Beware of Cow Elk in Yellowstone
Elk
Two cow elk with calf's have put two women in the hospital. One critical. in separate happenings in Yellowstone Park By Mammoth Hotel.
You can’t fix stupid! I’m sorry they were injured, but where the hell has common sense gone? People need to realize “Bambi” isn’t reality! They’re called wild animals for a reason. A couple years ago in Yellowstone, we came around a corner to a line of stopped cars. A bull buffalo was maybe 20yds off the road, and more than one knucklehead was less than 10yds from him taking selfies. We left, since I didn’t want the family to experience “death by wild animal” in person.
Yes they are not even nice to their own. Watched a cow and about a 4 month old calf battle over a bale of alfalfa that had fallen onto the side of a road. The mother would rear up on her hind legs and flail with the front when ever the calf would get close to the bale. Every time the calf tried to sneak in and get a bite to chew it would get clobbered by the mother. Even after the mother had eaten her fill she would not let the calf eat.
Terry
Last time I was in Yellowstone in that same spot, people were crowding the elk. A ranger was telling everyone to keep a safe distance. Literally as soon as he turned his back, people 5 feet behind him would start in towards the elk again. It was impressive how stupid people are
There's been elk incidences in the past, but I wonder if the remaining elk moms are getting more violently protective of their young due to the bear/wolf pressure.
They ought to just put big signs over the entrances that say, "WILD ANIMALS WILL KILL YOU!" and then just let nature do its thing.
Had a ranger tell me the dumbest thing he ever saw was a mom smearing honey on her kids cheek so she could get a picture of a bear licking her sons cheek! True story told to me by a ranger in Yellowstone.
Lee
The real problem is they're NOT wild animals. They're PARK animals.
They may live in a park, but they’re still wild animals. Granted, a wild animal that’s been conditioned to people, but still wild. That potentially makes them even more dangerous when confronted by stupid and/or naive people.
I'm shocked...did either of these incidents involve elk-selfies?
Was in Yellowstone with the family several years ago, up in Mamoth. There was a herd of elk in town, which is normal. There was a cow/calf pair and some idiot was telling his daughter to get near the calf so he could take a picture. She edged closer and the cow barked, she edged closer and the cow stood and faced her.
I told the Dad "get her our of there before she gets stomped on by an elk" He stared at me like I was the idiot, so I pointed to the cow staring at his daughter. He got the hint and puller her out of there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmjyPu1UoXI
A better warning would be: Beware of humans who have watched too many Disney films.
The first time we visited Yellowstone, as we were going out the south side, we saw a cow moose and her calf on the side of the road. Of course there were twenty or so cars already stopped. My wife, sis-in-law, and my son were with me. I told them before we got out of my truck to pay attention and do exactly what I said, and when. Sure enough, someone crowded mama and her baby, and when I saw her ears fold back I told my bunch to hit the truck. She made a pass at the few that were closest, one of them fell down, and for a minute I thought he was gonna get his ass stomped, but she just turned back to her baby when she put them on the run. I laughed ! I was raised on a dairy, and knew that the old cow that you fed and milked every day would put you over the fence when that calf was a few hours old, especially if it was her first or second baby. Wild is wild !
But thier so cute and the babies are so cute tool ol. So cute when they are stomping your ass into the ground.
"Hank Patterson's 6 simple steps to surviving Yellowstone"......................................HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and SO true! ;-)
In an open meadow in Yellowstone, I have seen a large crowd completely encircle three bedded bull elk with some people getting as close as 10 yards. This was in early July. Some people are just nuts.
"People need to realize “Bambi” isn’t reality!"
"Beware of humans who have watched too many Disney films."
The lack of insight here is astounding. While Disney's portrayal of "wild" animals doesn't help, neither do our National Parks. Clueless city dwellers come to our parks and see cute, "friendly", approachable "wild" animals. When was the last time you were able to walk up to a wild elk in the open, or even sneak up on one? Is it any wonder these people have an unrealistic view of hunting? Who could possibly enjoy "hunting" when it's so easy to approach such trusting, friendly animals, just waiting to be befriended? Calling them wild animals is a stretch. Our parks have become just one step away from petting zoos.
I've also seen plenty of idiots in Yellowstone, but FWIW I believe one of the recent "stompees" was a park employee simply walking back to her car after work.
It always pays to keep your head on a swivel even when you're minding your own business and not trying to take a selfie, pet a "cute" animal, or whatever.
"They ought to just put big signs over the entrances that say, "WILD ANIMALS WILL KILL YOU!" and then just let nature do its thing."
This ^^^^^^^^^^
Wyobullshooter, now a bison has gored a woman who got too close. https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2018-06-07/bison-gores-woman-in-yellowstones-3rd-recent-animal-attack
Unfortunately, it doesn't surprise me. I don't give a damn how you want to spin it, these are still wild animals with wild animal instincts. As I said before, they've become accustomed to humans, just like griz, which makes them even more dangerous. I think Idlyll has the possible solution with the signs, but even that isn't infallible. Apparently, at least one of the women attacked by the elk were minding their own business and just happened to walk into the situation.
Like they always say you can't fix stupid.
Honey on the kids cheeks! That is stupid of the stupid. Oh my God!
"Honey on the kids cheeks! That is stupid of the stupid. Oh my God!"
But Yogi and Boo Boo would never hurt anyone!!!! Just keep your pick-a-nic basket away from them:)
I don't know about the bison incident, but neither of the elk attacks were selfie-related or dumb-Disney related, as far as I can tell. I grew up with the second woman, Penny. She said she simply turned a blind-corner behind the building she was staying in on her way somewhere and the elk was right there defending the calf she had hidden there. Sounds like the other victim was walking through the parking lot of the same place (where she worked) and a cow had stashed her calf between cars when the lady was surprise-jumped. We maybe oughtta hold back with knee-jerk reactions when it comes to elk attacks, politics, or anything else. Not fair to these ladies, and not the best way to make decisions.
So the elk are hanging tight to the people to keep away from the wolves it would appear.
There were plenty of elk hanging around mammoth before the wolves were reintroduced to the park
Oh man. I’m in Jackson right now. Was headed back to town from Grand Teton and some idiot slammed on his brakes and stopped dead in a busy highway because someone had just hit a coyote.
He stopped for a good two minutes. Crying I guess. At one point the coyote twitched, and during my curse tirade I yelled out “it’s still alive, someone run over it again”
My 5 year old daughter shouted “it’s just a dead coyote!”
People . . . .
