Bison in the National Parks
 

I understand there are "wild" bison in Yellowstone NP, Wind Cave NP, Roosevelt NP and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (operated by the National Park Service). A few years ago I got too close to a small group of bison on the Tallgrass Prairie preserve. Hikers are supposed to stay 125 yards away because bison can run 35 mph. The bull got a little nervous and was swishing his tail, so I backed up and quickly walked away looking over my shoulder.

Anyone else have a close encounteer of the dangerous kind with a bison (buffalo)?

No but we saw some idiots getting out of their cars near the bison in Denver at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (you don't need to go to a National Park).

Bison are incredible creatures, but they can be unpredictable, especially when they feel threatened. I've been close to buffalo, and they are not as wild as bison.

Years ago while snowmobiling in Yellowstone (back when one could do it independently), we had to swerve around a bison who had wandered onto the road in front of us and stopped. I was riding shotgun as we were just headed into West Yellowstone for dinner. I was convinced that it was following us at high speed and I was going to get gored, but it was just my overactive imagination. He probably didn't even move.

Years ago friends from France were using a VW van as a camper and were staying in one of the parks in the Dakotas. One morning violent shaking woke them up; a bison was using the camper as a scratching post.

Hee's my encounter with bison:


We stayed in the car.

We've spent many hours in the vicinity of bison in Yellowstone, always from a respectful distance. We have fortunately not had any close encounters of the scary kind. Bison are magnificent animals and it's a special treat to observe them.

mel, many years ago some kindly Yellowstone snowmobilers gave us a lift to a cross country ski trailhead. We had to stop for some minutes until these guys decided to saunter off the road.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7e2bd98656.jpg

More recently, I was hiking on the Storm Point Trail by Yellowstone Lake when this guy was wandering up in the other direction. I decided not to do the planned loop hike after all.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...df9864aafb.jpg

On this same trip my wife and I were resting by Slough Creek. We were blocked going further upstream by down timbers from the recent flood. Suddenly this big guy decided to cross about 100 feet downstream from us. We didn't have many options but searched for the best way through the mass of branches behind us. However he totally ignored us, crossed the creek, and scratched some bark off a tree on our side. Then he wandered off.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d3cccdb55b.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5aaca5c044.jpg

Bison in the Lamar Valley. Photo taken with telephoto lens so they are not as close as they appear.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f0d5004b84.jpg

Love the Lamar Valley photo. I forgot there are bison there. I know the wolves and grizzlies feed on elk there at sunrise.