HDRider
Well-known member
American Bison inhabited a large area in the mid-Continent in pre-Columbus times. Assuming birth in Kansas, I wonder how far north and south they ranged over a year? Maybe 1,000 miles north and south? More? less?
Where Buffalo Roam
- Thread starter HDRider
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TexasBred
Well-known member
Probably was a pretty slow leisurely pace grazing, resting, ruminating and hanging out around watering areas.
I wouldn't think they covered "a bunch" of miles. I think as their numbers increased the "herd" was forced to expand their area. I wouldn't think a bison would roam from S dakota to Texas.
I have a pretty good idea what the green on the map means, but what does each shade of green represent?
I have a pretty good idea what the green on the map means, but what does each shade of green represent?
greybeard
Well-known member
Alan":2szlni5c said:
Different types of bison I believe.
There were:
Holocene.
Wood.
Plains.
Bison at different times in the evolutionary time period.
(Then again, it may just be showing the decreasing range area down thru the ages.)
You may be right about there not being a huge and long North to South migration (think African wildebeest type migrations)
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewc ... nsresearch
(if you get an error loading, refresh.)
Jogeephus
Well-known member
Here is the original range so mid-continent isn't exactly correct. I'm originally from the Carolinas and I know there are still buffalo there.
OP
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HDRider
Well-known member
Jogeephus":3pc0mjka said:Here is the original range so mid-continent isn't exactly correct. I'm originally from the Carolinas and I know there are still buffalo there.
Yeah, I knew when I said it mid-continent wasn't right, but didn't really know how to say it. I looked for a map like you found there. I couldn't find one like it. My map was prairie lands.
My real interests are how far they might have covered in a year's time and how well they got by grazing with snow on the ground?
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HDRider
Well-known member
GB, That paper was pretty interesting and challenges some popular ideas on bison migration. Sounds like maybe sometimes they grazed until they starved themselves as opposed to moving along.
How great it would be to have opportunities to explore like these early explorers had. Some things that make you long for days past - On 16 September 1804, just above the mouth of White River, Lewis noted that "vast herds of Buffaloe deer Elk and Antilopes were seen feeding in every direction as far as the eye of the observer could reach."
From that time until they reached the Great Falls of the Missouri River on 14 June, they were seldom out of sight of bison and they described "immence herds of Buffaloe, Elk, deer, & Antelopes feeding in one common and boundless pasture."
On 29 August, just past the mouth of White River Clark wrote: "I had a view of a greater number of buffalow than I had ever seen before at one time. I must have seen near 20,000." It is likely that so many bison would have had little opportunity to move to fresh grazing after grass was heavily grazed.
How great it would be to have opportunities to explore like these early explorers had. Some things that make you long for days past - On 16 September 1804, just above the mouth of White River, Lewis noted that "vast herds of Buffaloe deer Elk and Antilopes were seen feeding in every direction as far as the eye of the observer could reach."
From that time until they reached the Great Falls of the Missouri River on 14 June, they were seldom out of sight of bison and they described "immence herds of Buffaloe, Elk, deer, & Antelopes feeding in one common and boundless pasture."
On 29 August, just past the mouth of White River Clark wrote: "I had a view of a greater number of buffalow than I had ever seen before at one time. I must have seen near 20,000." It is likely that so many bison would have had little opportunity to move to fresh grazing after grass was heavily grazed.
