Yellowstone Tourists Drive Head-On Into Herd Of Over 200 Stampeding Bison

Based on the outdoors stories that I’ve seen coming out of Yellowstone National Park, it appears that you can’t bring common sense onto the premises.

In this particular instance, I guess the people in the vehicle didn’t really have much a choice. They just have their car stopped on the highway, and their fingers crossed that one of the hundreds of bison don’t charge right into it.

Somewhere around 5,000 bison call Yellowstone National Park home, and with most of them traveling in herds, this kind of mass movement is common. However, having that knowledge doesn’t make this close encounter with 200 charging bison any easier to handle.

Fully grown bison can weigh over 2,000 pounds, which means that most of these that are running by the car weigh nearly half as much as the resting vehicle does. The massive beasts can also reach top speeds as fast as 30 miles per hour, meaning that bison can legitimately give a car a run for its money if it wanted to.

North America’s largest land animals are pretty intimidating on their own, but when they are parading down the highway like they are in this video, they really can put the “fear of God” in someone. Those within the vehicle were pretty tense as the herd quickly made their way by, as you’ll hear in their comments as they sit in their car.

At first the vehicle was driving towards the bison, but they eventually wised up and put the car in park to let the herd pass by. Most of the large animals were “staying in their lane” as they sprinted by, though there were a couple of close calls with the car’s front left bumper.

The driver’s side window was open while it happened as well, which is made obvious as the two people in the car comment on how bad the bison smell as they run by. It takes a while for the entire herd to pass them, so the couple just sits back and takes it all in from the safety (?) and comfort of their car.

When the woman posted the video to Facebook, and a public group dedicated to Yellowstone National Park experiences, she captioned the clip with:

“Thought I’d add this one for a good laugh. Think this is where I was saying the ‘Oh God Dave’ fearing they would run right into the car. Nothing we could do, no where to go.”

Take a look:

Definitely a moment to remember, and one that they probably hope never happens again…

Bison Stampede Races Down Car-Filled Road At Custer State Park

Talk about things you want to see, but also don’t really want to see…

Visitors to South Dakota’s Custer State Park, a 71,000 square acre reserve rich in wildlife, found themselves in the midst of one of nature’s most powerful events as a herd of bison began stampeding nearby.

According to the National Park Service, most bison live in herds of 300-500, but Custer National Park is home to around 1,500 of these once near extinct American beauties, so we can’t be sure exactly how many were involved in this event.

From the video, it seems there were some somewhat calm bison roaming slowly on the street when the stampede hit the roadway from a field off to the left, causing those bison to start running too.

The stampede took the path of least resistance when it hit the road, as bison began flying down the pavement, weaving in and out of cars containing a bunch of what I assume to be terrified tourists.

And while many people, myself included, say they’d love to witness one of these epic moments, I’m sure those stuck in the dusty chaos of it were less than pleased.

Sure, the bison will try to avoid you because if they fall down or can’t keep up they’ll be trampled under thousands of hooves, but the idea that one hitting your car may cause you to be trampled under thousands of hooves is just horrifying.

All cause you wanted to impress your family with the coolest vacation ever, talk about bad luck.

Fortunately, in the video it seems like no damage was done to any of the cars as the bison avoided them and continued on their thoughtless sprint through the plains.

Nature will forever be impressive.

Bison Stampede Halts Traffic At Yellowstone National Park

I could watch videos like this for hours.

I’ll admit, Yellowstone the show has peaked my interest in Yellowstone the National Park.

Sure, it has its natural beauty and Old Faithful, but I’m more concerned with the wildlife. Grizzly bears, elk, wolves, moose and of course bison can all be found roaming the park and you’re always guaranteed to see something cool, if you know where to look.

And sometimes, you don’t even have to look. You can just be driving down the road…

A few years back, park visitors happened to be driving down the Lamar Valley Bridge when an incredible bison stampede came racing across the field and down the road.

An incredible and yet, kind of frightening scene to witness… the herd just seems to go on forever.

Unfortunately, Yellowstone is underwater right now so your next visit might have to wait, but definitely make a point to get out there as soon as you can.

If you love wildlife, it’s just a magical place.

Bison Herd Protect Calf From Pack Of Wolves

Another day, another episode of cool shit at Yellowstone.

Captured by Yellowstone guide, wolf tracker, and photographer Michelle Holihan, this awesome footage features the Junction Butte Pack trying to take down a bison calf.

Only problem is, mama and papa bison had other ideas.

“We had an exciting morning of wolf watching in Yellowstone today as several members of the Junction Butte Pack tried to take down a bison calf.

After the adults ran them off they gave up the chase and went back to the rest of the pack.”

Watching wolves hunt might be one of the coolest wildlife experiences you can encounter, and Yellowstone might be the best place to do it.

So methodical, so organized… sure they rely on speed and power, but they also rely on executing the perfect attack plan. Unfortunately for these two wolves, they were outmanned and undersized against the defenses of the herd.

The best defense is a good offense? Not in Yellowstone it’s not…