Tourists never learn. They see a massive, two-ton lawnmower chewing grass and think it’s a fluffy cow. It isn’t. Bison are fast, heavy, and highly unpredictable. Carl McDaniel found this out the hard way. The 65-year-old grandfather was minding his own business on July 10 at Yellowstone’s Bridge Bay Campground. Then, a giant beast decided he was target number one.
He was walking with his grandson after dinner. The kid got lucky. He escaped without a scratch. McDaniel? Not so much. The bison charged. It was instant. “They move faster than you could ever imagine,” McDaniel recalled from his hospital bed at Bozeman Health Deaconess Medical Center. He recorded a video detailing the ordeal. He looked tired. Who wouldn’t be?
Let’s talk numbers. These animals weigh up to 2,000 pounds. They stand six feet tall. They can sprint at 35 miles per hour. That is faster than Usain Bolt. You cannot outrun them. Yet, people keep getting too close. Yellowstone averages a couple of these incidents annually. Already, 2025 has seen at least two victims.
Dr. Eric Lowe, an ER physician, confirmed McDaniel suffered multiple fractures. But the victim claims the beast’s horns weren’t the worst part. It was the return to earth. “I didn’t get bruises from him launching me in air,” McDaniel said. “It was the landing that became the problem.” Gravity is a harsh mistress. Especially when you’re thrown by a prehistoric tank.
