Of bison and man: from the annals of a bison yesterday to a refreshing outcome from human involvement with America's most valiant of beasts

511 Pages·1997·2.2 MB·English

by  Harold P. Danz

Of Bison and Man
From the annals of a bison yesterday to a refreshing
outcome from human involvement with America's most
valiant of beasts
Harold P. Danz
Copyright (c) 1997 by the University Press of Colorado
Published by the University Press of Colorado
P.O. Box 849
Niwot, Colorado 80544
[phone]
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
The University Press of Colorado is a cooperative publishing
enterprise supported, in part, by Adams State College, Colorado State
University, Fort Lewis College, Mesa State College, Metropolitan
State College of Denver, University of Colorado, University of
Northern Colorado, University of Southern Colorado, and Western
State College of Colorado.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements
of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials. ANSI Z39.48-
1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Danz, Harold P.
Of bison and man: from the annals of a bison yesterday to a
refreshing outcome from human involvement with America's most
valiant of beasts / Harold P. Danz.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-87081-454-0 (casebound: alk. paper)
1. American bison.2. Wildlife conservation - United States.I. Title.
QL737.U53D35 1997
333.95'9643'0973 - dc21
97-15918
CIP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To My Wife, Geri
Of Bison and Man : From the Annals of a
Bison Yesterday to a Refreshing Outcome
title:
From Human Involvement With America's
Most Valiant of Beasts
author: Danz, Harold P.
publisher: University Press of Colorado
isbn10 | asin: 0870814540
print isbn13: 9780870814549
ebook isbn13: 9780585004365
language: English
American bison, Wildlife conservation--
subject
United States.
publication date: 1997
lcc: QL737.U53D35 1997eb
ddc: 333.95/643/973
American bison, Wildlife conservation--
subject:
United States.
Page vii
Contents
Preface ix
Prologue xi
1.Introduction 1
2.In the Beginning 3
3.How Many Bison Were There? 15
4.The Indian 43
5.Predators and Natural Adversities 65
6.The Human Accelerator-Bison 87
Slaughter
7.The Recovery 115
8.The Industry 137
9.Public Sector Involvement 171
10.A Bison Tomorrow 201
Bibliography 211
Index 221
Page ix
Preface
Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play.
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
"Home on the Range"
From a poem written by Dr. Brewster Higley (1873),
and a folk song as written by John Lomax (1908)
Possibly the most popular American folk song of all time, "Home on
the Range," has been acclaimed by a number of individuals as the
cowboy national anthem, and we understand that it was also a
personal favorite of former United States President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt. The American West has changed somewhat since Dr.
Higley crafted his wistful poem about an unsullied and uncomplicated
way of life; skies are cloudy just about as often as they are sunny,
buffalo have precious little opportunity to roam, and we certainly
seem to hear more than our fair share of discouraging words.
This book is about buffalo, or more properly the American bison,
which roamed the grasslands and prairies of the North American
continent until approximately 1890, and now occupy a few limited
acres of commercial pastures and public parklands. Although perhaps
once considered a pariah by the United States government, no other
North American mammal, or bird, has yet demonstrated that it has the
ability, or capacity, to arouse the extraordinary level of public interest,
support, and affection from an international community than has the
American bison. In 1782, Congress made the bald eagle the United
States national emblem because most people thought it was proud,
strong, and free. Benjamin Franklin was displeased with this
particular choice, noting that no bird with
Page x
the habits of the eagle should represent the United States. It is
unfortunate that Congress did not give greater consideration in its
selection to the well-known attributes of the bison: strength, courage,
and determination.
The American bison is a large animal, nearly twice the size of any
other wild land mammal currently indigenous to North America. A
bison will reach full growth maturity when it is about nine years old,
at which time the male of the species will usually weigh somewhere
between 1,500 and 2,100 pounds, and the female only approximately
half as much. In the wild, adult bison could, and did, hold their own
with nearly all predators, unless man created an artificial condition or
personally intervened to stack the odds against them. Because the
bison is a wild animal, and therefore more irascible than domestic
cattle, it has not been fully accepted as yet by cattle ranchers and
breeders as a viable substitute for their domestic cattle. The bison,
however, does not require anywhere near the care, maintenance, and
medical attention required by most, if not all, cattle breeds.
There are now more bison in the United States than there have been
for more than twelve decades. The American plains bison is no longer
endangered or even threatened as a specie at this time. However, there
is a renewed popularity and interest in bison meat and bison by-
products, and with this increasing demand we need to continue to
focus our attention on what is still but a fragile supply of what was
once an almost diminished resource. The Great American Bison is an
irreplaceable national resource, a fundamental ingredient of American
folklore and legend, cherished unlike any other animal or bird.
However, the bison should not be placed on a preservative pedestal; or
worse, revered in a fashion similar to the Hindu cow. To preserve
bison as a specie, the best thing we can do is eat them. Animals that
people eat and nurture do not become extinct. That's why we have so
many more chickens than bald eagles in North America.
HPD
Lakewood, Colorado
August 15, 1995
Page xi
Prologue
It was late September, and a bitter wind rushed through the grassy
plains of Beringia. Without trees or even large shrubs to break the
tedium of the landscape, the large herbivores grazing on the harsh
steppe grasses stood in dark relief against a light grey sky. Mammoth,
horse, and bison in abundance shared this expansive pasture along
with an elite cadre of meat hunters, including dire wolves, lion,
sabertooth cat, and short faced bear.
A sudden change of wind caused the large bull bison to stop his
constant, but somewhat aimless, feeding and inspect the rolling hills
to the west. His eyes were perhaps the weakest of his senses, and
although he could not distinguish any perceived danger, the unknown
scent left him somewhat apprehensive. He stood for a few moments
listening for the betraying sounds of a familiar predator, but shortly
resumed grazing. He was in his prime, heavy with fat after consuming
summer grasses, and fully seven feet high at the shoulders. His horns
were impressive even in comparison to other bull bison, extending to
nearly four feet between horn tips. Few predators, even the lion,
would seriously consider attacking a beast of his size without help.
The wind again carried the same strange scent to his nostrils and some
nearby horses snorted their consternation, disturbing a solitary
mammoth who promptly left at a brisk walk to rejoin others in his
herd. The bison's ears detected the sounds of rapid movements that
were unlike anything he had heard previously. His eyes detected a
series of small shapes approaching in a slow but determined fashion.
He now was able to savor the full scent of the approaching creatures