Close Encounters With Bison at Yellowstone

The first close encounter was on a snowy mountain pass. A solitary bull standing on the road facing our car — actually walking towards our car on the same lane. The only thing you can do is stop in your tracks, because the bison won’t.

Bison are the largest mammal in North America and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. They are unpredictable and can charge at any time.

Our best bet was that it wasn’t in a bad mood and would pass us by.

Fortunately, after giving us a cursory look, it walked past the side of the car, literally inches away. These are lovely creatures but better loved from a distance.

The second close encounter was on our way to Old Faithful. A herd of bison decided it was a good time to traverse the road. Both sides. We were stuck in a Bison Jam.

We were crawling at less than 5 mph with seemingly miles of cars ahead of us. After almost an hour, we reached the front of the line of cars but there was no way through.

I’ve never seen so many rumps in my life.

I saw from the rear-view mirror that the line of cars behind us was still long. Even more alarming, more bison was coming up from behind. We were literally in the middle of a bison herd.

What else can you do but let them pass.

This bull looked back as if saying, “don’t even think about it.”

Well, you’ve got to respect them. This is their home after all.

And they always protect the young, keeping them in the middle of the herd. The baby bison is called a “red dog” because of its color.

Finally, a park ranger came to the rescue, expertly guiding the bison to make way for car traffic.

It was a unique experience never to be forgotten.

These were our closest encounters with bison, and we said that’s about enough. Still that didn’t deter us from admiring these beautiful beasts, albeit from a safer distance, in a place where they have roamed continuously since prehistoric times.