For hundreds and perhaps thousands of years, native tribes across America would converge upon the vast herds of buffalo that lived in the plains of what we call Montana, The Dakotas and throughout the midwest.  These tribes would set aside any differences each tribe may have felt toward the other because they knew they needed each others help to capture and kill enough buffalo for each tribe to survive through the winter.

They would gather on the banks of the rivers and at the foot of the hills each fall at the same time and would enjoy their large encampments and share stories of the past years events with each and plan out the hunt for the next day.  Each man in the group had their assignment and each would do their best to make sure buffalo was acquired.

They spent upwards of a full month killing and butchering buffalo and would continue to do so until each tribe had enough to sustain all of the people in their tribe through the winter.  Some men would ride around the buffalo hurd and gather them up in large numbers and then drive them fast and hard toward and over the cliff of a large plateau.  Others would wait in ambush as riders would slowly drive the hurd toward a narrowing in the terrain and then the hiding men would unleash hundreds of arrows into the herd as it walked past their hideouts.  And still others would ride into the herd with bows and arrows or spears and take the large beasts down.

These traditions continue today.  And tomorrow me and my tribe will gather in the hills of the Rocky Mountains for our annual ritual of hunting the beasts of the forest.  And we too will ride and surround and ambush.  We too will tell the tales of the years past events and relive the memories of past hunting adventures.

Our goal is not to harvest enough of the beasts so as to sustain our families through the winter.  Our goal is to continue this tradition of hunting and gathering and enjoying the out of doors and having fun.  Far be it for anyone to put pen and ink to the cost of a pound of wild beast flesh.  And least of all share that number with the spouse of one of the hunters.

As for tomorrow.  I shall see each of you at the “hunting grounds”!  Drive safely.

Bears Butt

Sept. 2011