Boardwalk in Yellowstone closed after geyser blows up

[02SE]

I don't think they're the most common danger in Yellowstone. It's deer and elk. They have better vision and can be really nasty.

It's pretty much all larger wildlife that you can find in Yellowstone, that could present a hazard to people.

If it wasn't clear, I was being extremely sarcastic. Every year some moron(s) think they'll just wander over close to a large wild animal for a selfie, or to pet it, and we sometimes get video of these morons being tossed in the air or trampled.

 

[y_p_w]

It's pretty much all larger wildlife that you can find in Yellowstone, that could present a hazard to people.

If it wasn't clear, I was being extremely sarcastic. Every year some moron(s) think they'll just wander over close to a large wild animal for a selfie, or to pet it, and we sometimes get video of these morons being tossed in the air or trampled.

I went hiking solo in Yellowstone. No bear spray or anything. A ranger did recommending making noise, since surprising large animals (especially grizzly bears) was typically when they might lash out. They usually want to avoid people. During that hike I saw bison out in the distance and even deer. They generally avoid people unless they're stupid enough to try and feed them. And that's a disaster when they start looking at people for food.

It was bizarre driving while a bison calf was running alongside us. But mama bison didn't seem that concerned.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Yeah I should go to Yellowstone before Yellowstone comes to me.

Does New Mexico still have the AM radio recording where Ricardo Montablan tells about the volcano that blew debris as far away as Kansas?

 

[Sumboodie]

Last time I visited we stayed in three different locations in the park. One of them is gone. The cheapest location was $74 a night. I think the cheapest was maybe $52 a night, although for that we managed to get a cabin on short notice rather than driving all the way to West Yellowstone for our last night in the park. Some of them didn't have an included bathroom, and it wasn't that great going out early morning, especially with all the mosquitoes active. But overall the shared bathrooms were nicer than the ones inside the cabins. The ones in our cabins looked old, while the shared ones looked like they were constantly updated.

I stayed in a tent in November. Was beautiful, hardly anyone there and timed it just before it snowed.
Hiked all over with my dog.. and a .357, which I later found out is a "no no"
Sorry. But i'm definitely not hiking in the woods without a firearm!

 

[vavavroom]

Mordor was once beautiful.

 

[y_p_w]

I stayed in a tent in November. Was beautiful, hardly anyone there and timed it just before it snowed.
Hiked all over with my dog.. and a .357, which I later found out is a "no no"
Sorry. But i'm definitely not hiking in the woods without a firearm!

I won't go over whether or not it was the prudent thing to do, but it's not illegal. Discharge of a firearm is illegal, but it's assumed that any otherwise justified used of a firearm would be legal, such as in self defense against a person or an animal. The biggest problem would be that there are some locations in the park (usually indoors) where bringing in a firearm is illegal.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/lawsandpolicies.htm​

Firearms​

Federal law allows people who can legally possess firearms under applicable federal, state, and local laws, to legally possess firearms in Yellowstone. Hunting and the discharge of firearms remain prohibited in Yellowstone.​

​

It is your responsibility to understand and comply with all applicable state, local, and federal firearms laws before entering the park. Yellowstone encompasses parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, and each state has different regulations: follow the links provided here to learn more.​

​

Federal law prohibits firearms in certain facilities in this park (such as visitor centers and government offices): those places are marked with signs at all public entrances.​

​

Firearms should not be considered a wildlife protection strategy. Bear spray and other safety precautions are the proven methods for preventing bear and other wildlife interactions.​

​

Read more about firearms in national parks.​

Bear spray is probably more effective and easier to use.

 

[Sumboodie]

I won't go over whether or not it was the prudent thing to do, but it's not illegal. Discharge of a firearm is illegal, but it's assumed that any otherwise justified used of a firearm would be legal, such as in self defense against a person or an animal. The biggest problem would be that there are some locations in the park (usually indoors) where bringing in a firearm is illegal.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/lawsandpolicies.htm​

Firearms​

Federal law allows people who can legally possess firearms under applicable federal, state, and local laws, to legally possess firearms in Yellowstone. Hunting and the discharge of firearms remain prohibited in Yellowstone.​

​

It is your responsibility to understand and comply with all applicable state, local, and federal firearms laws before entering the park. Yellowstone encompasses parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, and each state has different regulations: follow the links provided here to learn more.​

​

Federal law prohibits firearms in certain facilities in this park (such as visitor centers and government offices): those places are marked with signs at all public entrances.​

​

Firearms should not be considered a wildlife protection strategy. Bear spray and other safety precautions are the proven methods for preventing bear and other wildlife interactions.​

​

Read more about firearms in national parks.​

Bear spray is probably more effective and easier to use.

Don't know many around here that just carry bear spray, but maybe the Yellowstone bears aren't so mean as AK bears.

Having my dog was apparently a no-no too. No one said anything, but was hardly anyone there.
Miss that dog.. had to put him down in 2009, cancer got to him.

Had a Ranger wake us up at like 0600 to threaten fines claiming I was burning pallets the night before at the camp and he would put a magnet in the ashes and fine me for each nail.
I had no pallets with me and a pile of cordwood in the truck so... "ok... have a nice day too"
Was just dead fall I collected down the road.

 

[y_p_w]

Don't know many around here that just carry bear spray, but maybe the Yellowstone bears aren't so mean as AK bears.

Having my dog was apparently a no-no too. No one said anything, but was hardly anyone there.
Miss that dog.. had to put him down in 2009, cancer got to him.

Had a Ranger wake us up at like 0600 to threaten fines claiming I was burning pallets the night before at the camp and he would put a magnet in the ashes and fine me for each nail.
I had no pallets with me and a pile of cordwood in the truck so... "ok... have a nice day too"
Was just dead fall I collected down the road.

They sell bear spray in gift shops at pretty much everywhere in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. It's technically a weapon that's otherwise prohibited, but the superintendent of each park has approved and exception to the weapons policy. The firearms policy is a result of a law passed in 2008 that overrides National Park Service regulation on weapons. Other weapons are still against NPS regs, such as archery equipment or slingshots. But park superintendents have always had the authority to make limited exceptions. I think that’s always been the case in Alaska where the law that created several national parks required it. I remember reading some one-off park specific rules, like allowing the boss of a horse or mule team to carry a pistol to dispatch an injured mule or horse.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I have been to Yellowstone a few times and it's beautiful. I love watching the geyser erupt and those water pools are boiling water all day long. I can't wait to go back again.

 

[vavavroom]

Bear spray is probably more effective and easier to use.

You are supposed to be noisy int he woods so that the bears can more easily find you. They even sell little bells you put on your backpack or hiking pole - not the bears, sporting goods stores sell them.

 

[y_p_w]

You are supposed to be noisy int he woods so that the bears can more easily find you. They even sell little bells you put on your backpack or hiking pole - not the bears, sporting goods stores sell them.

I didn't do that. But a ranger did advise me to make noises around blind turns since bears almost always avoid people. The most dangerous are female grizzlies with cubs when they're surprised. If they hear people coming they'll almost always avoid them. However, I thought maybe I should have had a can of bear spray.

I remember going to a program on bears at a national park. It wasn't Yellowstone, but this ranger had worked previously at Yellowstone. He was talking about helping out with some bear research where they were spotting bear activity. They said that pretty much every time a hiker came near a spot in the trail, this bear walked off the trail. And it was obvious that none of these hiker were aware of the bear, but it was aware of the hikers.

 

[ripcord]

I won't go over whether or not it was the prudent thing to do, but it's not illegal. Discharge of a firearm is illegal, but it's assumed that any otherwise justified used of a firearm would be legal, such as in self defense against a person or an animal. The biggest problem would be that there are some locations in the park (usually indoors) where bringing in a firearm is illegal.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/lawsandpolicies.htm​

Firearms​

Federal law allows people who can legally possess firearms under applicable federal, state, and local laws, to legally possess firearms in Yellowstone. Hunting and the discharge of firearms remain prohibited in Yellowstone.​

​

It is your responsibility to understand and comply with all applicable state, local, and federal firearms laws before entering the park. Yellowstone encompasses parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, and each state has different regulations: follow the links provided here to learn more.​

​

Federal law prohibits firearms in certain facilities in this park (such as visitor centers and government offices): those places are marked with signs at all public entrances.​

​

Firearms should not be considered a wildlife protection strategy. Bear spray and other safety precautions are the proven methods for preventing bear and other wildlife interactions.​

​

Read more about firearms in national parks.​

Bear spray is probably more effective and easier to use.

Here's a contrary opinion based on an exhaustive search of all published bear attacks the author was able to compile reaching back hundreds of years.

https://www.ammoland.com/2024/07/why-firing-a-handgun-or-spraying-bear-spray-matters/

 

[Sumboodie]

They sell bear spray in gift shops at pretty much everywhere in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. It's technically a weapon that's otherwise prohibited, but the superintendent of each park has approved and exception to the weapons policy. The firearms policy is a result of a law passed in 2008 that overrides National Park Service regulation on weapons. Other weapons are still against NPS regs, such as archery equipment or slingshots. But park superintendents have always had the authority to make limited exceptions. I think that’s always been the case in Alaska where the law that created several national parks required it. I remember reading some one-off park specific rules, like allowing the boss of a horse or mule team to carry a pistol to dispatch an injured mule or horse.

Was 2007. Never went to gift stores, just the woods.

 

[Sumboodie]

Here's a contrary opinion based on an exhaustive search of all published bear attacks the author was able to compile reaching back hundreds of years.

https://www.ammoland.com/2024/07/why-firing-a-handgun-or-spraying-bear-spray-matters/

Have been gotten 2nd hand sprayed by that stuff from the wind, and none made it to the bear.
Bullets don't care about wind or grass so much.
Plus sometimes just need a loud noise.
Also carry a firearm for moose. They kill plenty of people too. Renter walking my dog put one down last winter that busted him up pretty good. My dog was quick enough to get away without harm.