Brings back memories of 1988 mid Sept camped at Thermopolis, Wy, started raining that night, next morning it snowed going up to Cody.

 

That's Crazy! I've ridden in just about every weather and take the hot and cold gear... but not snow!

 

I had an EXTREMELY close encounter on my bike in Custer State Park. I wouldn't do it again. I'm sure somebody has pointed you to videos of bikers getting gored. I would be extremely careful. They're blind as a bat and mean as a snake.

 

Last time I was headed out of the park in the Lamar valley, somebody must have tagged one with a car the night before. There were broken plastic parts next to the road, and a dead one in the ditch, with it's legs pointing straight up.
I should have climbed on that one for a picture.
The car must've gotten towed, and I imagine the rangers were gonna drag the carcass out into the field away from the road, for the wolves.

 

Loud pipes save life's. this could be a time that is once again proven wrong.
We had a case here with a deer rider stooped and rev bike . Buck turned and charged him and he bike.

 

In Yellowstone, one of numerous herds I came across.

Once they were advised that I was a visiting Aussie they were good to me.

 

This is why they hand out fliers warning that many visitors get gored by buffalo every year and warning you not to approach the animals as they can be standing completely still then suddenly sprint to 30 mph.

 

That was an incredibly ******thing to do. Just a smell they don't like, someone else's dog barks, or any sound they don't like, can have those lazy-looking Buffers stomping the living hell out of a human.

 

it makes for great video though

 

I have been to YNP numerous times and also have had bison file past my bike on numerous occasions but it was always pretty uneventful. 'Buffalo Jams' are very common on the road in Yellowstone, especially in Hayden valley and near the geyser basins. They will often just stop in the road or they will use the road as a thoroughfare instead of the grass. I have only had Bison file past me once while riding through Custer Park in SD.

It can be unnerving the first time it happens, especially if the bison are running as they file past you. But as they make their way, they tend to pretty much mind their business and never seemed too interested in the other occupants on the road. I think they have become so conditioned to cars and people on the road that they don't make much of it. When they are moving down the road, they just want to get where they are going and really aren't interested in you unless you give them a reason to be so I wouldn't press your luck. It is obviously not a good idea to blip the throttle or do anything to startle them or otherwise irritate them.

Based on all the incidents in the news and from what I have seen, usually when people have problems it is because they approached the bison rather than the other way around. Bison don't like being approached nd they feel their space is being encroached upon. So when riding its a good idea not to stop close to bison unless you have no choice. If they are in the road, wait a ways back if possible for them to move out before trying to go around. But if you are stuck on the road and they file past, just sit there and you will almost surely will be fine. And there is nothing you can do anyways. There is nowhere to go when you are on a bike in the open. It really isn't much of a big deal though. Just use common sense.

FYI..if park rangers were to see you posing for a selfie with buffalo, you will will receive a rather expensive citation. And they do issue tickets. I once saw Rangers issuing a whole bunch of tickets in Yellowstone's Hayden Valley as a good number of people had walked out into a field to take photos of the bison and were within arm's length.

Also, what scares me worse than Bison are bull elk in the rut. They will attack you, your car, your bike, and anything else they dont like at any particular moment. If you go to YNP in the fall they are all over the place and a lot of people get damage to their vehicles. I would be nervous about riding a bike near them.