As antler-obsessed humans, we usually look at pointy beams with awe and excitement. Rarely do we consider their potential for destruction. That is, until we come face-to-face with with a strong-willed animal like Tyler and Sheena Terryberry of Parshall, Colorado, did during a morning drive on Jan. 8.
Tyler, a hunting guide with lots of close elk encounters under his belt, admittedly coaxed this saucy bull from the comfort of the driver's seat in Sheena's truck. In the video you can hear Sheena warning him that the bull might actually be interested in a confrontation. But by the time Tyler asks him if he "wants to go," the bull has already decided to plow his tines straight into Sheena's brand-spanking-new front left snow tire.
"She definitely warned me," Tyler told MeatEater. "Every once in a while you find an animal that's sick, and they don't usually act right. The [Colorado Division of Wildlife] had to put down a mountain lion near us just a week ago because it was sick and acting weird. Then of course when it happened, it was an 'I told you so' moment. If it was my truck she wouldn't have cared; she would have laughed right along with me."
The pop and hiss that follow the impact is suggestive of how the Terryberrys spent the hour that followed: parked on the side of the road, putting their spare tire to good use before continuing on to their daughter's basketball game.
"We get pretty close to elk where we're at, and I've been way closer than that, and I've never had one try to attack me," Tyler said. "It took me by surprise."
However, the price of new tire aside, Tyler swears he has no regrets.
"The cost was well worth the story, and I'm glad I got it on video because no one would have ever believed me," he said. "The bull didn't get hurt, and it could have been worse. He could have punctured a hole in the radiator or come through the window at me."
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