Buffalo.

Essay by kickallyoMiddle School, 6th gradeA+, October 2005

download word file, 1 pages 1.0

Downloaded 1112 times

Buffalos were an important part of the Plains and Plateau way of survival. Buffalos were hunted by men, and they used many strategies to get control of the herds and kill them.

There were many strategies to hunt buffalos, but there were two, that were the most popular among all tribes. The two strategies were: making the herds of buffalo run off a cliff and/or surrounding them and shooting them one by one. There was a particular time for each strategy.

At the time when food/meat was scarce, the strategy most preferred was running a herd off a cliff. By doing this, they gathered a lot of meat at once. This lasted them quite a long time. Natives did not approve of hunting that was done for fun; as well as hunting more then needed. That's why whenever a little more then needed was hunted they preserved it well, so that it would not rot.

Sometimes the amount of meat hunted like this lasted them a whole year!

Another strategy used was surrounding them and then taking turns shooting buffalo one by one. This stratagem was usually only used when there was a specific amount needed, and by doing what they did, they only hunted enough to fulfil the requirement of their wives.

The traditional way of hunting buffalo is to either spear them or shoot them with arrows (later on they were replaced by guns and rifles). Horses were also an important part of hunting, they helped guide the buffalos. Also it helped the rider to be quick in hunting. It was very difficult and the native men were highly skilled and full of practice, and this gave them an advantage against the animals. They were indeed very skilled.