There were three main techniques
of hunting the bison, which was a communal effort because of the various skills,
planning and labour involved.
First, hunters would create a V-shaped barrier
of brush and stones along migration routes. This directed the bison into a corral,
where they would be harvested using mainly bow and arrow. A second method was
to stampede bison over a “bison jump” or steep cliff at the edge of
open terrain. Thirdly, a “surround technique” was used, in which hunters
banded together on horseback and surrounded the bison herd. While some aimed their
arrows from the perimeter of the herd, others entered into the thick of the moving
herd to take down animals.
Summer time was best suited for these communal
hunts, when the bison were fat and their hides more easily dressed. The animals
were skinned and butchered and the meat was shared according to the needs of each
family.
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Painting
of a Plains Indians buffalo hunt. By George Catlin (1796-1872).
Image
source: National Archives of Canada / C-119982
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