In this screenshot from a video, an American buffalo that escaped from a Wauconda farm in September was captured on video by Mark Stage of Cary as the animal ran north on Darrell Road in September. (Mark Stage)

       Humans aren’t the only ones coming home for the holidays.

       Billy, the runaway bison who made a name for herself by roaming suburban Cary, has been spotted less than a mile from her home in Wauconda, according to her co-owner Scott Comstock of Milk & Honey Farmstead.

       Comstock believes that the 800-pound bison, sometimes called Billy by fans, has been drawn to her sister, who remained at Milk & Honey after Billy escaped Sept. 18. The most recent sighting, a few days ago, was about an eighth of a mile from the farm on North Williams Park Road.

       “She knows where her sister is and she’s just meandering around,” said Comstock. “I think we’re going to get her home here, probably with the first real good snow.”

       Island Lake police have advised residents to obey speed limits and stay alert to avoid hitting Billy. Comstock asked that the public please steer clear of Billy, although taking a photo from a distance is fine.

       Over the past three months, Billy, who escaped while she and her sister were being delivered to Milk & Honey Farmstead, has roamed up to 12 miles, Comstock said. There were reports of Billy sightings in Volo and Crystal Lake, and she’d been seen on both sides of the Fox River.

       In the course of her adventures, her legend has grown, with sightings chronicled at Facebook pages such as Cary-Grove Chat and Island Lake IL Community. Fans have posted photos and videos of the bison wandering the suburbs and tuned in to watch an Island Lake Police Department police-cam video of the bison more than 16,000 times.

       Billy, who was purchased for breeding purposes, has inspired jokes: “Has anyone tried the bison burger at (local gastropub) Duke’s Alehouse? I hear it’s really fresh,” Kevin Hoffman quipped at Cary-Grove Chat. Fans have posted messages of appreciation and encouragement: “Go Billy Go!!!!” The bison even inspired a watercolor by local artist Nichole Campbell.

       But in the last two weeks, the 800-pound social media star has kept out of the spotlight.

       Lake County sheriff’s deputies have responded to some possible Billy sightings, but have not been able to confirm them, according to Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.

       “She’s become an expert at being ‘cow-moo-flaged,’ blending in with her surroundings,” Covelli noted in an email exchange.

       Comstock said a man with a dog is helping him to track Billy. A marine biologist has suggested using Billy’s sister’s manure to lure the runaway bison back to the farm, which strikes Comstock as a tactic worth trying.

       In the meantime, he said, he’s noted interesting behavior on the part of his remaining bison and the cows she has bonded with. Two days ago, the cows lined up along the north fence of their pasture, peering at the forest where Billy is thought to be wandering.

       “I got a feeling she was close,” Comstock said.

       nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com

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