A little Bison History

[Onewolf426]

Just east of the Teton Range are the rugged cliffs of the Wiggins Fork Bison Jump Complex in the Absaroka Mountains.​

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This high-elevation area served as an indigenous hunting ground where tribes collaborated to drive bison off the cliffs for harvesting, stretching back as far as 2,000 years. Wiggins Fork was ideal for the purpose, as archeologists are discovering today. The highlands are folded in a way that indigenous people could target just as many bison as they needed, without scaring off the population and threatening their own survival. What they did took incredible skill and knowledge. These powerful and wild animals have a long-evolved survival instinct. Bison are finely attuned to the slightest sign of human presence... As I learned first-hand when corralling just 10 bison onto trailers last fall...​

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Naturally, you might assume the indigenous people were hunting from the powerful position of horseback. No. They were on foot because horses were not yet introduced to America for most of the history of indigenous bison hunting. The tribes developed sophisticated strategies based on deep knowledge of the terrain and bison behavior, as well as precise coordination among members of the hunting parties. Tribes used runners, often the fastest and most agile members of the tribe, to startle the bison and initiate a stampede. They created drive lanes with rocks and branches as well as human funnels to guide the bison toward the jump. Even disguises and decoys were employed. As the bison neared the cliff, the hunters would increase the intensity of the herding, creating a stampede over the edge.​

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After the bison fell, the tribe would move in to process the animals. We know they used every part of the bison for food, tools, clothing, and shelter. Bison jumps can seem shocking to the modern American, but it was a sustainable approach to hunting, ensuring the survival of both the tribes and the bison herds. Hunting changed with the introduction of the horse and the gun, as you know. We almost lost buffalo forever.​ Today, ranchers across the country (myself included) are essential in keeping bison on these lands. Thousands of years into this symbiotic relationship between the people of the west and the buffalo, the bison are as untamed as ever. That’s why bison meat is not like farm-raised red meat. You can get a taste that takes you back to the wild west when you bring home any of our bison cuts. ​

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

I've had bison steaks before and are tender and tasty. Most bovine meat is slaughtered between 950-1,200 #s (2.5-3 years of age) as it depends on if it's a bull, steer or cow. Veal is around 500-600 # slaughter weight. Bison might not be susceptible on age or weight as bovine are?

 

[Talyn]

In the "Buffalo Bill Center of the West" in Cody, WY, contains five individual museums in it, one of which is the "Draper Natural History Museum" which has a life-sized (3+-story) Buffalo Jump with life-sized Bison sculptures coming over the jump cliff.

Museums

Top Museums in Cody, WY Five amazing museums, one Wild West Admission includes five family-friendly museums, all under one roof! There's plenty to see at

centerofthewest.org

One of the other museums is the "Cody Firearms Museum", which is a must see.

Cody Firearms Museum

CODY FIREARMS MUSEUM It's bucket-list-worthy for a reason. Immerse yourself in completely redesigned exhibits that house more than 4,000 firearms. It's

centerofthewest.org

 

[Pitdogg2]

Bison is very tasty.

 

[Grayfox]

Shelby Farms Park, just outside of Memphis, has a herd of Bison that's doing very well. There's a road through the park that runs right next to their pastures. They can often be seen close to the fence and will sometimes even let people pet them. Just don't be foolish enough to try to cross that fence.
Every few years they cut out a few and send them out west for re-population purposes.

 

[mikep]

I would not want to have been part of the “human funnel”. Ugh.