Postcard - American Bison (Buffalo)

American Bison
Bisonbison, Kerr County, Texas
Symbol of the American west, the Bison (Buffalo) is the largest animal in North America, weighing 2,000 lbs. It is native to the USA. Ranging across the entire continent, an estimated 60 million Bison were reduced to only 541 animals, by 1889, due to commercial hunting, westward expansion and the government’s strategy to subjugate the American
Indian. In 1878, the actions of a few, like Texas tycoon and rancher, Charles Goodnight, saved the remnant of the Southern Plains Bison. In 1883, President Teddy Roosevelt established federal protection. Today, over 400,000 Bison can be found in all 50 states. Controlled harvesting keeps the herds in balance with their food supply and provides an excellent source of protein.