The Bison Nearly Took Him Out!

[Anonymous]

We have bison in my area and I've been fortunate to tag along on a few hunts.

Yep, bison of both flavors are big....but with straight shooting it generally isn't that dramatic. Like moose, they rarely drop to the shot but they don't generally go terribly far either when hit well.

People sometimes think they're like hunting some random beef cattle...that is not the case. They are fast and in areas they're hunted- they run at the first sound of an engine. Despite their size, I've never really considered them particularly dangerous. Their disposition is such that I tend to be more cautious of cow moose. Bison either tend to be 1)not interested in you or 2)running flat out.

Our recent woods bison transplants are doing quite well with minimal losses and a good spring calving season. Not quite a huntable population...but in a few years some limited draws are likely.

 

[Blkram]

The bison in northeastern BC for the most part are actually Plains Bison that were initially transplanted into the Sikanni area by two outfitters in the 80's (I believe this the correct timeframe) in order to build herds for their European ans American clients to hunt. Unfortunately (depending on your point of view!) the bison escaped their fenced enclosures and were ubable to be rounded up and put back in their enclosures. There have been a few Woods Bison transplanted further north (close to the Yukon border), and are doing well there, but as far as I know are not huntable yet.

It is amazing, but the majority of these animals can be found high on the mountains most of the year, where you would expect to find caribou, mule deer and even stone's sheep.

In BC, if an animal is not able to be recaptured within 60 days, it becomes the property of the Crown (government). The herds did very well and expanded thier numbers until the government introduced a limited entry draw for them in the early/mid 90's. This hunt typically runs from Dec into Feb and is done via snowmobile most years (dependant upon snow), and cold temps.

I have been fortunate enough to have harvested 5 of these animals over the years. (And assisted on two other harvests). I have used the 300 Win Mag with 180 gr Partitions, the 338 Win Mag with 210 gr Partitions and the 376 Steyr with 260 gr AccuBonds.

I prefer a larger caliber, with extra mass and energy for these animals. My first bull weighed about 2500 lbs and took 9 rounds from my 300 to finish. I Learned alot from that hunt and examining the animal while butchering it! Most of the shots were good into the vitals, but not all. My first was a bit forward and broke the front shoulder, but did not make it into the vitals. 2 others were just a bit high and too far forward in the chest cavity and were beneath the spine and just above the lungs. Once they are wounded and have their adrenaline up, they can be very tenacious of life! Also, a round from 20 yards between the eyes (like you would do to stun a cow) did not penetrate through that thick hair and hide! It took a finishing shot behind the ear to do it. The only complete pass through that I have had was a broadside double lung shot with the 376 at 200 yards (one shot kill).

There have been other buffalo farms in the Peace River region that have had some of their bison escape over the years. If the owners cannot round them up, they will enlist hunters to help harvest these animals before they cause damages that the owners can be liable for. Mike and I each took a bison from such a herd in 2007.

The minimum required caliber in BC for bison is .308 with a minimum 175 gr bullet (gov't specs; what do they know about ballistics! LOL) and 2000 ft-lbs of energy at the target. For archery, a 50# draw weight and a minimum 7/8" cut broadhead is required.

A bison's vitals are lower and further back than most people would imagine, but do not extend further back than the transition line of thick shaggy hair and the the short hair of the rear half of their bodies. For an animal that can weigh over 2500 lbs, and can be 48" deep through the chest, they have a small vitals area. The hump does have the long spine bones projecting high above the actual spinal cord, and a hit to these bones can knock an animal down initially, but they will recover shortly, get up and be gone in short order while the hunter is celebrating his "quick kill" in error. Many people hit them high or too far back and results in wounded animals that can be very aggressive. And they are fast. Do not under estimate these animals, as those wounded on hunts and in parks have learned the hard way! Try to keep your shots in the thick hair just behind the shoulder, about 1/3 of the way up the body.

And until you have seen it first hand, you would never think it, but bison can and will stot somewhat like a mule deer while escaping up mountainsides! Quite a sight! And they can cover that ground quickly!

 

[Blkram]

Their have been many hunters that have successfully harvested bison with a bow, including longbows! It would be quite an adventure!

A friend of mine harvested a farm bison bull that was being culled by the farmer, with his compound bow, and it took 3 arrows. He was actually disappointed in how long it took the animal to expire from the 3 lung shots, and remarked that he would use a rifle if ever getting the draw for the Pink Mtn hunt.

Only proves that every animal is different, and no two animals react to a good shot in the exact same manner.

 

[JD338]

It's a statistic every year from Yellowstone National Park, that more people are hurt by the wild Bison than any other animal in the park.
Also, in Custer State Park, outside Custer S. Dakota, more people are hurt by Bison than any other animal in the park as well.

American Bison are no joke!
They're dangerous people!

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The Bison or the people are dangerous?

JD338

 

[Richracer1]

It's a statistic every year from Yellowstone National Park, that more people are hurt by the wild Bison than any other animal in the park.
Also, in Custer State Park, outside Custer S. Dakota, more people are hurt by Bison than any other animal in the park as well.

American Bison are no joke!
They're dangerous people!

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

The Bison or the people are dangerous?

JD338

The people are dangerous......There was a report last year of a Yellowstone Park tourist who saw a calf bison by itself and thought it was cold, so he loaded it up in his hatchback type SUV and took it to the Park Rangers.....The rangers tried to get it back to the herd, but none of the cows would accept it, it was later put down. Oh the outrage of this guys stupidity was flying ..........