Don't Throw Rocks at Bison

by
posted on April 2, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
wilder_ah2015_fs.jpg (7)

undefined(Bison Photo Courtesy of USFWS)

Since at least one person in this crazy world didn't seem to realize it, lets make this clear: you shouldn't throw rocks at bison. Turns out, they get angry. Yes, as you may have guessed, some numbskull out there allegedly made the mistake of provoking a bison into attacking last week—and got a hard lesson in why that's a bad idea.

According to a KSL TV report, a bison rammed a visitor to Antelope Island in Utah on March 23, after the guest was allegedly spotted shaking a nearby fence for attention and throwing rocks at the 1,500-pound beast. Somehow the man walked away from the encounter embarrassed but unscathed.

Witnesses told park rangers that the dummy in question was rattling a fence that was separating him from the bison (others said he was throwing rocks, as well), in what appeared to be an attempt to get better pictures. After passing through to the instigator's side of the fence, the bison looked like it was going to trot off into the field—until it did a sudden 180 and dialed it up to ramming speed. The animal hit the tourist head on. There are still images of the attack on KSL.com.

For what it's worth, the "victim" has denied the accusations, and has claimed that all he did was lift his arm. If he did provoke the animal, though, I'll bet he learned his lesson.

Suffice to say, don't throw rocks at wild animals. Especially not big ones. You wouldn't walk into the local watering hole and try to start something with the big biker—so don't go outside and start casting stones at the half-ton animals. Their tempers can be just as short—difference is, you can't calm them down with a round of beers.

Then again, maybe this is just evidence that bison need to work on their "game face" a little bit. No one's going around throwing rocks at Cape buffalo...

Latest

Trail Cam Lede
Trail Cam Lede

How To Use Trail Cameras to Find More Bucks and Bulls

Get some tips from Scott Haugen on how to optimize your trail cam grid this season.

New for 2025: Davidson's Exclusive Bergara B-14 FSP Hunter Stainless

Davidson’s has collaborated with Bergara to produce the first complete Bergara rifle with a stainless-steel barreled action available in the USA.

New for 2025: Leica USA Rangemaster CRF Max

Leica Sport Optics USA has unveiled the Leica Rangemaster CRF Max. Designed for hunters and long-range shooters who demand precision and reliability, the CRF Max combines Leica’s optical performance with cutting-edge digital integration and a new heads-up display.

Boone and Crockett Club Poaching Data Published

Did you know that the majority of wildlife violations never result in citations? Sure, with so much ground to cover, it may be easy to guess that most violations committed deep in the backcountry will never see the light of day, but the scale is still quite surprising. 

First Look: Horizon Firearms Exclusive

Custom & Collectable Firearms proudly unveils the Horizon Firearms Exclusive, a 1-of-50 limited series built for hunters and anyone who values accuracy, value and dependability.

Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young Now Accepting Javelina Entries

The Boone and Crockett Club (B&C) and Pope and Young Club (P&Y) announced in August that they have completed scoring procedures and are now accepting entries for javelina (collared peccary, Pecari tajacu) in their record books.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.