We all know one of the golden rules here in Montana—don’t pet the fluffy cows. And if you’re new around here, “fluffy cows” is a different way of saying bison. For some reason, folks continue to get too close, and every year we see headlines about bison attacks—usually because someone didn’t give them the space they deserve.

Most of the time, these incidents involve tourists who aren’t aware of just how unpredictable and powerful these animals are. On average, Yellowstone sees about two bison attacks per year, and they’re the number one cause of animal-related injuries in the park.

The first bison attack of 2025 in Yellowstone happened on Sunday, May 4, near the Lake Village area of the park.

Just for reference, a bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, stand 6 feet tall, and will absolutely defend its space if they feel threatened. They’re fast, powerful, and can cause serious damage in seconds.

While most bison-related injuries happen to visitors, one rare—and terrifying—incident this past January involved a local Montanan. Dr. Kris Spanjian, a retired cardiac anesthesiologist from Billings, was out for her usual walk with her dogs when she was attacked. Not in the park, but on her own ranch, by her own herd of bison in a freak accident.

Spanjian said the bison typically stay far from her walking route, but this time, things aligned just wrong. The herd got spooked by her dogs, and in the chaos, she ended up caught in the middle.

“At that point, I just laid there and I knew I better just not move at all. I was thinking, ‘What do you do if a grizzly bear attacks? You play dead.’ So I figured I better just play dead,” Spanjian told reporters.

But even after she tried to crawl away, a bull and calf circled back for a second hit. She was airlifted to St. Vincent Regional Hospital with serious injuries—a split lip, three broken vertebrae, three broken ribs, a deep gash on her leg, a dislocated shoulder, and nerve damage. It’s nothing short of a miracle that she survived.

She’s now recovering, and her story is a sobering reminder that Montana is wild, and we live alongside animals that deserve respect. Even the fluffy ones.

BILLINGS — In the serene landscapes of Kalispell, young Lex Hilliard turned a bright green football field into his stomping grounds. Literally.

In his sophomore year at Flathead High School, the powerful running back started shattering records with electrifying runs totaling almost 1,400 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns that season.

He’d close high school with over 4,400 all-purpose yards and 44 touchdowns, records standing the test of time.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

2025 Montana Football HOF: UM’s Lex Hilliard running wild from Flathead to NFL

Then No. 38 delivered an instant impact for the Montana Grizzlies. He’d bust onto the scene running for nearly 600 yards. A year later, almost 1,000 while earning first-team All-Big Sky honors, and eventually in his Griz career a Walter Payton Award finalist. Comb through UM’s record books and you’ll find Hilliard’s name almost 40 times.

He’d leave as one of Montana’s toughest running backs. How about this recollection from former teammate Chase Reynolds?

“There was a point during a game where he had busted his thumb or something and he had a pin in it. During the game, the pin had stuck out through his thumb,” Reynolds said. “I remember them, with pliers, trying to get the pin out. I remember going, ‘Man this guy, he’s tough.’ I don’t care what you do in the weight room or on the field, he’s trying to get this pin pulled out of his thumb so he can go back in there and play.”

In 2008 a dream come true; Hilliard was taken in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins where he’d join former Griz kicker Dan Carpenter. A year later, Hilliard appeared in all 16 games. In fact, he and Carpenter accounted for every point the Dolphins scored in a 27-20 loss to Houston.

Lex spent 2012 with the Patriots and Jets, finishing his NFL career playing in 62 games, including 13 starts, and totaling 163 rushing yards, 233 receiving yards and four touchdowns. After fracturing his shoulder blade, he called it a career.

Lex Hilliard’s drive and toughness remain etched in hearts from Kalispell to the NFL, and now to the Montana Football Hall of Fame.

The hall of fame induction ceremony is June 28 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center at 5 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person or $800 for a table of eight. Visit www.mtfootballhof.com for information.

PLAINS — Crews responded to a wildfire in Sanders County at 5:20 p.m. Saturday.

The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District was called out to Locust Lane off Montana Highway 28 northeast of Plains for reports of smoke in the area.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation also responded to the scene as well as Plains City Fire and Hot Springs Fire for mutual aid.

What is being called the Banana Lake Incident by the DNRC has burned three acres since being discovered on Saturday.

No further information is available at this time.