The Verge Of Extinction...!

The american buffalo was a major source of food for some of the native American tribes. Besides food, the fur had many uses and benefits in the culture of the natives. Sadly, they were almost hunted to extinction.

Bison skulls to be used for fertilizer, 1870

By RHP | Posted on: June 23, 2014 | Updated on: June 23, 2014

Bison were hunted for their skins, with the rest of the animal left behind to decay on the ground.

Bison were hunted almost to extinction in the 19th century and were reduced to a few hundred by the mid-1880s. They were hunted for their skins, with the rest of the animal left behind to decay on the ground. Hides were prepared and shipped to the east and Europe (mainly Germany) for processing into leather. Homesteaders collected bones from carcasses left by hunters. Bison bones were used in refining sugar, and in making fertilizer and fine bone china. Bison bones brought from $2.50 to $15.00 a ton.

How many bison skulls might be in the photo? Hard to tell without being able to see the whole pile. Some rough calculations based on skulls volume and the dimensions of the pile calculate 180,000 skulls on that pile.

If you would like to see more photos of the bison skulls and read some more of the article, you can find it right here!

Hard to believe we could kill that many animals mainly just for sport. Sometimes I just don't understand!

Coffee in the kitchen again. The rain is still around !