A bison perturbed by a hiker at Theodore Roosevelt National Park charged and knocked him down ... and unconscious/Kurt Repanshek file photo

A hiker who went in search of a great sunset shot at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota stopped along the way to photograph a bison, which suddenly charged him and knocked him down ... and out, according to park officials.

Michael Turk, 65, of Juneau, Alaska, was hiking the Buckhorn Trail on June 30 between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. CDT when he encountered a bison. The man told park authorities he gave it a wide berth, and stopped a bit later to take photos of another bison as he headed back to the Juniper Campground.

"Turk recalls that sometime while he was photographing the bison, it turned toward him and charged," said a park release issued Friday evening. "He lost consciousness and sustained a large lacertation on his left inner thigh in addition to other cuts and bruises."

While the man was able to hike to the trailhead, he encountered another bison. At that point he climbed up a nearby butte and began calling for help. 

"Hearing Turk's calls for help, seven campers arrived at the trailhead and found Turk about 50 yards away, with a bison between them," the release said. "Unable to haze the bison away, one of the campers discharged a handgun into the ground, scaring the bison out of the area."

The campers then dressed Turk's wound and drove him to emergency responders, who took him to a hospital where he was treated and released.

Park officials remind visitors that bison are large, fast, and wild, and that visitors are required to stay at least 25 yards away from bison, elk, deer and horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

They also said that while visitors can carry firearms in the park, it is illegal to discharge one. No charges were filed in this case due to the circumstances around which the shot was fired.