Buffalo

The buffalo is known to have a "fight
to the death" bully attitude.
Traditionally they are scared of
nothing and very confident of their
ability to defend against any
intruder. It is no
wonder that a grizzly bear or a pack
of wolves would only attack the
weak. For eons of time Buffalo have
provided Indians with food, shelter,
and tools. The Indians wasted
nothing. White man entered the
equation with their high-tech rifles
and the railroad brought along
buffalo hunters. Killing buffalo
became a pastime. In the attempt to
control Indians, government officials
saw the need to destroy their food
source. Ammunition was given away
to achieve this goal. Industrial greed
took its toll. After 15 years of
slaughter, only 200 Buffalo
remained. By 1883 Buffalo would
roam no more.

Buffalo - American
Bison - Monarch of
Plains- the Supreme
ruler, all the same
shaggy beast. Bulls
could easily weigh
2000lbs and stand
six feet at the
shoulder.

In the 1860's they were 60
million strong, dominating the
landscape. It was often said,
“Buffalo were so plentiful that
a man could walk horizon to
horizon on their backs and
never touch the ground.”
Herds could be 100 miles
across, taking days to pass;
when stampeded they can
run a distance of 30 miles, at
30 miles an hour.

Huge windpipes supply air to
enormous lungs, mouths open
wide, black tongues flop in the
wind, as they trample
everything in their path, leaving
pursuers in a cloud of dust.
Armed with sharp horns and
deadly hooves, a mane
8” long protects their massive
skulls; a “wool like” coat
protects them from extreme
weather conditions. They
wallow in dirt to cleanse
themselves and shield their
body from biting insects.

Embedded deep in North
American history, Buffalo have
left a rich and unequalled legacy
of feeding a struggling nation in
its infancy. An integral part of
early-day Wild West Shows and
now in rodeo the Buffalo deserve
the right, and have paid the
price, to truly be: a celebrated
American icon!
- John Payne

Buffalo

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