…or else!
oops it didnt work
Very…anticlimactic Norm. But it still got my attention, short as it may be at times.
i was trying to embed a video of an idiot chasing after a bison in yellowstone and the bison decided he didnt like it and turned his attention on the idiot.
What the heck? It looked somebody threw a chunk of wood or something at the buffalo. Did they expect him to take kindly to being hit with a piece of wood or what? Some people are born stupid and they seem to get what they deserve. No sympathy from here.
Yes, but they’re just so cute and cuddly. This could have happened to anyone - with half a brain!! I believe there are Grizzlies also available for petting? They’re even cuter!!! Too much Walt Disney and not enough reality!!! I hope they get fined for animal harassment, or just for being incredibly stupid!
Best regards, Dave S.
Funny you say this. Here in PA a hunter took an 879lb black bear and locals are upset because he was “tame”. He was “tame” because he had been fed over the years by a resort employee and people could even walk up and pet him when he came around for scraps. They didn’t see what a danger a nearly 900lb wild bear with a severely diminished fear of humans could be. :shock:
If you watch that video again you will see that the bison tossed that piece of wood into the air himself. Also I am not making excuses for these folks but consider this; how many of you have gotten too close, intentionally or not, to potentially harmful wild critters while afield for the day and knew it too? I know I am not alone there. did they use poor common sense? Sure did, just like the fisher-person who gets so into their fishing that they walk out from under their hat midstream. Go figure.
While in Yellowstone during the summer of 1988 (the year of the fires) doing work for wolf recovery, we spotted a string of folks in evening wear, as in gowns, heels, dinner jackets, heading off into the woods. As we passed their line of cars on the roadside we asked a woman where they were going. Already breathless from getting back to the car for a camera, she explained that they had seen a large brown bear with a hump on it’s back cross the road. They wanted close up pictures for the Rangers. What they were chasing into the woods was one of those Grizzlys available for petting. We departed the park before the carnage began.
The counter person at the snack bar at Fishing Bridge used to tape ice cream cone covers on his paper hat so they looked like horns and kept score of the buffalo/human encounters. When we left it was something like buffalo - 7, humans - 0.
REE
Eric, you are correct. I hadn’t noticed that the bufalo had tossed the wood up himself. Perhaps I was a bit harsh. Where I fished as a kid along the Rogue River in Southern Oregon the land owner raised bison. We learned early on to always keep a safe distance and keep a weary eye on them at all times. You just never know.
They are call WILD animals for a reason. If it grew up in the great outdoors having to defend itself and it has sharp pointed things (i.e. horns, claws, teeth) protruding from parts of its body, it is best to keep your distance until you are prepared to dispatch it.
Year: 1961. Place: Yellowstone Park. Event: Bear Jam.
While my Dad was usually a pretty smart guy, this day has been etched into my memory.
We were caught in one of the famous Bear Jams where bears would literally stop traffic and beg treats and eats from the tourists. I have no idea how many signs we saw telling us to STAY IN THE CAR! Of course, Dad needed a “better picture”. He managed to get between a sow black bear and her cubs and had to sprint back to the car, a White on Red '56 Ford Station Wagon. She rocked the car for a short while and went back to begging treats… on the other side of the car.
Mom was busy telling Dad what an idiot he was when Dad picked up the camera and snapped a picture of her. Surprised, she turned around in her seat to be looking straight at the sow who was licking the car window 6" behind her. I really cannot do the next few milliseconds justice, but she screamed and in one extremely fast and fluid motion, jumped across the front seat and tried to fit herself into Dad’s shirt pocket.
The family never went back to Yellowstone for some reason.
Kevin, Fast forward 10 years or so and that could have described my boyhood trip to Yellowstone, except not quite so dramatic (dad only barely stepped out of the car to get a clear picture, but never ventured more than a step or 2 from the open car door. I was only 5 or 6 at the time and only remember the trip through the slides dad took back then. The pics I remeber most were shots taken fore and aft of the lines of cars stopped and every so many cars a bear precariously close to the cars, some right up on the car windows.
Kerry you were not being harsh and I really was just kind of thinking out loud so to speak. Not directing at you but I apologize for it coming off that way. I got to agree that when anyone sees a wild critter jumping, snorting and chopping it’s own wood a modicum of common sense would tell one it is time to slowly back away to safety. We have bison raised on a local farm. People stop constantly on a busy two lane country road to take a gander at them. What these people don’t think about is the only thing between them and thousands of pounds of raging bull, or cow, is nothing more that a split rail fence! Good thing these big woollies are used to people.
One day while hunting squirrel on my brother’s land I came across a spot where a hunter had been standing early and had cleared away all of the twigs, leaves and so on so as not to make any noise while standing. Good stand on the edge of some nice wild grape vines, nice overhead cover, squirrel sign everywhere so I decide to stay. Now I am not a novice or amateur in the woods but I failed to see the mistake I had made.
About 5 minutes later a very angry 10 point (5x5 western count) white tail buck emerged from the grape vines to point it out to me. He was pawing the ground, dirt flying a good 15 feet behind him, snorting, shaking his substantial rack at me, false charging while having me thinking I am facing the first ever rabid deer. I look down for some odd reason and then the light comes on in my mind slowly like a fluorescent bulb in a 40 below freezer. BUUUUZZZZZZ-----DOING Hey idiot you are standing on his territory scent marking scrape. A quick look around reveals several antler rubs too. He thinks I am after his does so I do the only thing a gentleman hunter can do. I backed off and conceded the win to him. I am thankful i didn’t have to shoot him out of season. I was also awestruck by the beauty of this creature in front of me even though I just knew he was going to gore me.
I wonder where our common sense goes at times. As an experienced woodsman I should have recognized my perfect “stand” immediately. Go figure.
REE - You should have stuck around. You could have gotten some good pictures when the stampede headed back to their cars, with the big brown bear with the hump thingy on its back, on their heels! Can you say Darwin awardees!!! Eric - Archery hunting - got close to tree stand in the dark - laid down scent trail - started up tree - got part way up when buck(?) was already coming - couldn’t see it, but could hear it slashing the bushes - it was not happy with me - I NEVER put those doe scents directly on my person for a good reason!
Short story long: Ha! My cousin, I’ll call him Dennis, (because that’s his name!) and I were getting our fishing gear on, at the car. We were along Pine Creek here in N.Cent. Pa. I just happened to look up the long stretch of road we were parked on, to see what looked like a largish Black Lab. Didn’t give it too much thought. After a bit, I looked up the road again. This time the dog was closer, but maybe a little larger this time. Still not alarmed. Little bit later, look again. Blackie is starting to look suspicious. Dennis notices this too. Blackie is moseying along, on the other side of the road. He’s getting closer and now it is determined that Blackie is a bear. We can now see that he is quite large, and is sporting a couple of yellow ear tags. (maybe because he’s a troublemaker?TWICE!). Anyway, he’s getting real close now. I’ve got my hand on the car door handle on my side of the car, and Dennis has his hand on the car door on the other side, just in case this bear gets way too close. Well, just at the last moment, Mr. Moseyalong decides to cut up the bank and waddle directly away from us. Both of us sigh a big relief. My cousin says, good thing he turned, because I was just getting ready to jump in the car! To which I replied - I don’t think so! He said, what do you mean? I said, you can’t get in because YOUR door is locked! He tries the door and finds out I was’t kidding! The look on his face - PRICELESS !!!
Best regards, Dave S.
Dave S,
Did Dennis need new waders?
We would have stuck around, but we had a wolf on the back of the van that needed to get back to Washington and her home at Wolf Haven. She was the bfirst wolf in Yellowstone in over 50 years and she didn’t get to stay. Good thing, she had no idea about hunting her own food. She had been rescued from folks who just “knew” they could tame nature.
REE
Keep your eyes open on BLM land, too. A lot of it is leased to cattle ranchers for pasture in the spring and summer. Usually the bulls are in with the ladies at that time and they can get a bit territorial. Even domesticated animals can get a little rank at times.
JW
I believe that the buffalo should be congratulated for its effort to improve the human gene pool. 8T 
Ron Eagle Elk,
If Dennis needed new waders, he didn’t say anything about it to me!! I do know, that if you mentioned the “incident” to him, even after many years, you could still get a funny reaction out of him! Funny for me!!! As to that wolf situation : Not good, but sounds like it will turn out “not too bad” for the female wolf? Is there any info that I can check out concerning this wolf? I was lucky to see a number of wolves in the U.P. of Michigan. Here in PA, we have huge coyotes - DNA shows wolf influence. Well anyway, thanks for your help in making that situation with the wolf end with a more positive outcome.
Best regards, Dave S.
Dave,
Unfortunately, the little lady that went to Yellowstone with us has gone to where wolves still run free after a pretty fair life with the folks at Wolf Haven. All of the wolves I worked with and helped care for have gone on to join her, all from old age.
The place I used to volunteer is still in operation and, due to someone who wants the ultimate “dog” as a pet, they have a never ending supply of wolves that need care.
Here’s a link. http://www.wolfhaven.org/
REE
To Nighthawk’s point, I got so into my fishing in Beaverdam creek last summer I walked right up on a bear that was apparently getting a drink of water right behind me. He didn’t see me and I didn’t see him until I was just past him and got downwind. He bolted up the mountain, and I bolted across the creek!