[grantpitt]

> "By the 1880s, their numbers had plummeted from around 30 million to a mere 325"

I thought that must've been a typo upon first reading. Even 325,000 would be shocking. Amazing that the conservation efforts seem to have worked well.

[littlestymaar]

It hasn't worked perfectly though, as the vaste majority of American bisons (all but 4 herds in fact) aren't true bisons but have cattle genes due to hybridation.

[hasmanean]

Now the USA has 87 million cattle.

Private cattle ranches could never have competed with 30 million bison owned by nature, free for anyone to take.

[cryptonector]

Many ranches raise bison. And even deer.

Just because the population was wild then wouldn't have precluded ranching bison, or even cows.

[hasmanean]

How to you make a fenced off ranch when 30 million buffalo decide to stampede through?

[littlestymaar]

You wrote it by yourself: you fence it off!

[hasmanean]

And how does a stampeding herd coordinate to move around a fence?

Buffalo will run off a cliff in the hundreds because those in the back can’t see what’s in the front.