This time in the Black Hills.
It is Goring season again
- Thread starter steelslaver
- Start date
One needs to inquire of our Iggy on this topic, but I understand a quality 5 strand barbed-wire fence that would keep in the wildest range cattle, is akin to maybe a strand of dental floss to a buffalo! The best cattle fencing won't even slow them down.
One friend who was going to have a hobby herd up in North AR, spent as much as he paid for his entire place having "Bison-Quality" fencing put in to keep his herd corralled. They found most of them in the next county within 24 hours eating up a widow-woman's prize roses. They had made a buffalo "waller" in her manicured Zoysia Grass front lawn too.
My friend told me later, and when enough time had passed to laugh about the fiasco, "that I would rather try to fence in a tornado, or the moon and stars in the sky." At least he was poetic in defeat.
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RobertJ.
Member
I watched a guy in Yellowstone once who was getting real close to a cow elk with a calf behind her. She was bobbing her head and hooving the ground, and I just knew he was going to get clobbered. He was yelling to his friend, "Look, she's crazy!" I thought, "How ironic!" Then a park ranger showed up and yelled at him, and he lived to be stupid another day.
Ran up on this in the Tetons by total chance while walking a path.
Out of nowhere comes a NPS Ranger to escort us out from whence we came.
Out of nowhere comes a NPS Ranger to escort us out from whence we came.
Grayfox
US Veteran
Believe it or not, at Shelby Farms Park just outside of Memphis, there is a fair sized herd of Bison. Usually about 30-40 of them. They breed them there and every couple of years send some out west for re-population purposes. They're pretty much raised free range with very little interaction with the park personnel. They have their own fenced off section in the park.
Despite warning signs, you often see people parked on the side of the road, lining the fence in an effort to pet them. Some Bison will allow it, but most don't want anything to do with people.
Every few years, some idiot will climb the fence and enter their territory. It rarely ends well.
Despite warning signs, you often see people parked on the side of the road, lining the fence in an effort to pet them. Some Bison will allow it, but most don't want anything to do with people.
Every few years, some idiot will climb the fence and enter their territory. It rarely ends well.
Knew of someone who was raising Beefalo in SE Idaho about 40 years ago. He liked the taste of 50-50 Beef- Buffalo but kept them at 25% Buffalo as they could stay in fenced areas. Even 50-50 wandered where they wanted.
If you'r ever curious about Buffalo fence, go to the National Bison Range 40 Miles N of Missoula. 2" x 12" pine and about 8 foot tall for corrals. Wire fences are close posts and tall.
If you'r ever curious about Buffalo fence, go to the National Bison Range 40 Miles N of Missoula. 2" x 12" pine and about 8 foot tall for corrals. Wire fences are close posts and tall.
About 15 years ago, 2 buddies and I were riding home from Sturgis through Yellowstone when we came across a traffic jam. Herd of about 150 bison on both sides of the road, right next to the road. Everyone had stopped as the wildlife has the right of way in the park. There were 2 huge double decker tour buses full of Japanese tourists, one bus of German tourists and about 30 or so cars, SUVs, vans and trucks. This was early August so there were young calves scattered through the herd. Small bison draw Japanese tourists like a moth to a flame. They were out and about, taking pictures of the bison as if they were fashion models. Some of them even were getting in between cows and calves. That didn't count the usual stupidity from everyone else, who were doing the same thing on a smaller scale. There was 1, count them, 1 Ranger watching the whole thing. When I opined that we were probably gonna lose some Japanese if he didn't do something, he told me that with that many people, speaking who knows what languages, and with him being alone, there wasn't much he could do. We had to make some time, so we rolled our bikes past the traffic jam and went on about our way. Luckily the bison were in a peaceful mood that day.
I started Mule pack trips from Montana 's Bear tooth Wilderness into YELLOWSTONE in 1981. A woman was gored and killed that August after she went up to Bull and kicked him to get him to stand for picture. I believe at least one person is gored every year since then.
Mostly women and usually from Ohio or New Jersey. I guess they think they are in a Petting Zoo.
Mostly women and usually from Ohio or New Jersey. I guess they think they are in a Petting Zoo.
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OP
I was once kind of force to walk by a bull elk. We went in the park by Gardner one winter to where the hot springs enters the river as wife and girls wanted to soak there. When we pulled into the parking lot there were some elk grazing in the brush around the perimeter. They were paying no attention to the people who were not bothering them or approaching them. Walked about a 1/2 mile down the trail and saw a few more elk all a ways off the path.
Wife and step daughters took off their outer clothes and went in water in swim suits. I was not that ambitious and knew it would be nippy getting out to walk back to car. I spent my time watching some more elk mixed with mule deer grazing right across the little river. Girls get done and put on their sweats and jackets and we walked back along the path which has asphalt on it near the parking lot. Go past the outhouse and right beside the path is a big bull elk, just laying there chewing his cud. On the other side of the path is a drop to the river. We could have backed up past the outhouse and cut through the brush with the other elk or just go along our way. Figuring he was relaxed and obviously really used to people we walk on by just like everyone else had. Uncomfortable. I was armed, but shooting an elk in the park would not be good and trying to do it while he was knocking you around would be worse.
In many of the inhabited parts of the park you will see elk wondering around between buildings on the streets etc. They are pretty used to people. But once again don't push them or in any way make them think your aggressive or they are cornered.
It is like the white tail that are often in my yard. They know me they are used to me, and we get along, but, I don't trust them 100% and keep an eye out. They start thumping a hoof, you need to move away. I have no doubt that if they though they were cornered they would tun right over me.
Wife and step daughters took off their outer clothes and went in water in swim suits. I was not that ambitious and knew it would be nippy getting out to walk back to car. I spent my time watching some more elk mixed with mule deer grazing right across the little river. Girls get done and put on their sweats and jackets and we walked back along the path which has asphalt on it near the parking lot. Go past the outhouse and right beside the path is a big bull elk, just laying there chewing his cud. On the other side of the path is a drop to the river. We could have backed up past the outhouse and cut through the brush with the other elk or just go along our way. Figuring he was relaxed and obviously really used to people we walk on by just like everyone else had. Uncomfortable. I was armed, but shooting an elk in the park would not be good and trying to do it while he was knocking you around would be worse.
In many of the inhabited parts of the park you will see elk wondering around between buildings on the streets etc. They are pretty used to people. But once again don't push them or in any way make them think your aggressive or they are cornered.
It is like the white tail that are often in my yard. They know me they are used to me, and we get along, but, I don't trust them 100% and keep an eye out. They start thumping a hoof, you need to move away. I have no doubt that if they though they were cornered they would tun right over me.
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Worked at the local hospital years ago when a young (about 25) lady from France was brought in after being gored. Tried to explain to her male friend why it happened. Didn't speak French, so went on my way.
wyo-man
wyo-man
I don't know what comes over people. One of my sis' while walking down the road decided it would be a good idea to walk towards a bull elk during the rut and say hi! It charged and a woman driving past used her car to block him.Maybe it was because she's a blonde?
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That'll pucker your sphincter and put your head on a swivel!
Why? I had an encounter with a bull buffalo when he was on the other side of the 'containment fence'. I am 6' tall, both of us are on level ground, and his back is blocking my view of the herd. He snorted, and I went back down the hill to the car. I know a hint when I hear one!
BLACKHAWKNJ
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How many people are scratched by erstwhile pet cats and bitten by dogs?
Nature in reality is nothing like the Disney version.
Nature in reality is nothing like the Disney version.
Many years ago in 1953, when I was 14, my mom and dad and I took a vacation trip to Yellowstone national park.
My dad was a photography enthusiast and so was I at that time. He prided himself on owning a Leica IIIF 35mm camera, which was pretty much state of the art at that time.
We drove by a meadow, and in that meadow was a lone bull bison. Dad was eager to photograph him, but wanted to get close enough so that he would not come out as just a fly speck on the picture. So he handed me his lightweight aluminum tripod and we both ventured into the meadow.
We got within about 50 yards from the bull, and dad decided that was close enough to get a fair picture.
I dont know if you might be familiar with Leica cameras of that era. They use a focal plane shutter, which is essentially a strip of black fabric with a rectangular hole in it that whips across in front of the film with amazing speed. When it completes its hell-for-leather trip, it terminates with a mechanical "whap" that you can hear from some distance. My dad often said it sounded like somebody dropped a frying pan.
Well, the bull heard it. He turned and looked at us and was not pleased that we had invaded his territory. So he did what bulls do when they perceive to have been challenged - he charged.
Dad and I both took off towards a nearby cluster of trees, reaching them just before the bull did.
I jumped over a fallen log with the tripod in my hands, and managed not to break it. I crouched down and watched my dad get behind a small tree.
For the next 5 minutes or so, my dad and the bull had a standoff, both edging around the tree that was between them. I just tried to be as quite as a mouse.
Well, we were both lucky. The bull lost interest in the contest, and went on his way back to the meadow.
We both remembered that incident for years, and told the story of our misadventure often. It was an interesting father-son bonding experience for sure.
I don't recommend disturbing these animals - from personal experience!
John
My dad was a photography enthusiast and so was I at that time. He prided himself on owning a Leica IIIF 35mm camera, which was pretty much state of the art at that time.
We drove by a meadow, and in that meadow was a lone bull bison. Dad was eager to photograph him, but wanted to get close enough so that he would not come out as just a fly speck on the picture. So he handed me his lightweight aluminum tripod and we both ventured into the meadow.
We got within about 50 yards from the bull, and dad decided that was close enough to get a fair picture.
I dont know if you might be familiar with Leica cameras of that era. They use a focal plane shutter, which is essentially a strip of black fabric with a rectangular hole in it that whips across in front of the film with amazing speed. When it completes its hell-for-leather trip, it terminates with a mechanical "whap" that you can hear from some distance. My dad often said it sounded like somebody dropped a frying pan.
Well, the bull heard it. He turned and looked at us and was not pleased that we had invaded his territory. So he did what bulls do when they perceive to have been challenged - he charged.
Dad and I both took off towards a nearby cluster of trees, reaching them just before the bull did.
I jumped over a fallen log with the tripod in my hands, and managed not to break it. I crouched down and watched my dad get behind a small tree.
For the next 5 minutes or so, my dad and the bull had a standoff, both edging around the tree that was between them. I just tried to be as quite as a mouse.
Well, we were both lucky. The bull lost interest in the contest, and went on his way back to the meadow.
We both remembered that incident for years, and told the story of our misadventure often. It was an interesting father-son bonding experience for sure.
I don't recommend disturbing these animals - from personal experience!
John
In 1973, I was driving Mrs. swsig and the kids through Yosemite Valley, when we came across some people in parked cars near the Merced River. We saw they were watching a bear cub, so we pulled over to watch, too. One stupid guy got out of his car and moved toward the cub. The cub got spooked and ran off along the bank of the Merced. The guy took out after the cub, running as fast as he could down the river bank. We watched him run after the cub until they both disappeared around a bend. I told the kids that if the cub found its mother, the stupid guy would make a nice meal for the two of them.
outta_ammo
Member
That was the exact thought I had!
HUH?
I 1st looked at the title of the thread, and said, what season is associated with long dead Head of the Luftwaffe Herman Goring?
Maybe I've read too many WWII books.
I 1st looked at the title of the thread, and said, what season is associated with long dead Head of the Luftwaffe Herman Goring?
Maybe I've read too many WWII books.
