They also recalled that earlier in the previous century a large number of buffalo were killed north of Moses Lake or the Grand Coulee. At first they were killed for their meat, and to make robes of their hides and china plates from their bones. But they're such a powerful animal that they had to be, not only excellent horsemen, but excellent archers too. They ate the grass that farmers and rangers needed for their cattle and sheep and when they moved through an area, the ground and grass were destroyed or all torn up. Some white settlers even cut out the tongue of the buffalo to eat. The buffalos were skinned and their carcasses were left to rot. Why was the church and state threatened by their presence? 'Kill Every Buffalo You Can! In the 1800s, millions of buffalo were slaughtered for the tongue only. Interestingly enough, the rise of the American buffalo may have coincided with the fall of the Native American tribes. Their natural instinct in the face of danger was to stand still in large groups to intimidate wolf packs or coyotes who were less likely to attack when confronted this way. The buffalo were the life of the Kiowas.” Old Lady Horse, Kiowa (3) Before 1870 some buffalo were killed by the new Americans but the impact on the numbers of the buffalo was minimal. Why were buffalo so important? Killing bison in these numbers had the added effect of robbing Native Americans of their food supply, in effect starving them into submission, and soon military commanders were ordering their troops to kill buffalo wherever they could. By 1885, fewer than 1,000 buffalo were left, and the species was in … These animals were most single species of large wild mammals on earth. As devastating as this seems to us now, early gourmets relished this delectable food. Many people killed buffalo for their meat, their skins, or their tongues, but many people either killed the bison for sport or killed them, took only one small part of their bodies (like the tongue) and just left the rest of the carcass to rot. In some places, buffalo tongues became a delicacy in fine restaurants. There is an estimate of 31 million were slaughtered bye 1868 and 1881. 2. Interestingly enough, the rise of the American buffalo may have coincided with the fall of the Native American tribes. Professional hunters, such as Buffalo Bill Cody killed over a hundred animals in a day, and thousands in their career. The buffalo tongue was the main meat that the hunters kept. Hunters on cross-country trains would even take aim at the wild creatures from their windows and shoot down several at a time. What part of the bison was used 'It gave its life so Indians could live. -food for railroad construction gangs came from buffalo -"Buffalo Bill" Cody -killed over 4,000 animals while employed by the Kansas Pacific -massacre of herds began in earnest- buffalo killed for their hides, tongues, or just amusement "Sportsmen" RESULTS: 1885 fewer than 1,000 buffalo alive *danger of complete extinction