How many bison once roamed North America?
A good estimate is that roughly 30 million bison once roamed the grasslands of North America. To the explorers Lewis and Clark, the herds "darkened the whole plains." What happened? People. Massive hunting campaigns brought an end to the seemingly endless herds. Growth of farming and ranching and sever draught caused even more loss.
A "bullish" economy
Bison were a staple of the economy in the 1800s. As Americans became more industrial, the need for machine belts made from hides grew and grew. Sport-hunting also became the rage. Railroad companies offered tourists a chance to shoot bison from the coaches; one record-setting rider killed as many as 120 animals in 40 minutes. Within 50 years, the great herds were gone.
Time to stop "bullying" around!
By the late 1800s, about 325 wild bison were left. Congress began to take action to protect the remaining bison, and private ranchers started to create small herds. Slowly, the population crept up, thanks to legal protection, refuges and breeding programs. Today about 30,000 live in conservation herds and hundreds of thousands live on private ranches. Efforts to bring back massive herds will take time, land and a strong commitment to the recovery of this treasured animal.
Captions
from images:
William Jacob Hays, The Gathering of the Herds (1866)
Courtesy of the Anschuts Collection. Photo: William J. O'Connor
Pile of bison skulls (c. 1870)
Burton Historical Collection/Detroit Public Library
Yellowstone National Park (2004)
NPS Photo
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