Ornery Bison Don't Just Gore People, They Break Bones And Crush Organs

“Goring” is frequently the term used to describe what happens when a fed-up bison attacks a Yellowstone National Park tourist gets too close, conjuring up images of an enraged bison driving its horn through the victim’s torso.

In reality, “bison bludgeoning” or catastrophic “bison bashing” might be better terms to describe what happens when one of the 2,000-pound beasts decides it’s had enough of somebody invading its personal space. 

Blunt Force Trauma

Bison usually inflict injuries upon human bodies similar those that people suffer in serious vehicle crashes. 

Those include massive blunt-force trauma with multiple broken bones and crushing damage to internal organs, said an emergency physician who has treated numerous bison attack victims. 

When people do suffer skewering wounds, it’s usually in their butt cheeks because they were trying to run away from the bison, said Dr. Kirk Bollinger, who works at Cody Regional Health. 

“We see about two or three (bison attack victims) a year,” Bollinger told Cowboy State Daily. 

Things got off to an early start this tourism season. 

A 47-year-old Florida man suffered what were described as “minor injuries” May 4 when he got too close to a bison in Yellowstone’s Lake Village area and the animal turned on him, the National Park Service reports. 

Victims Sent Flying 

Bollinger said he’s yet to see a patient die from a bison attack, but the attacks are still no joke.

Bison apparently aren’t trying to impale people on their horns as the term “goring” might imply, he said. 

“I haven’t seen a lot of goring injuries where the victim’s guts are coming out,” he said.

Instead, it seems the bison usually smash into people with their massive foreheads. 

Victims are frequently “tossed about 12 feet into the air,” he said.

So, it’s a double-whammy. The massive blunt force trauma of being plowed into by a bison and sent flying into the air, followed by the impact injuries people suffer when they come crashing back down to the ground.

That results in broken bones as well as damage to internal organs that can include dangerous internal bleeding, Bollinger said.

Stomping Is The Worst

In many cases, a bison gives the victim a good basing and “then he’s done, he just goes back to feeding,” Bollinger said. 

But particularly unfortunate victims also get a stomping.

Bison stomping can cause horrific internal injuries, including such things as lacerations to the liver or severe damage to the spleen, Bollinger said.

“The big thing is the internal bleeding” that stomping can cause, he said. That often requires getting victims into emergency surgery right away. 

Another thing doctors watch out for is massive bruising to the lungs, Bollinger added. If that isn’t treated promptly, the victim’s lungs can fill with fluid, which can be life-threatening. 

Hoping It Stays Quiet

Bollinger said he wasn’t on duty when the victim of the May 4 bison attack was brought in, but he hopes things stay quiet this year. 

It’s difficult to predict during any given peak tourist season how many people will get crosswise of bison, as well grizzly bears, he said. Bears come with their own hazards.

“Grizzly attacks usually involve serious bite wounds and clawing injuries,” he said.

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.