The American buffalo is one of the most popular animals in America. Some people insist that we should call the animal a "bison," but many animals have more than one name. Besides, we don't call him Bison Bill Cody - but rather Buffalo Bill Cody. And we don't call those old coins "bison nickels," because they are buffalo nickels.
"Buffalo" is just a Portuguese word similar to our word "beef." And since the buffalo is closely related to the cow, this makes sense.
When did they quit minting buffalo nickels?
1938
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Because the large buffalo herds disrupted the trains that were headed West, a bounty was put on them, and the cowboys began shooting them by the thousands. In fact, they almost shot every one of them. Slowly but surely, however, people who loved the buffalo have brought them back. And now we have herds of buffalo again, although not as large as they once were.
A buffalo calf finds his legs.
In the days of the Plains Indians before the white settlers arrived, the buffalo moved in great herds that could take days to pass by. The Indians would use the buffalo hides for their teepees and their winter clothes and the meat for food. But the mass shooting of the buffalo brought great hardship to the Plains Indians, and was not a good memory in American history.
How did Buffalo Bill Cody get his name?
He was among the first cowboys to shoot the buffalo.
Although the pronghorn antelope looks like a deer, it is more closely related to the buffalo. Graceful and beautiful roaming the great plains, the pronghorn antelope is in danger of becoming extinct. Although they are still hunted for sport, there are other organizations working to preserve this beautiful animal.
There have always been an abundance of deer, because they have the ability to move easily by simply jumping over fences and other restraints.
Unfortunately this brings the deer into contact with the fields of grain that the farmers are growing, and the deer can be quite destructive. You may also see highway signs with the words "Deer Crossing," because they pose a great hazard to automobiles when they scamper across the highways. People should not drive fast when in deer country.
The American buffalo is one of the most popular animals in America. Some people insist that we should call the animal a "bison," but many animals have more than one name. Besides, we don't call him Bison Bill Cody - but rather Buffalo Bill Cody. And we don't call those old coins "bison nickels," because they are buffalo nickels.
1938
