It is estimated that the population of the American Bison was between 40 and 50 million at the time and the Native Americans used all parts of the Bison for meat, clothing, shelter and tools whereas the white hunters only used the delicacies, like the tongue and left the rest of the carcass to rot. When the railroads were built, train crews and passengers killed the Bison only for sport.
In the late 1800’s there were only 550 Bison remaining in the United States. Today it is estimated that there are at least 500,000 Bison in the U.S. Bison bulls can weigh from 1,600 to 2,000 lbs. and stand 5.5′ to 6.5′ at the shoulders. Bison look very slow and clumsy, but in fact they can run up to 35 miles per hour and can jump 6′ high. In 2016, President Obama signed into law making the American Bison the country’s first national mammal.