American bison
Learn about this topic in these articles:
major reference
effect of hunting on wildlife
- In hunting: Game management
… and virtual extermination of the bison (buffalo) in North America and the prospect of overhunting, both commercial and sport, led to laws protecting game and game birds. Much huntable land disappeared as industrial advance eliminated wildlife habitats and new farming methods reduced hedgerows and plowed under stubble soon after harvest,…
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feature of Yellowstone National Park
- In Yellowstone National Park: Plant and animal life
Bison (buffalo), the largest of the mammals, were brought back from near extinction at the beginning of the 20th century. They now constitute several thousand head divided into two subpopulations that, respectively, inhabit summer breeding grounds in the Hayden Valley (north-central) and Lamar Valley (northeast)…
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habitation in Canada
- In Canada: Grasslands
…prairies encountered enormous herds of bison (often called buffalo), but by the end of the 19th century hunters had reduced their numbers to near extinction. Bison may now be seen only in wildlife reserves. With the bison gone, mule deer and the pronghorn antelope are the remaining large mammals on…
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importance in Sioux culture
- In Sioux: Precontact Sioux culture
The buffalo had a prominent place in all Sioux rituals. Among the Teton and Santee the bear was also a symbolically important animal; bear power obtained in a vision was regarded as curative, and some groups enacted a ceremonial bear hunt to protect warriors before their…
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patterns of migration
- In migration: Terrestrial mammals
In former times, American bison (Bison bison) migrated regularly through the Great Plains. Herds of as many as 4,000,000 animals moved from north to south in fall and returned when spring rains brought fresh grass to the northern part of their range. Bison travelled over more or less circular…
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place in Plains Indian society
- In primitive culture: The Plains Indians
The mounted buffalo hunters of the North American Great Plains, common in popular literature and cowboy movies, constituted a type of nomadic hunting society. But they represented a brief and very special development: an interaction and amalgamation of elements of Indian culture with Spanish horses and the…
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