Bison don’t follow bus schedules, but a Sunday post to the popular Facebook page Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of the Idiots has sparked a lively debate about driving etiquette through the park’s famous bison jams.
Photos with the post show a tour bus filing out of a line of vehicles stopped for bison on the road and slowly pushing through and herding the animals off the road as it moves forward.
The driver’s action has people arguing over the proper procedures in the sticky situation of bison jams.
Rhae Cicale was driving through Yellowstone when she encountered a classic Yellowstone bison jam, as a small herd of bison loitered on a two-lane road. Traffic was stopped in both directions as most everyone patiently waited for the bison to move along.
That’s when a Bluestar tour bus crossed the double yellow line, overtook the line of vehicles ahead of it and nudged its way through the bison. The bison promptly moved off the road, and the bus continued onward.
“I’m reporting this driver and bus company," Cicale posted when she shared the photos. “We were all waiting for bison and this imbecile went on the wrong side of the road and forced the herd off the road. One of the bison jumped to get out of his way.”
The reaction to Cicale’s photos was mixed. That's a rarity in a group like Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of the Idiots, which is usually universal in its disdain for the actions posted in its feed.
Kneejerk Reaction?
Some people shared Cicale’s frustration over the bus driver’s impatience while others thought it was perfectly acceptable and compared driving through a herd of wild bison to navigating around a herd of domestic cattle.
“Those of us that have spent loads of time in the park know how to navigate through them,” said Patricia Nasby of Billings, Montana. “The smart ones know there's zero reason to wait. Those creatures will tie up traffic for hours! All the cars idling is bad for the atmosphere, (so) we're doing the planet a favor by moving through!”
Duane Wettstein, a semitruck and tour bus driver from Salt Lake City, Utah, also weighed in. In his perspective, the Bluestar bus driver was doing precisely what he should have done.
“We are instructed to do this,” he said about how to navigate around wildlife in the road. The goal is “to not add to the congestion.”
Several other people added that they've seen Yellowstone rangers execute the same maneuver in bison jams, albeit with vehicles considerably smaller than a 26.5-ton Prevost bus.
No Penalty For Interference?
There isn’t an official Yellowstone policy that specifically addresses how, or if, drivers should proceed through bear or bison jams. Seems the only thing that’s crystal clear is to not get out and approach the wildlife as photo opportunities.
The only rule posted on the National Park Service’s Yellowstone website is to “stay in your vehicle if you encounter a wildlife jam” and never park on the road or block traffic to observe wildlife.
If visitors outside their vehicles stay 25 yards away while they observe, they’re free to do so as long as they fully pull off the road. Of course, anyone closer than that is required to stay in their vehicles for their own safety.
Alvin Heggie owns local tour company Cody Shuttle and said he encounters bison jams all the time, but he never drives through them.
“That's how I interpret park policy,” he said. “Give the wildlife all the space they need. You need to stop and let the bison do their thing.”
You Should Just Wait
Heggie believes that visitors should take every precaution to minimize their impact on Yellowstone's natural environment. That includes waiting for bison to leave the road before traveling again, however long that takes.
“As commercial use authorization holders, we're obligated to not only follow the rules but, in certain circumstances, help others follow the rules,” he said. “We're not supposed to impede, force or otherwise influence wildlife behavior in any way, shape or form.”
Many websites promoting Yellowstone tourism encourage visitors to budget extra travel time, at least 30 minutes, in case of a bison jam. But tour bus drivers have schedules to keep, so it’s likely the driver of the Bluestar bus took whatever action they deemed necessary to keep traffic moving and finish their route.
Heggie hopes other tour buses don’t follow the Bluestar example. Bison jams, as long and frustrating as they can be, are part of the authentic Yellowstone experience and should be respected as such.
“While we're in the park, we can observe wildlife, but they’re supposed to have priority,” he said. “It's their home, and we’re there to visit. I don't care if there are 100 cars in front of you. Just wait.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
