Bison Bull on Antelope Island
This bison bull probably weighs in at more than 1,500 pounds, he is wild and you don’t want to tick him off like one man did on Antelope Island last weekend. These behemoths can move fast when they need to which is why when they are running you can hear their thunderous hooves. They aren’t domesticated cows and they aren’t tame.
I’m on Antelope Island a lot and I’ve seen incidents where I thought someone might get trampled a few times. Once it was some women that walked within 20 to 25 feet of grazing bison. I was very glad the bison didn’t charge them. Later that same day from a long distance away I saw a man walk too close to a bull and the bison made a mock charge at him. I was glad the guy didn’t end up flattened like a pancake. Last fall I saw a guy in red pants, his bicycle laying down on the shoulder of the road walk up to it with a tiny point and shoot camera and the bison charged him but stopped, the guy didn’t even have a vehicle to jump into for protection. That wasn’t smart because before he could have gotten on that bike the bison would have run over him. Believe it or not the guy walked closer one more time to get more images.
Last weekend a guy from Colorado got too close to a bison bull and in return the bull slammed him into a chain link fence. You can read about it here: Man walks away from bison attack unharmed
There was a photographer taking pictures of the bull and the man and his image in the article shows the man being slammed into the fence and stated that the man might have provoked the bison along with other witnesses.
The guy is lucky that he isn’t dead. The article said he was embarrassed.
He ought to be. You don’t tick off a wild bison dude.
KSL.com interviewed the “A Bison Slammed Me into a Fence” guy and he claimed he was trying to protect some runners in Antelope Island Buffalo Run. You can read what he said here: Man pinned by bison says he worried for racers’ safety
I’m glad the guy is alive.
But I think he should have been cited for harassing that bison.
Mia
As far as I know this guy has not been cited and probably won’t be. All I can say is that he is very lucky to be alive. Bison are not just furrier cattle, they are will and will attack if provoked. If this guy did throw rocks at the Bison then that would be enough to provoke the bull.
Wild animals should not be harassed.
In my experience with bison, they will ignore you if you don’t appear to be a threat (which has always been my attitude towards wildlife). On our honeymoon in Yellowstone in 1974, we were taking a walk when a bison crossed our path ahead. My wife immediately headed 90-degrees in the other direction, while I froze but continued taking shots with my camera. It must have come within 15-feet of me but didn’t seem bothered by my presence. What an exciting experience!
Silly bugger. But, the Bison photograph is a winner.
They call it “wild” life for a reason. I sorta look at this type of incident as Nature’s way of controlling our gene pool……… Not really. I’m glad he wasn’t hurt. Honest.
I completely agree re: harassing wildlife (and the citation he probably deserved). Leave them alone, choose your path so you disturb wildlife as little as possible, TRY and behave as if you are a polite, considerate guest in THEIR living room. Bone head. WILD ANIMAL. It’s not complicated.
Some people will do the most foolish things, I think you are right, he should have been cited but glad he wasn’t seriously hurt