I am going to call this a cautionary tale. If only it were a tale. Here's how it went down...
I was traveling from Jackson Hole to Lava Mountain Lodge, my next destination outside of Dubois, WY. My heart was whole, and I was reminiscing about the incredible experiences I had there while I was driving by the Tetons. Life was good! I came around a curve and saw several cars pull to the road's side. I have learned that this means there is probably something to see. So Fern and I pulled over, and I walked towards a pasture.
There I saw him. This magnificent bison. He was in a pasture full of horses with the Tetons in the background. So picturesque! There were people taking pictures of him, so of course, I joined in. I HAD walked all the way down here.
“Now, for context, in my mind, this bison is part of the farm family. He lives with the horses in this pasture. This is his home."
So I continued to take pictures and videos of him. He was very entertaining. It was almost like he knew we were delighted. Then, he walked even closer to the fence. The man standing next to me and I were very excited and moved in to get an even better picture... Of course! We were about 5 feet from him when he got to the fence and stood for a few minutes. Then, without any fanfare, he jumped over the fence next to us in one leap!
I believe the words, "Oh Shit!" came out of my mouth. Then he slowly turned and looked directly into my eyes for what seemed like 20 minutes but was probably more like a minute. He then slowly turned away and ran towards the highway. We definitely had a moment when he looked inside me and said, "I see you, but I'm not going to kill you. Now go do something amazing with your life! (I added the last part, but I think he would have said that had he stayed longer.) The man beside me was very kind and said, "If he decided to charge, I would have given you a head start." 😊
But that wasn't even the end of what happened at that stop! I was walking back to the highway when I heard a voice say, "Hey, Jamie!" I thought to myself, "I just had a near-death experience. Is this God talking to me because who else could it be?" I looked up and saw a man hanging out the window of a truck in the middle of the road, holding up traffic, saying, "Did you get the shot?" I was flabbergasted! "I said, "I sure did!" I met a man named Jim and his wife the day before at my campsite in Jackson Hole. I couldn't believe, one, that he remembered me; two, that he recognized me on the side of the road; and three, he stopped traffic to ask if I "Got the shot." lol It is such a small world!
I learned from this experience that Bison, at least in this part of the world, are not part of the "farm family" and will jump a fence at a moment's notice to travel beyond the parameters of the pasture. One should be prepared for that!
Stay Wild 🌿
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