Iditarod Rookie Recounts Frantic Bison Encounter on Trail

Fairbanks musher Jody Potts-Joseph's dog team came face-to-face with an aggressive bison, leading her to use her Native language to scare it away.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 9:03pm

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Fairbanks rookie Jody Potts-Joseph, the first musher of Hän Gwich'in heritage to compete in the Iditarod, had a terrifying encounter with a bison on the trail shortly after leaving the Rohn checkpoint. When her pistol jammed, Potts-Joseph remembered a story her grandmother told her about using Native language to scare off a bear, and she repeated those words to the bison, causing it to turn around and run away. The encounter only briefly slowed Potts-Joseph's progress, and no dogs were harmed.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the unique challenges and dangers that Iditarod mushers can face on the remote and rugged Alaskan trail, including encounters with wild animals. Potts-Joseph's quick thinking and use of her Native heritage to de-escalate the situation provides an inspiring example of the resourcefulness and resilience required to compete in this grueling race.

The details

Potts-Joseph, a 48-year-old rookie from Fairbanks, was running near the back of the Iditarod field when her dog team came upon an aggressive bison about 3 miles out from the Rohn checkpoint. When Potts-Joseph's pistol jammed and wouldn't fire, she hid behind some trees and started throwing sticks at the bison. She then remembered a story her grandmother had told her about using Native language to scare off a bear, and she repeated those words to the bison, causing it to turn around and run away. The entire encounter lasted less than an hour, and Potts-Joseph was able to continue on with her team, which suffered no injuries.

  • Potts-Joseph left the Rohn checkpoint at 3:35 p.m. on Tuesday.
  • The bison encounter occurred around 3:50 p.m. on Tuesday, about 3 miles out from the checkpoint.
  • Potts-Joseph's team stopped on the trail for less than an hour due to the incident.

The players

Jody Potts-Joseph

A 48-year-old rookie musher from Fairbanks, Alaska, who is the first musher of Hän Gwich'in heritage to compete in the Iditarod.

Quannah Chasinghorse

Potts-Joseph's daughter, an Alaska Native model and influencer with over 500,000 followers on Instagram, who celebrated her mother's entry in the Iditarod race.

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What they’re saying

“I got into a standoff and all I had is — my Glock wouldn't fire. It was charging me ... and it kept charging but it wouldn't actually touch my dogs, but it was head down, pawing, and it would charge and then would stop. It did that three or four times.”

— Jody Potts-Joseph, Iditarod Musher (alaskasnewssource.com)

“[It] means, 'Go away, have mercy on us, leave us alone,' And that bear just calmed down and turned around and walked off.”

— Jody Potts-Joseph, Iditarod Musher (alaskasnewssource.com)

“That was my last resort. I said that, and the buffalo turned around and ran up that hill.”

— Jody Potts-Joseph, Iditarod Musher (alaskasnewssource.com)

What’s next

As of Thursday, Potts-Joseph was running in 33rd and last place while resting her team in McGrath.

The takeaway

Potts-Joseph's quick thinking and use of her Native heritage to de-escalate the dangerous bison encounter on the Iditarod trail showcases the resourcefulness, resilience, and cultural knowledge required to compete in this grueling race, especially for first-time mushers facing unexpected challenges.