See it: Fisherman narrowly avoids close encounter with bison in Yellowstone

The fisherman safely walked away after nearby visitors warned him the animal was approaching from behind.

A fisherman had a rather unexpected spectator while at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  

A video taken on July 19 by Kristi Wilt, another visitor in the Lamar Valley area of the park, showed a bison slowly walking up toward the waterway a fisherman was standing at.

Since the bison approached from behind the man, he was unaware of its presence. That is, until a vehicle honked to alert him as the bison drew closer.

Others can be heard over the video yelling, “Behind you!”

The fisherman turned around, noticed the bison and waved in the direction of the person recording to thank them for the warning. He then leisurely walked away from the animal, avoiding any interaction or incident. 

“We were all so relieved as he walked like a boss, no eye contact, no fast movements, away from the bison,” Wilt told Storyful. “My family cheered as we all felt so much relief in the way he handled himself.” 

Wilt explained she was not sure whether to use her car horn to alert the man of the bovine, since it might have caused it to charge. 

“The truck behind us started honking before we did, alerting the fisherman, who later found out that it was his wife [who honked],” Wilt added. 

This encounter occurred just over a week after a 65-year-old man was tossed 8 feet into the air by a bison in a different section of Yellowstone. That person, named Carl McDaniel, was on an annual trip with his grandson, and he was hospitalized and received surgery for a broken femur. 

The National Park Service advises visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison and never approach them to take a photo. If a bison approaches or charges, visitors should walk or run away. If the animal continues to follow, they should use bear spray while retreating and taking shelter behind a nearby vehicle or tree. 

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