Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Taken: Circa 1894
Caption: Heads of poached bison seized by military, probably confiscated from Ed Howell
Additional Description: On the capture of Ed Howell:...Early the next morning, very soon after starting out, he (Burgess) struck an old trail of snowshoes, and following it up stumbled upon a cache of six buffalo scalps and six skins, from three of which the hair had been partially removed as if for the manufacture of rawhide. He took this plunder in and passed on to the south until he had come near the mouth of the Astringent Creek, where he again struck a snowshoe trail, this time freshly made....The man was busy skinning the buffalo, and five of these animals lay about him. Burgess rushed upon him, and Howell was so occupied with his work that he did not see his captor until he was close to him. He had no time to think about making any resistance, but threw up his hands at once. Burgess brought him in and reached his guard house at Fort Sheridan at about 4:30 on Wednesday, March 14. Howell is now confined there, and will no doubt remain until news has been received from Washington as to what is to be done with him.... There have been at least eleven buffalo killed and no one knows how many more. It is certain that Howell has been in the Park several times during the winter, and it is not very unlikely that he may have killed a large number of these animals. It is evident that unless something is done at once to make poaching a crime, the Yellowstone Park buffalo will very soon be wholly exterminated. -- Forest and Stream, VOL. XLIL-- No. 13., March 31, 1894

This is the image used on the marker, courtesy of the National Park Service.
Submitted: September 10, 2015.
Database Locator Identification Number: p328279
File Size: 0.223 Megabytes

To see the metadata that may be embedded in this photo, sign in and then return to this page.