Perhaps
no other animal symbolizes the West as dramatically as the American
bison. In prehistoric times millions of these animals roamed the
North American Continent from the Great Slave Lake in northern
Canada,
south into Mexico and from coast to coast. No one knows how many
bison there were, but the naturalist, Ernest Thompson Seton,
estimated
their numbers at sixty million when Columbus landed. They were
part of the largest community of wild animals that the world
has ever
known.
Bison are part of the family Bovidae,
to which cattle and goats belong. They are not in the same
family that Asian and African buffalo are. However, because
they resembled these old world animals, the early explorers
called them by that name. Although it is a misnomer, the name
buffalo is still used interchangeably with bison. One of the
physical differences between the old world buffalo and the
American bison is the large shoulder hump of the bison. This
hump, along with a broad, massive head, short, thick neck
and small hindquarters give the animal its rugged appearance.
The color
and character of the bison's fur varies with the season.
A
mature bull in winter has a dark brown to black coat. The
length of the hair measures up to sixteen inches on the
forehead,
the inches on the forelegs, and only eight inches on the
hindquarters. No wonder the bison, unlike domestic cattle,
face into storms.
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The best description of a bison's
temperament is UNPREDICTABLE.
They usually appear peaceful, unconcerned, even lazy, yet
they may attack anything, often without warning or apparent
reason. To a casual observer, a grazing bison appears slow
and clumsy, but he can outrun, out turn, and traverse rougher
terrain than all but the fleetest horse. They can move at
speeds of up to thirty-five miles per hour and cover long
distances at a lumbering gallop.
Their
most obvious weapon is the horns that both male and female
have. But their head, with its massive skull, can be used
as a battering ram, effectively using the momentum produced
by two thousand pounds moving at thirty miles per hour! The
hind legs can also be used to kill or maim with devastating
effect. At the time bison ran wild, they were rated second
only to the Alaska brown bear as a potential killer, more
dangerous than the grizzly bear. In the words of early naturalists,
they were a dangerous, savage animal who feared no other
animal
and in prime condition could best any foe. A bull with lowered
head, snorting and pawing the ground, with tail stiffly
upraised,
conveys a universal warning of danger to all nearby that
is impossible to ignore!
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The
rutting, or mating, season lasts from June through September
with peak activity in July and August. At this time, the older
bulls rejoin the herd and fights often take place between
bulls. The heard exhibits much restlessness during breeding
season the animals are belligerent, unpredictable and most
dangerous.
Listen to the bison (42k wav file)
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Calves,
born nine to nine and one-half months later in April or May,
generally weigh thirty to seventy pounds. They have reddish-brown
fur and do not have the conspicuous hump of the adult. After
a few months, the fur begins to change to chocolate brown
and the hump begins to develop.
Other
activities of the bison include rubbing, rolling, and wallowing.
Wallowing creates a saucer-like depression called a wallow.
This wallow was once a common feature of the plains; usually
these wallows are dust bowls without any vegetation.
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Bison have poor eyesight but acute hearing and
an excellent sense of smell. The sounds they make range from
a pig-like grunt to an aggressive bellow. |
Much has been written concerning
the economic value of the bison to the American Indian. The
bison sustained a way of life, providing food, clothing, shelter,
and fuel. Extermination of the bison spelled the doom of American
Indian independence.
In 1800,
it was estimated there were forty million bison, by 1883, there
were no wild bison in the United States. By 1900, there were
less than six hundred left in North America. The majority of
the forty million animals were killed in a fifty-five year period,
beginning in 1830. Many people denounced the slaughter; few
did anything to stop it. Fortunately, a small, devoted group
of conservationists managed to save a few hundred. The bison
we see and enjoy today were raised from these few survivors. |
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