The amount of articles I have written on this is honestly absurd. Every time I publish one I think to myself, "This will surely be the last." Alas, it seems that some people never learn. While the seasons change throughout the year, Yellowstone tourists do not. Over and over again people visiting Yellowstone National Park seem to forget that the wild animals they see are in fact wild. Watch what happens as another Yellowstone tourist gets too close to a bison.
Yellowstone Tourist Gets Too Close To Bison
When visiting the park in the winter, people assume it is just them and the vast wilderness. After all, summer is Yellowstone's peak season. However, despite the fact that there are less people in the park, you are never truly alone with the animals. That is because there are webcams set up throughout the park, so more likely than not your encounter is being recorded.
That was the case with these two Yellowstone tourists that got too close to the bison. Dale Fryling was enjoying the webcam at Old Faithful when he noticed the two brazen tourists. The pair were skiers and they were captivated by a nearby bison. The two Yellowstone tourists were definitely too close to the bison. The irony being that they were standing directly in front of a sign that warned them of the dangers of the bison.
However it did nothing to deter them. In the webcam video, Fryling can be heard saying, "Watch them get run over by a bison." While his assumption proved to be incorrect, and the bison showed restraint, it is easy to see why he assumed that would have been the outcome.
Bison Vs. Humans, Bison Always Wins
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Perhaps the reason Mr. Fryling assumed these men would get run over by a bison is because that is what typically happens. Unfortunately this is not the first time a tourist has gotten too close to a bison at the park. Cowboy State Daily shared various incidents where a Yellowstone tourist got too close to a bison and suffered the consequences.
They shared the story of an 83-year-old woman that was "gored by a bison near Yellowstone Lake in June 2024." Also, they shared the story of a 47-year-old woman who was "attacked and seriously injured by a bison near Yellowstone's Lake Lodge" in July of 2023. Additionally, it is not just Yellowstone tourists that make the mistake of getting too close to bison.
No, people all across the world make that mistake. There was one woman who was walking in Canyon State Park who didn't give the bison the required 50 yard minimum distance and she suffered the consequences. In another story, a family was enjoying a drive-through zoo when a child made the mistake of sticking his head out of the window. The problem was...he was too close to a bison. Let's just say that is an experience he will never forget.
No matter the season, people always assume that their photo op is more important than their safety. Then, they learn the hard way that in the case of bison vs. human, bison always wins.
