Near Hot Springs in Custer County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Bringing Back the Bison
Wind Cave National Park
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 16, 2023
1. Bringing Back the Bison Marker
Between 350 and 500 bison roam the grasslands of the national park — a token of the herds numbering 30 to 60 million that once inhabited the prairies of North America. The American bison, commonly called buffalo, became nearly extinct as settlers and the railroads moved west across the Great Plains in the 1800s. They were hunted relentlessly for hides and tongues and to eliminate a source of food and supplies for the Plains Indians. Numbers dwindled to just a few hundred. Then, conservationists and sportsmen began a campaign to restore bison to their former range. Twenty bison from the Bronx Zoo and Yellowstone National Park were brought here in the early 1900s — the ancestors of today's herd.
Great numbers of Buffalow in every direction.
I think about 10,000 may be seen in a view.
—Captain William Clark, Lewis & Clark Expedition
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Native Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location. 43° 31.885′ N, 103° 29.96′ W. Marker is near Hot Springs, South Dakota, in Custer County. Marker is on U.S. 385, 3˝ miles north
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Vanishing Prairie (approx. 0.4 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corps Camp (approx. 1.4 miles away); The CCC's Enduring Legacy (approx. 2 miles away); Home on the Range (approx. 2 miles away); Stephen Tyng Mather (approx. 2 miles away); Paha Sapa Limestone (approx. 2 miles away); Life in a Prairie Dog Town (approx. 3 miles away); Early Game Preserve (approx. 3.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hot Springs.
Also see . . .
1. Wind Cave Bison Herd (Wikipedia). Excerpt:
The American bison (Bison bison) once numbered in the millions, and they were possibly the most numerous large land animal on earth. However, they were hunted to near extinction throughout North America by the late 1880s. The Wind Cave bison herd was started with 14 bison from the New York Zoological Society and with six animals from the Yellowstone Park bison herd. In addition, in the 1960s, a bull bison was received from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The Yellowstone Park bison herd was the last free-ranging bison herd in the United States(Submitted on October 19, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)and the only place where they did not go locally extinct, so they have become part of the foundation stock for many other herds. The Wind Cave population has served as the foundation stock for the Tallgrass Prairie bison herd in Kansas. The National Park Service is working with The Nature Conservancy to establish additional satellite herds with the goal of having a total population of at least 1,000 breeding bison of Wind Cave lineage.
2. Marker detail: Bison HidesStacks of bison hides await shipment to eastern manufacturing centers, where they were made into jackets, belts, and other clothing.
2. The Journey Begins (National Park Service). Excerpt:
The bison were a gift from the New York Zoological and the American Bison Societies. Simply getting these animals to the park was quite a story. Fred Dille, of the U.S. Biological Survey, was in charge of transporting the bison. In New York, the bison were loaded onto an express train. They arrived in Hot Springs, a 2000-mile trip, 2 1/2 days later. When the train reached Hot Springs, every available truck and cart was pressed into service to get the animals the remaining eleven miles to the preserve. This journey took ten hours! By the time the bison reached the preserve, quite a crowd had gathered to see them released. There was only one problem. The bison had no idea how to back out of a(Submitted on October 19, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)crate! This frustrating experience is summarized in the words of Dille: To suggest to a buffalo that he must back out of the crate by poking him in the head… are but a challenge to him and he does not propose to give ground. The final operation was more like removing the crates from the animals than the animals from the crate...
3. Marker detail: BisonBison may seem docile and slow, but they can be aggressive and run as fast as a horse. Bulls weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.
4. Bison Calf
Calves, which are born from mid-April through June, are a bright rust red color for the first few months.
5. Marker detail: Bison Wellness Check
The park staff corrals the bison annually to assess their health and maintain the proper balance of animals in the park.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 16, 2023
6. Bringing Back the Bison Marker
Looking east from the U.S. Highway 385 wayside parking lot.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 88 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 18, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
