A trip to majestic Yellowstone National Park is supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime.
But one man will never forget his trip to the park for a reason he’d like to forget.
And a tourist at Yellowstone was arrested after he made the worst mistake of his life.
Drunk man arrested at Yellowstone for kicking a bison
The start of spring means that tourist season is getting underway at Yellowstone National Park.
A visit to the park is an opportunity to get up close to some of the many different species of wildlife that reside within the park’s boundaries.
Bison are one of the most popular animals at Yellowstone for tourists to view.
But one Idaho man made an awful decision after he decided to break the park’s rule to get up close and personal with one.
40-year-old Clarence Yoder of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was arrested near the park’s West Entrance after he went up to a herd of bison and kicked one of them in the leg while intoxicated.
“Rangers responded to the area after receiving a report of an individual who harassed a herd of bison and kicked a bison in the leg,” the National Park Service said in a release. “They located the suspect’s vehicle near the West Entrance and stopped it in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana.”
This is not only illegal but an incredibly dangerous stunt to pull.
Bison are the largest land animal in North America and can weigh more than 2,000 pounds while standing around six feet tall.
Tourists have been gored by bison after getting close to them at Yellowstone.
Yoder only suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident and was taken to an area medical center before he was hauled off to the Gallatin County Detention Center.
“Yoder was arrested and charged with 1) being under the influence of alcohol to a degree that may endanger oneself, 2) disorderly conduct as to create or maintain a hazardous condition, 3) approaching wildlife, and 4) disturbing wildlife,” the National Park Service added.
National Park Service announces a second arrest related to bison-kicking incident
Yoder was a passenger in the vehicle of 37-year-old McKenna Bass.
Bass was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, interference or failure to yield to emergency light activation, and disturbing wildlife.
Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges against them in a court appearance.
They can face fines of up to $5,000 and up to six months in jail for each of the charges against them.
The National Park Service said that was the first incident this year that a visitor was injured by a bison.
“The last reported incident occurred on July 17, 2023,” the National Park Service stated. “There was one reported incident in 2023 and three in 2022.”
Bison are the animal that causes the most injuries to visitors at Yellowstone.
They can run three times faster than a person and according to the Park Service have been known to toss people into the air like “rag dolls.”
Walking away from kicking a bison with minor injuries was the best-case scenario for Clarence Yoder.