In March Pierce Brosnan resolved that little misunderstanding he had with Yellowstone National Park. You remember, the “recollections may vary” moment where he originally pleaded Not Guilty to trespassing on a protected thermal spring area, despite photographic evidence to the contrary, so then he finally apologized, pleaded Guilty, and paid a fine? Well for this month’s installment of Shenanigans Going Down at Yellowstone National Park, I present to you Clarence Yoder and McKenna Bass of Idaho Falls, Idaho. While on an inebriated perusal of the park where Bass was behind the wheel of their car, Yoder exited the vehicle to interact with the wildlife. And by “interact with,” I mean he kicked one bison and further harassed a whole herd before he was stopped by his own injuries and the rangers stepping in. I call this episode, FAFO: Cattle Edition.
An Idaho man has been arrested on an alcohol-related crime and other related charges after he was accused of kicking a bison at Yellowstone National Park.
The man, 40-year-old Clarence Yoder of Idaho Falls, approached a bison within 25 yards on April 21 and was injured after he “harassed a herd of bison” and kicked an animal in the leg, according to a statement from the park.
The incident occurred on the West Entrance Road near the Seven Mile Bridge, 7 miles east of Yellowstone’s West Entrance. Rangers found Yoder and the vehicle’s driver, McKenna Bass, 37, also of Idaho Falls, near the West Entrance and stopped them in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana.
Yoder was hurt in the bison encounter, the park said, and was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, where he was evaluated, treated and released before being taken to the Gallatin County Detention Center.
He was arrested and is charged with being under the influence of alcohol to a degree that may endanger oneself, disorderly conduct as to create or maintain a hazardous condition, approaching wildlife and disturbing wildlife, the park said in a statement.
Bass was also arrested and charged with driving under the influence, interference for failure to yield to emergency light activation, and disturbing wildlife.
Yoder and Bass appeared in court April 22 and pleaded not guilty. According to Yellowstone, each violation can result in fines of up to $5,000 and six months in jail.
The incident remains under investigation, Yellowstone said.
The incident was the first report of a visitor injured by bison this year, Yellowstone said. The last reported incident was July 17, 2023 the only incident reported last year. Three incidents that caused injuries were reported in 2022.
I’m with the bison! For beef’s sake, we’ve decimated the species to practically nothing; leave them alone on their designated grounds! Yellowstone in particular is the only place in the US where bison have continuously lived since prehistoric times. You don’t assault and harass someone in their own home! Yes, I watched all four hours of the Ken Burns documentary, and my heart wept for how we’ve treated the shaggy, humpbacked beasts. I’m generally not a vindictive person, but I hope Yoder & Bass each get the full fines and sentences. They were a danger to themselves, the animals, and other humans they could’ve encountered. As a side note, is it me or do the names of these miscreants fit well with their roles in this story? Something about the cadence of McKenna Bass & Clarence Yoder is reminding me of Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow. Only instead of robbing banks, this duo were robbing bison of some peace and quiet! Good grief, between this and puppy/goat-killer Governor Kristi Noem, it really has been an abysmal week in animal news.
This isn’t the man in the story:
Header image credit Ralph on Pexels. Other images via Instagram/Tourons of Yellowstone
I just need to know that his injuries came from the bison getting him back. But the article doesn’t specify that so I’m assuming his drunk-ass just tripped and fell and that’s how he sustain his injuries. I hope the fines and any jail time is enough to deter others from following these two bozos.
As a non “animal person” it hurts to hear that he kicked one of those poor creatures. I’m sorry to hear that he only sustained “minor” injuries. Unless I missed something, the fact that he wasn’t charged with animal abuse makes me think that he’ll be treated somewhat leniently in the courts too.
There’s videos circulating. Looks like he tripped & fell when the Bison started to chase him and then the Bison gores him a little. Not enough imo. The Bison was clearly not trying to hurt him, just getting him to leave them alone. What an idiot.
Anytime I’ve been to Yellowstone, the animals seem fairly chill unless people mess with them or get too close.
‘Gores him a little’. 😮. Yikes! But seriously, what an idiot. Both of them. I haven’t been to Yellowstone, but I’ve been to Teddy Roosevelt NP in neighboring North Dakota, where there are signs all along the road that say please don’t stop your cars, please remain in your car, etc. etc. & people, like these dummies, stop their cars, get out of their cars, etc. etc.
And buffalo are mainly chill, they’re standing around grazing or lying in the shade, chewing their cud, but if threatened? They’re bigger than you, faster than you, & check out the horns in the top photo!
Idiots. These guys are lucky to be alive. After this week of animal abuse, I’m fine with the animals fighting back!
Yes, it would have been a real shame if those two were taken out of the gene pool.
Reason #3,675 why I’d choose to be out there with a bear instead.
So these guys were just racking up poor decision after poor decision, combined with truly horrendous values:
Grown ass men day drinking – which, fine
… to the point of being intoxicated, in public (public drunkeness)
… while operating a motor vehicle (endangering themselves)
… on public roadways (endangering others)
… entering a national park in that condition (disrespecting a gorgeous natural place, possible degrading the experience for other visitors, being self centered maroons)
… getting out of the vehicle to approach wildlife (breaking laws, endangering themselves, disturbing wildlife when they are guests in the wild creatures’ home)
… violently striking a buffalo (cruelty to animals, attacking an endangered species that is sacred, of great symbolic meaning to many many people, putting themselves and the buffalo in great danger, and putting future visitors in danger by teaching them that people will barrel out of cars and attack them)
… ignoring the police telling them to knock it off, pull over, continuing to drive drunk (endangering themselves and others, plus breaking the law in a really stupid way)
Most of that can come down to stupid drunk decisions being caused by the first two – day drinking, to the point drunkeness in public.
But the physically attacking, kicking a buffalo? What mean-spirited loser with a buzz makes treating animals like sheet and harming them, violently attacking them his top priority?
They should be sentenced to picking up bison poop for 6 months. Emptying out trash cans at the park visitor centers. Cleaning the toilets. All the gross jobs.
Men providing hourly proof they are total morons with cruelty streaks. I hope he goes to jail.
#teambison
Dear Darwin Awards: I have a nomination for this year.
If you’re not following the US National Park Service on all their socials, you’re missing out. They have a lot to say about it.
Play stupid games…..
I will never understand what motivates a person to hurt/harm/kill an animal. It’s just so needlessly cruel. Sigh. Humans continue to suck…
Hello from Yellowstone! (Well, the town just north of the park).
Thanks for posting this and for reminding people that the wild animals are:
1) real — not animatronic …
2) wild — not trained, not domesticated
3) free — to stomp you, your idiot children you’re trying to put on their backs for a photo, or your granny who refuses to listen when you tell her to get back.
I can’t even go to the park in the season because I get so upset with how people treat the animals and just behave in general. Nothing will undermine your faith in the American project faster than 4 million tourists a year.
And so it begins. Gates & roads into & in the park are starting to open and with it brings the idiots which seem to multiply year by year. There must be loads of these idiots that arent caught or seen by anyone and get away crap, thankfully bison fight back.
I highly recommend the insta touronsofyellowstone if this topic is of particular interest to you.
Beavis & Butthead
I actively root for the bison at this point. And the elk and moose. Never for anyone to get majorly injured but I don’t mind a little stompage. Every year you see videos and photos of idiots ignoring all warnings and invading the animals space. It’s not a petting zoo, it’s their turf and I wish more folks would respect that.
2024
Bison -1
Touring – 0