Where to hunt Bison
“Bison” may refer to one of the two closely related species of bovines: the American Bison (a.k.a. Buffalo), and the European Bison (a.k.a. Wisent). Both species faced near extinction by the early XX century. The North American Conservation Model worked better for the American Bison, and both the Woodland and Plains subspecies are now not endangered, with hunting legal in a number of states, such as Alaska, Missouri and South Dakota, and the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. The European Bison did not fare just as well, partly due to both World Wars raging right in the heart of its habitat. However, strictly limited opportunities to hunt it, with the proceeds going for conservation effort, exist in Belarus.
Countries
Price distribution
Bison hunting in North America will cost about $4,000 to $7,000, depending on the area and the size of the trophy. Combination hunts with species such as wolf are possible in Canada. Bison hunting in Europe has always been an exclusive affair, and hunts are typically priced at about $14,000-15,000.
When to hunt Bison?
Seasons for limited draw hunts may run in October-November to February-March (in Alaska), while hunting privately owned hunts are possible year round. However, outfitters recommend to come in late autumn or winter if the hunter wishes to harvest a coat in its prime. Hunting in Belarus is possible all year round, but the outfitters recommend to come in December or January for the same year.
Hunting methods
On most Bison hunts the hunter is accompanied by a guide, to make sure that only an old, mature bull that’s past reproductive age is harvested. Spot-and-stalk is by far the preferred method, especially for plains populations that dwell in the open. Woodland bison may not be too easy to locate and stalk. An alternative method is hunting from high seats over food sources.
Why hunt Bison?
Most stories of the Bison have it that the species have been “exterminated by hunting”. This is an oversimplification. A lot of factors contributed to decimation of the American Bison numbers, including habitat loss, competition with domestic cattles and disease transmitted by it, and conscious extermination effort for political reasons. Would the Bison’s decimation be as dramatic by hunting alone? Nobody knows, but it’s a fact that the recovery of huntable species unter the North American Conservation Model was more successful than those that, like Bison, weren’t legal to hunt. Likewise in Europe, in the Romanoff’s hunting preserves the Wisent thrived; after the Bolshevik Revolution it took only a few years before the animals went extinct, in spite of a total hunting ban. Consumptive use, with a lot of money raised by hunting a few individuals, often makes a more successful conservation tool. Bison hunting today is strictly controlled, and works for preservation of the species. Join this effort by booking a Bison hunt.
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