Buffalo Hunting - An Unforgettable Part
of American History
 Bison,
the largest terrestrial animal in North America, where it
is commonly called buffalo. Biologists
prefer the term Bison, which is based on the animal's Latin
name, as it distinguishes it from the cape buffalo of Africa
and the water buffalo of Asia. The buffalo is characterized
by a hump over the front shoulders; short, sharply pointed
horns (in both sexes) curving outward and up from the sides
of the massive head; and slimmer hindquarters. A mature
bull of the North American bison is about 2 m (about 6.5
ft) high at the hump and 2.7 to 3.7 m (9 to 12 ft) long
and weighs 850 to 1100 kg (1800 to 2400 lb); the female
is smaller. The head, neck, forelegs, and front parts of
the body have a thick coat of long, dark hair. The rear
part of the body is covered with much shorter hair. The
adult bull usually has a black beard about 30 cm (about
12 in) long.
American Buffalo are usually found in groups, except for
old, solitary bulls. Most of the year females with young
form small bands, and immature bulls may stay with them.
Mature males have their own groups. The bands may congregate
in large herds in the spring or fall to search for food
or water. Bison grunts and snorts are audible at short distances.
The roar of rutting bulls, audible at nearly 5 km (nearly
3 mi), is heard most often in mating season, mainly July
to September, when bulls go looking for cows and try to
ward off rivals. Breeding bulls have little time to eat
and lose more than 90 kg (about 200 lb) during mating season.
 The
American buffalo originated in Eurasia and is one of the
few members of its family to have crossed the Bering Strait
land bridge in prehistoric times to North America, where
two subspecies, the plains bison and the wood bison, survive.
The European bison, or wisent, taller but lighter than the
American bison, is almost extinct; a few exist in parks
and zoos.
Until the 19th century, as many as 60 million buffalo lived
on the Great Plains from Mexico into Canada, and some were
found east of the Mississippi River. They were central to
the existence of the Plains peoples, who used them for food,
hides, and bone implements; even the dried dung, called
buffalo chips, was used as fuel. From 1830 to 1889, methodical
destruction by encroaching white settlers, for sport hunting
and for hides, reduced this number to less than 1000. Today
well over 200,000 American buffalo live in protected areas
and on private ranches offering you a very unique hunting
opportunity.
Call one of our Big Game Hunting Specialists to arrange
your Buffalo Hunting trip today at
1-800-615-9086. We can assist you with
any questions you may have about your hunt and help ensure
that this is one adventure you'll never forget!
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