Arizona Buffalo hunting {American Bison} Hunting Guides and Outfitters

Bison: The American bison or plains buffalo, the largest big game animal in the western Hemisphere. The early Spanish explores called it “wild ox” or “crooked-backed ox”; to the French settlers it was a “boeuf”; the English named it “buffle” and “buffalo,” which later became “buffalo.”. The American bison, Bison bison, however, is not a true buffalo like the water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis. Another common name for the European bison is wisent. This animal once roamed over most of Eastern Europe but is now extinct in the wild state because of hunting.

The bison is an extremely heavy big game animal with a massive head, short neck, short curved horns, and a high hump on its shoulder. A full-grown bull may stand from 5 feet 6 inches {165 cm} to 6 feet {1.8 meters} at the shoulder and weigh from 1,800 to 2,400 pounds {815 – 1,090 kg}; the females are smaller and weigh about 800 pounds {360 kg}. The males’ large size makes the bison / buffalo a popular sport among Arizona hunting guides and outfitters. There are a number of game ranches that specialize in big game animals such as this and these companies offer trips and guided hunts within their services.

The bison is dark brown in color, becoming almost black at the head and shoulders; in spring, the color fades to a pale yellowish-brown. A thick mantle of long, shaggy hair envelops the head, neck, and forelimbs with the rest of the body covered by comparatively short, woolly hair. A long black tuft of hair hangs from the chin of adult males. These colors do not do much to hide this big game animal in the open, but does an effective job when in thin wooded areas in Arizona. The hunting guide or outfitter has to spend more time to find it then they do when they are in open fields.

The mating season of Arizona bison / buffalo begins in July and continues through August, with the bulls fighting furious battles for possession of the females. The calves are born in April or May, about nine and one half months after mating. Usually there is only one calf. The newborn calf has its eyes open and is able to stand and nurse within an hour. It is light chestnut-brown in color but takes on the adult color in six months. The calf is old enough to mate in the second year, but is not considered fully grown until the fifth or sixth year. The average life span of the bison is from 15 to 20 years.

Bison were most abundant in the region of the Mississippi River Valley, where there were great stretches of rich grasslands and plenty of water. During migration the bison massed in vast herds as much as 25 miles {40 km} wide. The bison population has been estimated as being 60 million at the time the white man arrived in North America.

The bison was the main source of sustenance to the American Indians, especially the plains-dwelling tribes, and the western settlers also depended on the animals for food, clothing, and other uses. Consequently the animals ere slaughtered in tremendous numbers. They were also killed as they interfered with railroad construction – their presence was in itself a nuisance and it brought the Indians who hunted them and fought with the white men. It was a railroad company that sent “Buffalo Bill,” William F. Cody, to kill buffaloes. By the late 1800’s the bison had been fantastically reduced, and in 1900 there were only 300 left in the United States. Today, protected by legislation, there are many times this number in Yellowstone National Park and other preserves in North America.

Arizona Hunting Season Schedule

Arizona Hunting License

United States Weather

The links above for hunting seasons in Arizona should help you with additional information that will help in the planning of your trip or guided hunt. The Arizona hunting outfitter or guide that you hire should also be a good source of detailed information like weather and the best time to plan Arizona bison / buffalo hunts.