Trail Runner Attacked and Gored by Bison in Utah State Park

Kyler Bourgeous, 30, spent the first Saturday of June like many before—out on the trails, running the peaks and slopes, and enjoying the day with his parents, who came to visit and see the wildflowers in bloom this time of year. He took his parents to the Frary Peak trail on Antelope Island State Park in Utah, a trail he runs at least once a week. An avid trail runner, Bourgeous laces up 3 to 5 times a week, totaling about 50 miles. Usually, Bourgeous will get in his own workout before hooking up with his parents, going for a trail run before looping back to meet them for a hike. That’s what he was doing this past Saturday. All was going normally until he ran over a small ridge. There, he came within 10 to 20 feet of two massive bison that were concealed below it. “I had never seen bison up this high up on the ridge before,” Bourgeous told Runner’s World. He immediately stopped, did a 180-degree turn, and took a couple steps away from them before he heard one of the bison charge him. He started to run, but it was too late. “I'm just amazed at the whole thing myself,” he said. “I’ve put in thousands of trail miles out there without incident. I thought I was gonna die right there.” The bison gored him in the hip and shoulder, which sent him flying into the air and down the hill. He somehow managed to curl himself into a ball to protect himself, but the bison came back and trampled him, kicking him in the rib and cutting open his head before it left. “I have hoof prints on my head and my back,” he said. Miraculously, there were hikers nearby who saw the whole thing happen and called 911. “I wasn’t able to move. I was gasping for air with these huge holes in my sides, blood was coming out of my head,” he said. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he received X-rays and CAT scans...MORE