You are here

Latest Pastime of Yellowstone National Park Bison: Human Tossing

Share

Meek and mellow? Not me. NPS photo.

Meek and mellow Yellowstone National Park bison most definitely are not. A woman learned that lesson painfully Wednesday when butted into the air by a bison that apparently didn't like the phone call she was making.

The 50-year-old woman, a visitor from Spain, and her husband were using a pay phone in the Canyon lodging area with their backs to the road. Normally that's not an issue, but in Yellowstone, where bison and other wildlife roam at will, these visitors were about to learn you have to be on guard all the time in the park.

According to witnesses, two bull bison walking down the road passed within 20 feet of the couple. One of the bison left the road, walked up behind the woman and butted her into the air. The couple, who were facing away from the road, did not see the bison.

Park officials say the unidentified woman was transported to the Canyon Lodge front desk by visitors, and taken by ambulance to the Lake Clinic where she was released with only minor injuries.

In Yellowstone visitors are urged to be aware of their surroundings and to be very cautious around wildlife, which can be very unpredictable. Extremely serious injuries or death can result from approaching wild animals too closely or allowing wildlife to approach you even if they appear docile. Park regulations require that a minimum distance of 100 yards be maintained from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from all other animals.

Comments

Last September, the story going around Yellowstone was about a couple who had posed their young child next to a buffalo to take a picture. Someone slammed a car door, startling the buffalo, which tossed the young child into the air. Fortunately, the child was not seriously injuring. You really have to wonder where some people's heads are at with such stunts!


We were in Yellowstone in 2007 and there was a buffalo next to the restroom at the Grand Canyon. A little boy and his sister were starting to go near it so their Mom could take their picture. I told them to "Get away from that animal." They looked at me like I was the meanest person in the world. I looked at the Mom and said "That is a 2000 pound animal and it will kill your son. What the hell are you thinking?" She was just dumb founded and finally gathers the kids and left. The park officials give you a packet of park rules and regs when you enter the park and are encouraged to read them. There is also numerous warning signs throughout the park. I bought the book 'Death in Yellowstone' while we were there and have been quiet amused at the stupidity of things people will do that ultimately causes their death.


That story you are referring to was reported here. It happened last June - see /2008/06/yellowstone-national-park-bison-unhappy-photo-shoot-tosses-pennsylvania-boy .

This particular case reported here seems to be one of relatively bad luck. However, it's just good to know that bison may look like they just stand there and are barely moving; this is not true. They move all the time and can cover ground very quickly. They can move up to 30 mph, though they usually don't. They do move much faster than you think, though.

A concessions worker in Canyon recently reported being charged by a bison; see http://robyninyellowstone.blogspot.com/2009/06/charged-by-bison.html for her account.

So anyhow, it's helpful to look around wherever you are in the park; however, it's probably not practical advice. Sometimes, there's just bad luck, and that comes with the price of admission. I'm glad the woman wasn't seriously injured.

Jim Macdonald
The Magic of Yellowstone
Yellowstone Newspaper
Jim's Eclectic World


Don't get me wrong. I do not mean to diminish the possible danger that bears pose; but when I am out hiking in the park I give bison a much wider birth than bears. I have been charged by these big guys from over a hundred yards away. I was watching one roll around in a dust bowl on the other side of the Yellowstone River once when it put its head down, crossed the river and ran right at me! I barely made it back up to my car (which I started walking toward as soon as it entered the river). Another time I was skiing the Tower Road in the winter when a big bull was standing in the middle of the road. I tried to ski past, but every time I tried, it put its head down and started toward me. I had to go way up the hill and around. Also, while driving past a herd on the road last year (something we have all done many times) a big bull head butted my car, leaving quite a dent. Now I don't pass them; I pull over and wait for them to clear the road, no matter how long it takes. Statistically bison are far more dangerous than any other large animal in the park. 98% of the time they just stand there and you go by, but look out if they start staring intently at you!


Personally, and I know this is true of a lot of people who live out here, I'm terrified of moose. They are known to be real bad asses, who will kick the @#$! out of you.

But, I try my best also to give bison space; sometimes, in these car situations, idiots make the situation more dangerous by forcing the bison off the road, sometimes moving them right into the area you are parked - then you are left with little choice. Another time, they came running out the side of the forest, right where I was in a line of cars - there was no way around them - they came to you, and you were stuck, and they were running by the dozens and dozens. Another time, bison were forced right into my parked vehicle by an NPS snow plow, in full run and in a panic. That snowplow's work ended up being pointless, as the road was closed the next day due to snow - all it did was scare buffalo and create a dangerous situation for everyone. I've also seen buffalo while skiing on that Tower Fall road, and once we completely turned around and gave up any hope of getting through - it was too late in the day to wait them out. Another time, they were very intimidating on both sides of the road, and I was amazed out how nonchalant the other skiers were.

Luckily, though, I personally have never been charged by one ... yet. And, I have the sense that usually the buffalo will move on; the moose doesn't seem to have that mentality, and I'm often on the trail - especially in the Tetons - imploring with visitors to be careful about the moose. I'm often surprised we don't read of more incidents in the Tetons. Bison may cause more incidents; their numbers are greater. But, soon, I'm afraid, especially in a place like the Tetons, we are going to hear a real tragedy that knowledge could have prevented.

Jim Macdonald
The Magic of Yellowstone
Yellowstone Newspaper
Jim's Eclectic World


Death in Yellowstone is the GREATEST book.  Unfortunately, the fools that put themselves in harm's way would either not read it, or read it and take it as a challenge.  I have a pic from last summer of two picture-taking fools about 20 - 25 feet from a bison.  Nothing happened to them, thankfully, but I almost wish it had so that the 50-or-so bystanders might have learned a lesson.  I also have a pic of about 10 people standing less than 15 feet from a Yellowstone coyote.  What fools these mortals be.


Regarding the story from robyninyellowstone linked above. The rogue bison was 15 feet from a father and young daughter after it had run into and threatened about 50 people for no apparent reason. Given the unpredictable behavior of this bison, and the immenent danger to two individuals who had not provoked the bison, why in the heck did the ranger not shoot the bison in the head instead of shooting into the ground? As far as I'm concerned, the gun shot could have just as well startled it into charging the two innocents. Have the rangers been conditioned to put the life of a rogue bison on the same pedestal as a father and young daughter who did notheing to provoke the bison?


R: Scaring the bison away was likely the safe thing to do. If that shot in the head was anything less than perfectly placed, a wounded bison would have been far more dangerous. Besides, if rangers shot animals every time some idiot did something stupid, soon there wouldn't be any animals left in the park! I remember once over by the lake there was this lady that got too close to a grizzly bear and the bear chased after her. When the rangers arrived we all showed pictures and video of how close the lady had gotten. The ranger said, "Good for the bear" for chasing her, but also said that if we didn't have pictures and video the bear probably would have been put down. Sad.


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.