The buffalo or, more correctly, the bison shares with the moose the distinction of being the two heaviest land animals of North America. The buffalo is from nine to twelve feet long and as tall as a man from the ground to the top of its hump. Some bulls weigh nearly a ton, but cows are smaller. They are strong and tough and can live through storms that kill other beasts. They are also great runners - up to thirty miles an hour for long distances.
When Indians were the only people west of the Mississippi River, there were millions of bison forming herds, often as far as the eye could see on the prairies of middle America, from Mexico north into Canada. For the Indians, this was their main food, and they made tepees, blankets, clothing and other essentials from the hides. God provided plenty of grass and water, and even though the Indians killed many, it did not make much difference since so many calves were born every year that their numbers just continued growing.
But as white people moved west after the Revolutionary War, it became a different story. It is easy to understand that the settlers, like the Indians, found buffalo a good source of food and hides. But as the people settled the land, they not only used buffalo for these purposes - they determined to get them off the land they wanted to farm. As a result, many thousands were killed just to get rid of them.
Hunters from the eastern part of the country and “sportsmen,” even from Europe, went west with their guns, thinking it was great sport to see how many they could kill. There was no thought about using the meat or hides. When railroads reached that part of the country, some hunters shot the beasts from moving trains. All this leaves a sad picture of that part of America’s history. The result was that, just one hundred years ago, instead of millions of buffalo, there were only about a thousand left in the United States and Canada combined.
Bison are part of God’s creation, and He surely had the Indian people in His thoughts in preparing such an abundant supply to meet their needs. Many people today are sad and ashamed to think of the way the bison were deliberately killed. God, of whom it is said, “I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine” (Psalm 50:1111I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. (Psalm 50:11)), must have been displeased to see this cruelty and waste. However, we can be happy to know that His watchful eye and care are over those bison that are flourishing again.
(to be continued)
ML-03/23/2003