Hiker killed by bison in Custer State Park

A 70-year-old Canadian woman died after a bull bison struck her while she was hiking with her husband on the Grace Coolidge Trail in South Dakota’s Custer State Park, according to state officials and the Custer County Sheriff’s Office. The encounter happened on Monday, May 18, and was reported publicly on May 22 by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Authorities have not released the woman’s name at her family’s request. Custer State Park officials said the couple encountered a group of about five bull bison on the trail. South Dakota Searchlight reported the couple first stopped about 500 yards from the animals, then later came around a corner and found the bulls about 50 yards away before continuing behind them as the animals moved off. (southdakotasearchlight.com) ### Where did the attack happen? The Grace Coolidge Trail in Custer State Park was the site of the fatal encounter, officials said. KELOLAND described it as a 5.8-mile out-and-back trail ending at Center Lake, and Cowboy State Daily reported the attack happened about 1½ miles from Center Lake. Custer State Park is a 110-square-mile park in the Black Hills that is home to about 1,400 bison, according to South Dakota Searchlight. (southdakotasearchlight.com) The park is managed by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. ### What did authorities say happened on the trail? (keloland.com) Custer County Sheriff Marty Mechaley told Cowboy State Daily that the couple repeatedly stopped to give the bison space as the animals moved along the trail. He said one bull eventually turned and charged, hitting the woman. Lt. Derrick Reifenrath told the outlet the bull threw her about six feet into the air. (southdakotasearchlight.com) Cowboy State Daily reported that dispatch received the husband’s 911 call at 1:44 p.m. Mechaley said the husband took cover behind a tree, and the bison remained near the woman for about 15 minutes after the first attack. The sheriff said the animal charged a second time when the husband tried to reach her, and he later attempted CPR after she stopped breathing. (cowboystatedaily.com) South Dakota Searchlight, citing the sheriff’s office, reported that a bull broke from the group, charged the woman, hooked her and tossed her into the air. The woman died from her injuries. KELOLAND, citing Game, Fish and Parks, reported that the hiker was struck in the back. (cowboystatedaily.com) ### Did officials say why hikers may be seeing more bison on trails? Nick Harrington, a spokesperson for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, said dry conditions have caused bison to spread throughout the park in search of grass, increasing the chance that visitors may encounter them on trails. He told South Dakota Searchlight and KELOLAND that visitors should keep their distance, make noise while hiking, use caution around corners and ridges, and keep pets on leashes. (southdakotasearchlight.com) Harrington said park staff moved the bison from the area and are monitoring the animal’s behavior “to ensure public safety and prevent future incidents.” He also said, “It’s important to remember that bison are wild animals and need to be treated as such.” ### Had there been another recent bison incident in the park? (southdakotasearchlight.com) On May 1, a 22-year-old hiker was injured after encountering a bison near the Lost Trails by Center Lake, Harrington told South Dakota Searchlight. He said the hiker was with a friend and their dog when they rounded a corner, and the bison struck the hiker on the back of her legs. She was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. (southdakotasearchlight.com) Harrington said the department was not aware of any other bison incidents in Custer State Park this year and that there had not been a fatal bison incident in the park since 2001. South Dakota Searchlight reported that bull bison can stand up to 7 feet at the shoulders, weigh 2,000 pounds and run up to 35 mph. (southdakotasearchlight.com) ### What should visitors watch for now? South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks has not announced any broader closure tied to the incident in the reports reviewed on May 23. The agency’s immediate next step, according to Harrington, is continued monitoring of the bison involved and continued public-safety messaging to hikers using trails in Custer State Park. (southdakotasearchlight.com)