 0 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.   ( Andrew Evans/Chicago Tribune )