Yellowstone traffic nightmare

Passepartout · Jul 18, 2015

Talking to friends last night, who'd just come from Yellowstone. As they approached Madison Junction from the North, a Bison was just sauntering along the middle of the road. A Ranger was trying to manage traffic which was backed up for miles to the North. As the bison got to the junction, it decided to head toward W. Yellowstone. Traffic was backed up out the Park entrance and through town. Over 12 miles. Yellowstone is experiencing unprecedented visitor volume this year- probably due to cheap (relatively) gas prices and pent-up demand.

If you're coming to Yellowstone/Glacier/Grand Teton this summer, keep your impatience in check. There's a lot of us and we're loving the parks to death.

Jim

Timeshare Von · Jul 18, 2015

Passepartout said:
Talking to friends last night, who'd just come from Yellowstone. As they approached Madison Junction from the North, a Bison was just sauntering along the middle of the road. A Ranger was trying to manage traffic which was backed up for miles to the North. As the bison got to the junction, it decided to head toward W. Yellowstone. Traffic was backed up out the Park entrance and through town. Over 12 miles. Yellowstone is experiencing unprecedented visitor volume this year- probably due to cheap (relatively) gas prices and pent-up demand.

If you're coming to Yellowstone/Glacier/Grand Teton this summer, keep your impatience in check. There's a lot of us and we're loving the parks to death.

Jim

And please . . . respect the regulations on how close you can get to the wildlife! There have already been several incidents including bisons goring visitors who are stupid, trying to get photos with smartphones and iPads. If you want photos, get a decent camera and be sure to be a safe distance from the animals!

Here's a great article that EVERY visitor to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP should have to read.

Ty1on · Jul 18, 2015

Timeshare Von said:
And please . . . respect the regulations on how close you can get to the wildlife! There have already been several incidents including bisons goring visitors who are stupid, trying to get photos with smartphones and iPads. If you want photos, get a decent camera and be sure to be a safe distance from the animals!

Here's a great article that EVERY visitor to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP should have to read.

Darwin Theory! More jobs and food for the rest of us!!!

Timeshare Von · Jul 19, 2015

Ty1on said:
Darwin Theory! More jobs and food for the rest of us!!!

Unfortunately, when people do stupid things and the animals react like . . . well . . . like animals should . . . they are usually the ones that lose their lives!

Feeding and approaching animals cannot be tolerated . . . ever!

DaveNV · Jul 19, 2015

Nonthinking tourists in places like Yellowstone often mistake the animal's lack of fear for tameness. Just because an animal doesn't run away from you doesn't mean it wants to be your friend.

It definitely is a Darwin Award moment, but it isn't the animal's fault if people do stupid stuff. I'll never forget the idiot I saw trying to put his toddler on the back of a bison so they could get a picture. Incredible!

Dave

Ty1on · Jul 19, 2015

Timeshare Von said:
Unfortunately, when people do stupid things and the animals react like . . . well . . . like animals should . . . they are usually the ones that lose their lives!

Feeding and approaching animals cannot be tolerated . . . ever!

I agree with this, of course.

MuranoJo · Jul 20, 2015

BMWguynw said:
Nonthinking tourists in places like Yellowstone often mistake the animal's lack of fear for tameness. Just because an animal doesn't run away from you doesn't mean it wants to be your friend.

It definitely is a Darwin Award moment, but it isn't the animal's fault if people do stupid stuff. I'll never forget the idiot I saw trying to put his toddler on the back of a bison so they could get a picture. Incredible!

Dave

Geez, was anyone yelling at the guy to get away and stop this idiot act?

I realize some may not agree with me, but I have never felt it was right to kill a wild animal when people are hurt or killed when they encroach on the animal's territory. An animal who has a lack of fear of humans is likely a more dangerous animal.

Ty1on · Jul 20, 2015

MuranoJo said:
Geez, was anyone yelling at the guy to get away and stop this idiot act?

I realize some may not agree with me, but I have never felt it was right to kill a wild animal when people are hurt or killed when they encroach on the animal's territory. An animal who has a lack of fear of humans is likely a more dangerous animal.

Think of the politics involved. Any law enforcement or wildlife official would lose his job due to popular uproar if the "offending" animal weren't put down but they instead explained that the "victim" had encroached on the animal's territory.

MuranoJo · Jul 20, 2015

Ty1on said:
Think of the politics involved. Any law enforcement or wildlife official would lose his job due to popular uproar if the "offending" animal weren't put down but they instead explained that the "victim" had encroached on the animal's territory.

Of course, I understand--you are 'preaching to the choir'. Politics rule. That doesn't make it right, which is why I posted that not all will agree with me. Meanwhile, there are signs all over the place to respect distance with wildlife, yet idiots just do idiotic things.

Timeshare Von · Jul 20, 2015

From The Everglades

Amazing how ignorant folks can be. He was trying to pose so his wife could take his photo with this gator.

shagnut · Jul 21, 2015

I hope things will be calmed down by sept. Hopefully less tourists. Dumb ass question. If I am driving down the road and a bison decides he wants the road can I go around it if it is safe. How do u let a ranger know of animal traffic??

DaveNV · Jul 21, 2015

shagnut said:
I hope things will be calmed down by sept. Hopefully less tourists. Dumb ass question. If I am driving down the road and a bison decides he wants the road can I go around it if it is safe. How do u let a ranger know of animal traffic??

It'll be your judgment call whether to try and drive around them in the roadway. The roads are kind of narrow, and most don't have a shoulder. If a bison wants to take a break in front of you, there may not be anything you can do but wait.

But my experience is that most bison don't stand IN the roadway - they travel across the roadway, along the side of the roadway, and generally just want to get from Point A to Point B, which may or may not include crossing over the roadway.

Chances are you'll be in a line of cars if there is an animal traffic jam, so you may not have an option to go around.

You don't need to notify the Rangers about animals in the roadway. They don't generally care, unless there is something really major going on. And odds are by the time they got to the location, the animals would have moved on anyway. Cell phone service in the Park is spotty, at best.

You're going to have a ton of fun in September. Great time to visit!

Dave

easyrider · Jul 29, 2015

The 75th Sturgis bike rally is coming up. Many of these bikes will be passing through the Yellowstone area in the next few weeks.

http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/

Bill

Timeshare Von · Jul 30, 2015

shagnut said:
I hope things will be calmed down by sept. Hopefully less tourists. Dumb ass question. If I am driving down the road and a bison decides he wants the road can I go around it if it is safe. How do u let a ranger know of animal traffic??

No need to let the rangers know . . . they happen daily, throughout the park where the bison roam.

Sometimes the bison "jam" looks like this:

. . . and other times, they may stay to the side/shoulder of the road:

During rut, the bulls may joust anywhere in the park:

One my my favorite photos from inside of the jam . . . no vehicles were moving because there were bison EVERYwhere!

DaveNV · Jul 30, 2015

Great pictures, Von!

Dave

Greg G · Jul 30, 2015

Wow, Yvonne, great pictures. Two bulls fighting right on the road. That's definitely a case where you wouldn't want to try to sneak around them with your vehicle

Greg

easyrider · Jul 30, 2015

WOW. Nice pictures !!! I wonder where the tourist is that needs the selfie of themself and the bison butting heads.

Bill

Greg G · Jul 30, 2015

Along those same lines, in Glacier National Park I saw a couple taking a selfie way up on Going to the Sun Road with the mountains in the background standing on the stone guard rail where it was almost a sheer drop off on the other side. One minor distraction, you lose your balance, and over the side you go.

Greg

Timeshare Von · Jul 31, 2015

Thanks for the kind words about the photos I shared.

Speaking of dumb people with cameras . . .

This couple was trying to get photos of a black bear with two first year cubs. The bears were less than 10 yards away, having slipped into the brush immediately in front of them. (Yellowstone 2012)

uop1497 · Aug 1, 2015

Last year, when our family visited Yellowstone Park . We stop our car because of a group of bison stand on the side of the road. Then a couple of them began walk onto the road . Then more bison followed to cross the road.

Suddenly, one a large bison walked across in front of our car . WE were excited to saw it in very close view , but I felt very uncomfortable . I was worried that just one wrong move, the bison may react wildly and it could damage the rental car . I asked my husband to back up the car a little . And DH told me to look behind our car. As I turned my head, I saw another Bison stood on the road, next to the car's trunk . Our car was sandwich between 2 large bisons

Oh boy, I felt very nervous the whole time . Maybe only 15- 20 minutes long for the bison to move on, but it seems like many hours .

We love to see wild animals, but prefer not that close .

Timeshare Von · Aug 2, 2015

uop1497 said:
Last year, when our family visited Yellowstone Park . We stop our car because of a group of bison stand on the side of the road. Then a couple of them began walk onto the road . Then more bison followed to cross the road.

Suddenly, one a large bison walked across in front of our car . WE were excited to saw it in very close view , but I felt very uncomfortable . I was worried that just one wrong move, the bison may react wildly and it could damage the rental car . I asked my husband to back up the car a little . And DH told me to look behind our car. As I turned my head, I saw another Bison stood on the road, next to the car's trunk . Our car was sandwich between 2 large bisons

Oh boy, I felt very nervous the whole time . Maybe only 15- 20 minutes long for the bison to move on, but it seems like many hours .

We love to see wild animals, but prefer not that close .

While riding in a truck with my friend Nancy, as we approached the bison jam she told me not to look them in the eye as that would be considered challenging them and they might attack the car. Nothing happened, but I did chuckle about it.

I am always way more fearful of the elk, especially the males at rut in the fall. There are dozens of videos on YouTube of them ramming vehicles in Yellowstone NP.

DaveNV · Aug 2, 2015

Timeshare Von said:
I am always way more fearful of the elk, especially the males at rut in the fall. There are dozens of videos on YouTube of them ramming vehicles in Yellowstone NP.

I've seen that happen at Mammoth Hot Springs, at the north end of the Park. Stupid tourists pulled up way too close to a rutting elk, who decided their car was a great jousting opponent. I doubt the insurance company was pleased with the damage.

Dave

MuranoJo · Aug 3, 2015

DH was at a fishing area near Yellowstone, but out of the park, and was headed home (slowly on a dirt road) in his pickup. A large bull elk came out of the brush and started running alongside the pickup and whacking it with his antlers.
Luckily, no real damage to the P/U nor the elk and he fairly quickly just retreated.

shagnut · Aug 3, 2015

Hmmm, this might be a most interesting adventure!! Yvonne, love the pics.

shaggy

Yellowstone traffic nightmare

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

Timeshare Von

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Ty1on

Timeshare Von

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DaveNV

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Ty1on

MuranoJo

Ty1on

MuranoJo

Timeshare Von

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shagnut

DaveNV

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easyrider

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Timeshare Von

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DaveNV

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Greg G

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easyrider

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Greg G

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Timeshare Von

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uop1497

Timeshare Von

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DaveNV

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MuranoJo

shagnut