zonatandem

While vacationing in northern Utah this summer we went on a bike ride with friends to go see a herd of buffalo (American bison) about 10 miles out of the town of Logan.
Had seen and visited this herd of about a dozen bison several times before. The were usually a hundred feet from the road in the huge fenced meadow where they grazed.
A couple males, and two calves were grazing with about 10 females.
Parked our tandem against the heavy pipe steel and chained/padlocked gate as did our friend Mike with his single bike.
Ron and Linda stayed by the road holding on to their bicycles.
The huge male meandered toward the gate as did a younger and smaller male.
The big buffalo did not seem to like Mike's colorful red flames jersey. Each time Mike moved so did the buffalo who now was standing next to the steel gate by Mike's bicycle. Mike moved toward his bike, the big fella snorted loudly while lowering his massive head.
Mike grabbed his bike and got it away from the gate.
Friend Ron said "he wont charge the gate" . . . just then bison moved fast, lowered his head and butted the heavy gate where our tandem was . . . CRASH/BANG!
Down went our tandem into the dirt. Luckily no damage done.
The younger male bison stayed a few feet behind the big fella observing the attack; Rudy grabbed the fallen tandem and retreated to the road while the buffalo turned around and went back to his harem.
Seems August is the mating season for bison and the big male was just being protective of his harem and offspring.
This huge guy weighed well over 2,000 pounds and our sub-30 lb tandem was no match for his head butting!
This sure is a bit more exciting from the usual 'the dog chased bike' event!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

2frmMI

What a great tandem story! Suitable for the oral history archives, if I might say so. Pedal on, indeed!

WillFam-Reno

I think I would have hoped I had brought a spare pair of shorts.
Tandem on!

Monoborracho

I don't think anyone makes a HALT! spray for buffalo. (Just kidding)

My experience is that buffalo are much less predictable than cattle, twice as strong per pound on the hoof, and can go wherever they want to unless you use a steel pipe fence or a really good barbed wire fence.

And, most of the time, they look mad.

fietsbob

the are Bulls, not Steers , after all .. Rocky Mountain Oysters don't come from wild Bison.

zonatandem

Stoker Kay carries and uses a shrill whistle on a lanyard around her neck to interrupt the thinking of menacing dogs chasing us.
However in this case, no amount of whistling or yelling 'get off the couch' would have dissuaded this huge beast!
Just chalk this one up to another tandem experience!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

DoubleDiamonDog

Mike got off lucky in this encounter.

It wasn't aggression that the big male was expressing, it was desire...

gracehowler

Judy and I ran across several on our S Dakota black hills trip, made her really nervous, especially the one at ten feet, but I figure if he is after you, it might mas well be a bus! Hang it up!
R&J