<P> After the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, the west experienced a large boom in colonist population--and a large decline in bison population . As railways expanded, military troops and supplies were able to be transported more efficiently to the Plains region . Some railroads even hired commercial hunters to feed their laborers . William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody, for example, was hired by the Kansas Pacific Railroad for this reason . Hunters began arriving in masses, and trains would often slow down on their routes to allow for raised hunting . Men would either climb aboard the roofs of trains or fire shots at herds from outside their windows . As a description of this from Harper's Weekly noted: "The train is' slowed' to a rate of speed about equal to that of the herd; the passengers get out fire - arms which are provided for the defense of the train against the Indians, and open from the windows and platforms of the cars a fire that resembles a brisk skirmish ." The railroad industry also wanted bison herds culled or eliminated . Herds of bison on tracks could damage locomotives when the trains failed to stop in time . Herds often took shelter in the artificial cuts formed by the grade of the track winding through hills and mountains in harsh winter conditions . As a result, bison herds could delay a train for days . </P> <P> The main reason for the bison's near - demise, much like the actual demise of the Passenger Pigeon, was commercial hunting . </P> <P> Bison skins were used for industrial machine belts, clothing such as robes, and rugs . There was a huge export trade to Europe of bison hides. Old West bison hunting was very often a big commercial enterprise, involving organized teams of one or two professional hunters, backed by a team of skinners, gun cleaners, cartridge reloaders, cooks, wranglers, blacksmiths, security guards, teamsters, and numerous horses and wagons . Men were even employed to recover and recast lead bullets taken from the carcasses . Many of these professional hunters, such as Buffalo Bill Cody, killed over a hundred animals at a single stand and many thousands in their career . One professional hunter killed over 20,000 by his own count . A good hide could bring $3 in Dodge City, Kansas, and a very good one (the heavy winter coat) could sell for $50 in an era when a laborer would be lucky to make a dollar a day . </P> <P> The hunter would customarily locate the herd in the early morning, and station himself about 100 yards / meters from it, shooting the animals broadside through the lungs . Head shots were not preferred as the soft lead bullets would often flatten and fail to penetrate the skull, especially if mud was matted on the head of the animal . The bison would continue to drop until either the herd sensed danger and stampeded or perhaps a wounded animal attacked another, causing the herd to disperse . If done properly a large number of bison would be felled at one time . Following up were the skinners, who would drive a spike through the nose of each dead animal with a sledgehammer, hook up a horse team, and pull the hide from the carcass . The hides were dressed, prepared, and stacked on the wagons by other members of the organization . </P>

Can you hunt bison in the united states