William T. Hornaday’s seminal work presents a comprehensive examination of the American bison, detailing its life history, former abundance, physical characteristics, and ultimate extermination. The text opens with a thorough review of the species, tracing its historical discovery by European explorers from Montezuma’s menagerie to early accounts across the continent. It details the vast historical range of the bison, which once spanned one-third of North America from the Atlantic slope to the Rocky Mountains, and examines its incredible abundance when millions roamed the plains in herds that halted riverboats and trains.
The author provides a meticulous biological description of the bison, comparing it with other ruminants like the Indian gaur and European aurochs. He details the physical development of the animal through its various life stages, including calves, yearlings, spike bulls, and mature adults, alongside observations on captive breeding and the annual shedding of its winter pelage. A significant portion of the work is dedicated to the habits of the bison, covering their migration patterns, wallowing behavior, and the grasses that formed their primary food supply.
The core of the book examines the causes and methods of the extermination. Hornaday outlines the systematic slaughter driven by the demand for hides and robes, the perfection of breech-loading rifles, and the inherent stupidity of the animals that made still-hunting devastatingly effective. The methods of destruction—ranging from the still-hunt and chase on horseback to Indian impounding techniques—are detailed alongside statistical records of the enormous commercial value of the trade in robes, hides, and bones.
Finally, the book explores the prospects for preserving the species from absolute extinction and the potential for cross-breeding bison with domestic cattle to improve range stock. The author concludes with an impassioned plea for wildlife conservation, using the fate of the bison as a moral lesson for the protection of other surviving mammals.
