Millions love watching North Dakota rancher get bullied by baby bison

North Dakota rancher John Otto is bottle-feeding a belligerent baby bison that has millions of people watching him get bullied by the little guy. It’s been only eight days since John and Makayla Otto brought a bison calf to their ranch near Plaza, North Dakota. He already has a very strong personality, and Otto is often on the receiving end of that strength.

“I’ve had my ass handed to me about four different times by now,” he said. “There’s nothing I can’t tame, but this thing might be the first.” Otto decided to share his struggle with Georgie on social media. As of Monday, his videos of being headbutted and knocked over by the baby bison have been viewed more than 6 million times.

This is Otto’s second attempt at bottle-feeding bison. He and Makayla previously bottle-fed a female bison that met a sudden end. “We got the heifer as tame as a lap dog,” he said. “When she was about a year old, she tried to run through the barn door and broke its neck. Died on the spot.” Despite that, the Ottos were determined to raise another bison. They acquired this bull calf from a feedlot in South Dakota.

“The exotic animal dealer said this was the most lovable one,” he said. But from the time Otto went to pick him up, “that thing was butting and kicking through the pen.” He added, “I wonder if I got lucky on the first and I’m getting the full taste on this one.”

Georgie has made it clear who his favorite is. “He loves my wife,” Otto said. “Every time he sees me, he runs. She walks up, and that thing will chase her all around the yard.” John does the night shift feedings. “That way, I get some time with him,” he said, “but there’s no drawing straws. She knows when she’s going to go do it, because I cherish my knees.”

According to John, Georgie is “all heart and few pounds,” but he packs a serious punch. When John reaches out to touch Georgie’s head, the baby bison goes into hellion mode with enough force to knock him over. “Everybody keeps saying don’t touch its head, but that’s kind of what you have to do,” he said. “If I can touch his head, I can start lovin’ on him.” Makayla can touch Georgie’s head without any issue. “This thing’s had a personal vendetta against me for some reason,” John said.

The Ottos split Georgie’s feedings in half, going from four bottles per day to seven or eight for more one-on-one time. “When they’re closer together, there’s more interaction,” he said. John compared the process to breaking a horse. “Sometimes you’ve got to hook him up and drag him, and other times you’ve got to tie a leg up or tie their head over. You have to make them uncomfortable and keep making them uncomfortable until they accept their fate.”

Georgie’s fate is a life of loving luxury as a glorified pet on the Ottos’ ranch, which also includes Hereford and Black Angus cattle, goats, a pet deer, and other “oddballs.” “I’ve got two steers actually that I was raising to sell for processing, but they’ve turned into 1,800-pound yard dogs,” he said. “They’ll have their buffalo buddy to roam around with.”

John’s first video with Georgie, “Taming of the Dick,” has been viewed 1.1 million times. His Day Two update, where Georgie butts him onto his butt, has been viewed over 4.5 million times. “I guess we’ll just keep riding this thing, and I’ll keep posting videos since people find it entertaining,” he said.