The 65-year-old man who was flipped eight feet in the air by a bison this month at Yellowstone National Park shared his story from his hospital bed. Carl Isom-McDaniel broke his femur in four places, had surgery and is now recovering at a Montana hospital.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 21, 2026
“They move faster than… pic.twitter.com/oJnnVrWbzu
ADDED: Back in 2012, we went to Yellowstone, and I wrote a post, with photographs, titled "Buffalo in the Mist." In the comments, I wrote these 2 things:
1. "Driving into Yellowstone, Meade and I had a conversation about whether we preferred to say 'bison'" (the technically correct term) or 'buffalo' (the colloquial american name for the beast). We decided on buffalo. It's more American and it's just a cooler word."
2. Responding to a commenter who warned me: "Careful, Althouse. Though they look gentle, they're still wild animals and should be treated as such." I wrote: "We were on a boardwalk that is about 2 miles long. You can't go any other way (unless you go back). You can't walk on the ground. We were just trying to get back out to the parking lot, and the buffalo was right there. I was scared, but I had to walk past it. There was no other way to go. I am not one of these people who go up to the animals. I'm about photographing the landscapes."
2. Responding to a commenter who warned me: "Careful, Althouse. Though they look gentle, they're still wild animals and should be treated as such." I wrote: "We were on a boardwalk that is about 2 miles long. You can't go any other way (unless you go back). You can't walk on the ground. We were just trying to get back out to the parking lot, and the buffalo was right there. I was scared, but I had to walk past it. There was no other way to go. I am not one of these people who go up to the animals. I'm about photographing the landscapes."
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54 comments:
We need to take special precautions when it comes to people with hyphenated names.
Poor fellow though. Femur broken in four places. Wishes for speedy recovery.
Biden? On first read. Pass the coffee.
RFK’s encounter with a bison turned out differently:
https://x.com/thericanmemes/status/2078299470559592701?s=46
Seems pretty hale, I hope he makes a good recovery. It would be interesting to hear from an experienced rodeo clown, what they think their chances would have been in a similar situation.
I'm glad he survived. That was crazy.
Buffalo man was released on good behavior, with gay humor, and a conspiratorial gaffaw.
Grandfather put himself between grandchild and large, aggressive, animal. We grandfathers do things like that. The feminists call it toxic masculinity.
Seen elsewhere: “high capacity assault cow”
I’m currently listening to a podcast with a Buffalo (NY) man speaking.
I'm glad he's okay That film clip looks like something you see in a cartoon. I wouldn't wish that that Elmer Fudd.
My Amish buddy pointed to the bull in the pasture full of cows. He said bull is now docile because he’s already “finished” with all cows. This bison apparently still had work to do.
Bother the bison, get buffaloed.
Ann,
I believe "American Buffalo" and "Bison" are both acceptable names for bovine native to North America (scientific name _Bison bison_). Insisting that the American species is not a "buffalo" seems to be an unnecessarily pedantic hyper-correction. It'd be like insisting the American Robin _Turdus migratorius_ isn't a true "Robin" (family _Muscicapidae_) and so should be called "American Thrush".
See here for a brief article in support:
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-american-buffalo/is-it-bison-or-buffalo
'So, is it “buffalo” or “bison”? We think the answer is “yes” to both.'
I read some good similar information at The North American Bison Discovery Center in Jamestown, ND. I had hoped to find that online, but google didn't have it.
(Though there is plenty of contradicting hair-splitting online.)
The buffalo would've gone after him and not his grandson because he was the biggest target. I don't think that beard helped either.
Not sure whether making a run for it was the smartest thing, why not just stay in the trees?
but what a toss. He must have gone 10 feet in the air.
When we visited Yellowstone many years ago, the Bison were all over the place. I remember getting out at a small store, and there was one under a tree not far away. Fortunately it decided to ignore us entirely.
Roy Orbison
Wolfgang Van Halen
Anna Mae Bullock
Joe Cocker
Carlos Santana
There's your Connections list (for now)
Jeez the < /b > doesn't work does it?
Sorry
"I believe "American Buffalo" and "Bison" are both acceptable names for bovine native to North America (scientific name _Bison bison_). Insisting that the American species is not a "buffalo" seems to be an unnecessarily pedantic hyper-correction..."
I agree and it's why I went ahead with the tag in that form in the first place. I know it's "bison" but it seems like a pain to say that. In American culture, it's "buffalo." In science, it's bison.
Don't be bold
there was a farmer, over by Boone Iowa; that had a Buffalo fenced in a field. There were signs on the fence, that said:
Can YOU run across the length of this field in 10 seconds?
The BUFFALO CAN
That's all they said.. it was all it needed to say
I assume U.N.C.L.E. Is monitoring the American Thrush’s activities.
Heh. "Roy, or Bison."
That suggests a new game: Roy or Bison? Maybe that creative AI we keep hearing about can take it from there. I think most of us use the terms buffalo and bison interchangeably. My hunch was bison raised for steak and buffalo were wild. You know, roaming.
A bison by any other name would be just as dangerous.
Bison seems to be more accurate, but Buffalo is the popular label.
Yes a helluva toss. Was he as reported protecting his grandson?
Bison? No
Bigrandson.
We know bison ranchers. They never identify as buffalo ranchers. Don’t know why.
Nice!
When Ted Turner and Jane Fonda invaded our privacy by sitting behind me and my friend in an empty, cavernous restaturant in Cabbagetown, Atlanta, where I lived, I felt entitled to eavesdrop, especially as they were being performative and really loud and were listening to us talk about film editing. Ted was very depressed. He kept telling Jane *Nobody loves me but my Buffalo,* as he ate a Buffalo burger. Then he yelled at her for not eating enough, while she picked at a poached skinless chicken breast with her salad dressing on the side.
Maybe the Buffalo really were his only friends.
Buffalo Soldjah, fond of pasta
There was a Buffalo Soldjah
In the heart of the Jellystone
Dependin’ on Medicare, let’s see how he fares
Taken for a rival, running for survival
h/t Bob Marley
RCOCEAN II said...
"but what a toss. He must have gone 10 feet in the air."
Right now grampa is in the lead on points. But the season isn't over yet.
My money is on a foreign tourist next time. Preferably a German one.
It was a spectacular flip, unfortunately the old dude failed to stick the landing. He got what he deserve though and failed to heed the proper response: stop, drop and roll
"Grandfather put himself between grandchild and large, aggressive, animal. We grandfathers do things like that. The feminists call it toxic masculinity."
That was the first thing I thought of when I saw that - good for the old guy protecting his kin.
I was once driving over a bridge at duck in Yellowstone in a rented 4-door sedan when a bison wandered onto the bridge from the other side and started casually strolling towards us. He was significantly bigger than the car.
RCOCEAN II said...
Bison? No
Bigrandson.
Does a bicycle pedal both ways?
Rustygrommet said...
Right now grampa is in the lead on points. But the season isn't over yet. My money is on a foreign tourist next time. Preferably a German one.
Hopefully not Freddy. I’ve taken a liking to that guy.
The Buffalo Bisons are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Field, the highest-capacity Triple-A ballpark in the United States.
In culture, it's buffalo but at Ted's Montana Grill, it's bison. Sometimes life can be confusing.
Nobody asked Bison Man if he ran into Ozone Man Al Gore?
Bison Man was in the neighborhood. Just saying.
“My tag for bison is "buffalo." Sorry. I know it's a bison.”
Good grief. You’re starting to sound like one of those “That’s not a robin, it’s a thrush!” people. Don’t become one of them. Nobody likes them.
When I first visited Yellowstone, I found the "Please do not feed the bison" signs to be endlessly amusing. Sometimes the human herd needs a little thinning.
I think the buffalo pic is one of Althouse's best photos, by the way.
On one of my Yellowstone trips, we were stuck in a buffalo traffic jam--it was mating season, when the males impress the females by throwing themselves down and rolling around in the dust. Those guys definitely had the right of way--their heads were bigger than my car windows.
Same trip, we saw a grizzly (!) retreating in shame over a hill. It thought it'd be a good idea to pick off a calf from a small herd. A couple of the mommas said, not so fast, bub.
Yellowstone National Park has places named "Buffalo Meadow", "Buffalo Pool" and the Lamar "Buffalo Ranch. I ret my case.
'bison' .. 'buffalo' ... I prefer to say Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum. And still stay way from the Bison/Buffalo... and yes Buffalo is the correct term.
Love the picture of the Buffalo. It reminds me of my childhood visit to Yellowstone. We saw a buffalo in a big corral with wooden fences, so we got inside the fence to take a better look. My mother made sure we didn't get too far. When the "Bison" charged we scampered back. What a thrill when you're 10 years old. OMG, we were charged by a buffalo.
Of course, we were in no real danger. We also fed the bears by giving them food through the car window. Which I think they stopped in the 80s.
BTW, someone mentioned buffalo meat. I've tried it, but it doesn't taste any better than beef, and its more expensive.
A new Olympic event. The buffalo toss. Those who stay alive and uninjured win.
I'm glad they didn't destroy the animal.
I think the guy's beard triggered the animal.
yet - who knows?
The animals probably get sick of the humans.
I know I would.
Coincidently my last name on my mother's father side is Bisonó.
ai says : "No, there is no biological or historical connection between the Hispanic last name Bisonó and the bison animal species."
"The surname Bisonó is overwhelmingly prominent in the Dominican Republic and has French roots."
"The French Root: It is a localized, Hispanicized adaptation of the French surnames Bissoneau or Bissoneaux.
"The Topographic Meaning: These French names are diminutive forms of Bisson, an Old French topographic name meaning "bush" or "scrub". The original bearers of the name likely lived near an area thick with brush."
I've been in a stopped van, one of a hundred or so vehicles, on a road in Yellowstone as the local buffalo herd crossed among us, heading for their evening pasture. Some walked, some trotted, a few bellowed. We closed the sliding side door whenever one got close, just in case, not that they couldn't still headbutt the heck out of our rental. They are very large. Let me emphasize that, again. They are VERY LARGE.
Buffaloed in Buffalo
Entertained in Houston
I say Buffalo-buffalo-bison. Thanks Christopher Robin.
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