Originally Posted by Jim1611
Originally Posted by OldHat
Originally Posted by Hastings
The bison were not exterminated by bullets.
Originally Posted by OldHat
Again your numbers are wrong. The short grass herds were already greatly diminished. There were not 30 million buffalo by the time market hunting started.
Well now you argue against yourself. What diminished the herds prior to market hunting?

Hunting. The slaughter started in Kentucky in 1770s pretty much.

Quote

How did white hunters, few in number kill all the bison?

White hunters compounded losses on top of normal losses.

Quote

Why were dead bison reported laying dead scattered around like pumpkins on the plains? Try Google. You give white hunters too much credit. All they did was deliver the coup de grace.

Because long range rifles made them easy to kill and the herd did not run. As I said 2000X500=1000000. The number add up very easily.

The army wanted them dead because they needed to starve the Indians and to clear the plains of bison so settlement could occur. We all know that wild bison CANNOT exist in settled areas. They had to go wherever farms exist. Humans always overkill when abundance exists. Always.






You mentioned the army wanting the bison dead. That reminds me of reading about Kit Carson. He lived for a time with the Apache, I think. This took place in the southwest. Carson became a scout for the army later on and it was his job to lead the army to the Indians. They always seemed to stay just out of reach. The Apache had planted fruit trees in various places and relied on them when they were on the run. Carson knew that and the army cut them down. They eliminated that part of a food source. In my mind Carson betrayed the Apache.

s.w. indians would plant seeds where when the rains came, they would get water, still do. Not uncommon to see little patches of green across the rez.

THE BIRTH PLACE OF GERONIMO