Buffalo Hunting:
An exciting way to hunt bison on the plains was known as “running buffalo.” Trappers told exhilarating stories of dashing and darting amongst the stampeding herd. German-born American physician and naturalist, Frederic Wisilezenus was a marvelous observer of this grand adventure during his trek to the Rocky Mountains in 1839: “The hunt for buffalo is one of the grandest and most interesting of which I know. The hunting is done either afoot by stalking, or on horseback by running. In both cases one must seek to be on the windward, to get as near as possible. For stalking, a hilly country is most favorable; but it is possible to get within shooting distance on the plain, if one does not find it too troublesome to creep on hands and knees, often for a mile. Even if the buffaloes see the hunter at this unusual locomotion, they often let him get near enough to shoot, provided his motion is quiet and regular. At the first shot they usually run away; but at times, when they do not see the hunter, they simply become restless, and permit him several shots ... The best place to give a buffalo a deadly wound is behind the shoulder blades, where the thick coat of hair stops. Shots back of that through the body trouble him little. A bullet on the head either glances off from the thick hair and firm skull, or at best does not penetrate far. Rarely does a buffalo collapse at the first shot.”
Indian Method:
Wisilezenus also reported that an Indian “buffalo hunter prefers to ride without a saddle … and starts off at top speed. He rushes into the midst of the fleeing herd, and for some minutes buffaloes and rider disappear in a thick cloud of dust. But suddenly he reappears at one side close behind a buffalo which he has picked for his prey and separated from the herd. The hunted animal exerts all its strength to escape its pursuer; but the emulous horse races with him … The cows are more agile than the bulls; swifter horses are therefore required in hunting them. The Indians usually hunt the buffalo on horseback in the way just described, with the difference that instead of firearms they commonly use bow and arrow. In full career they discharge their arrows with such accuracy and force that occasionally the arrow pierces the animal and wounds another one.”
Trapper Method:
Trappers learned a few tricks for running buffalo. According to Swiss artist Rudolph Kurz: “When running buffaloes the hunters do not use rifle-patches but take along several balls in their mouths. The projectile thus moistened sticks to the powder when put into the gun … on buffalo hunts, they do not carry rifles, for the reason that they think the care required in loading them takes too much time unnecessarily when shooting at close range; and, furthermore, they find rifle balls too small. The hunter chases buffaloes at full gallop, discharges his gun, and reloads without slackening speed.
To accomplish this, he holds the weapon close within the bend of his left arm. Taking the powder horn in his right hand, with his teeth he draws out the stopper, which is fastened to the horn to prevent its being lost. He shakes the requisite amount of powder into his left palm and closes the powder horn. He grasps the gun with his right hand, holding it in a vertical position, pours the powder down the barrel, and gives the gun a sidelong thrust with the left hand, in order to shake the powder well through the priming hole into the touch pan (hunters at this place discard percussion caps as not practical). Now he takes a bullet from his mouth and with his left hand puts it into the barrel, where, having been moistened by spittle, it adheres to the powder. He dares not hold his weapon horizontal– the position taken when firing– for fear that the ball may stick fast in its course, allowing sufficient air to intervene between powder and lead to cause
an explosion and splinter the barrel. There is no danger so long as the ball rolls down freely. Hunters approach the buffaloes so closely that they do not take aim but, lifting the gun lightly with both hands, point in the direction of the animal’s heart and fire. They are very often wounded in the hands and face by the bursting gun barrels, which– especially when the weather is extremely cold– shatter as easily as glass”
Buffalo Horse:
Trapper Osbourne Russell described the importance of a well-trained buffalo hunting horse: “The horse that is well trained for this purpose not only watches the ground over which he is running and avoids the holes ditchs and rocks by shortening or extending his leaps but also the animal which he is pursuing in order to prevent being ‘horned’ when tis brot suddenly to bay which is done instantaneously and if the Buffaloe wheel to the right the horse passes as quick as thought to the left behind it and thereby avoids its horns but if the horse in close pursuit wheels on the same side with the Buffaloe he comes directly in contact with its horns and with one stroke the
horses entrails are often torn out and his rider thrown headlong to the ground After the Buffaloe is brought to bay the trained horse will immediately commence describing a circle about 10 paces from the animal in which he moves continually in a slow gallop or trot which prevents the raging animal from making a direct bound at him by keeping it continually turning round until it is killed by the rider with arrows or bullets.”
Jim Hardee & Clay Landry
For Further Reading:
Kurz, Rudolph, On the Upper Missouri, the Journal of Rudolph Freiderich Kurz
Russell, Osbourne, Journal of a Trapper
Wisilezenus, Frederic, A Journey to the Rocky Mountains in 1839
