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THE AMERICAN BISON: SOME FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

ByRobin Lee Hatcher
141 Comments
American Bison

In my novel, To Marry an English Lord, Jocelyn Overstreet returns to Idaho because her brother was gored by a bison. Without that injury, she never would have met Sebastian Whitcombe, a British viscount. In honor of their unexpected meeting and all that follows, I am sharing a few facts about the American Bison.

  1. Tens of millions of American Bison (as many as 60 million, possibly more) once roamed North America, from the forests of Alaska and Canada to the grasslands of Mexico and from what is now Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada all the way to what is now Washington DC, the Carolinas, and Florida. Their numbers were so great that early explorers and settlers reported herds that stretched for miles, taking days to pass a single point.
  2. By the early 1800s, all the Bison east of the Mississippi were gone. By the late 1800s, unregulated hunting and habitat loss had decimated their populations, with numbers dropping to as few as 325 individuals.
  3. The American Bison is the largest land mammal in North America. Despite their massive size, bison can run up to 35 miles per hour and are surprisingly agile, able to quickly change direction while running as well as to hop over tall fences.
  4. Through conservation efforts, the bison population has rebounded from the brink of extinction to over 500,000, although most are now in commercial herds.
  5. The bison was designated as the national mammal of the United States in 2016, symbolizing the American spirit and resilience.
  6. Though commonly called buffalo in the U.S., true buffalo species reside in Africa and Asia; bison are distinct and native to North America and parts of Europe.

To learn more about the American Bison, I highly recommend the Ken Burns two-part film called, The American Buffalo.

If you’re interested, you can order To Marry an English Lord on Amazon (Kindle, including KU, print, and audiobook).

order To Marry an English Lord


This post was originally part of the Spring 2024 Christian fiction Scavenger Hunt.

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Her 95+ books have won multiple awards, including the RITA, the Christy, the Carol, the FHL Reader's Choice, and the National Reader's Choice Awards. Robin makes her home in Idaho.

141 Comments

    1. I so enjoy learning about new books and authors! What a gift! Thank you all for taking the time to share!

  2. I am really enjoying learning about new-to-me authors and books through this scavenger hunt!

  4. It is interesting to learn more about authors with whom we are very familiar and those new to us!

  9. I enjoy learning more about my favorite authors and meeting new ones while on the Scavenger Hunt.

  10. Rachel, your article on American Bison is very interesting and I enjoyed reading it

  11. I love going to all the different author’s sites and seeing what new books are coming up.

  12. This is my first time participating in a scavenger hunt. It’s been so fun to learn about authors that are new to me. My want-to-read list is getting out of control!

  16. I love this scavenger hunt because I’m finding out about other Christian authors and now know who to look for in the library book shelves!

  18. This is super fun. I’m always looking for a good book to read. I love History on all levels so I’m excited to check out some of your books.

  20. Bison are fascinating creatures. I loved seeing so many of them in the Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone NP, and Custer State Park in SD

  21. I love the parade of book covers! When I follow on one site or another I get to scroll through the author’s backlists and fall down rabbit holes of titles I hadn’t come across before. Love these kinds of giveaways!

  22. I like scavenger hunts because they remind me of Easter egg hunting, and I love that.

  23. I find it interesting that although only true buffalo are found in Asia and Africa, South Dakota still has its annual “buffalo round up” in Custer. It caused a HUGE debate in our family because I was insistent that there are only bison in America despite the name of the round up.

  27. I really enjoy finding more books to read and new authors to add to my already growing pile!

  30. I love how all the authors so far have included something fun about their stories! (Bison, for you!)

    Thank you for doing this!

  32. I love your books and would welcome the opportunity to be on your ARC team.

  37. This is the first that I’m going to get through in many years, if ever. I like seeing the new books and meeting new authors!

  38. I love learning about new books! I cohost a ladies book club for our church library so this an excellent resource!

  41. The best thing about this scavenger hunt is discovering so many different authors!!! I have been looking for new authors so this has been a blessing to me.

  42. I enjoy finding out about new authors, but also I enjoy reading various scavenger hunt posts.

  44. I love discovering new authors, the latest books written by my existing ones, and the chance to win more books!

  45. While doing these scavenger hunts there is the fun of winning, along with finding out things about the different authors–even authors I have been reading their books for a long time!

  48. I enjoy learning about the authors and their books. It’s also fun to think I might win something!

  49. My husband’s favorite animal is the buffalo! We’ve probably seen dozens of documentaries and movies with them! I gave him a Ty beanie baby of a buffalo shortly after we were married; we still have it, 26+ years later!

  50. I love finding new books and authors and learning different things about the books.

  51. The thing I like most about these scavenger hunts is the exposure to new authors (and the chance at free books!).

  52. I like finding new authors to enjoy and new books to add to my TBR list from these scavenger hunts. Thanks for taking part!

  53. I love finding new authors & books in my favorite genres. I believe I already am subscribed to your newsletter

  54. 91 books is amazing! 🙂
    It’s so neat to learn more about favorite authors and get introduced to new ones through this Scavenger Hunt!

  55. Love these scavenger hunts!! Your new book sounds great! Thanks for the opportunity!

  56. I’ve been subscribed to you since the last scavenger hunt which was last year!!

  60. The scavenger hunt is like a “mini mystery” or a puzzle, it’s fun!!
    Plus of course, finding out about new authors and books!! 😊

  65. I love the buffalo facts! I’ve been hoping to study them with my kids when we read more about westward expansion and pioneer life. 🙂

  66. I am always introduced to new authors, and I get a chance to see what favorite authors have recently released. Every year my TBR list grows exponentially!

  68. An English viscount with a spunky-sounding western girl sounds like quite a fun combination!

  69. I really like these scavenger hunts to discover new authors and also to see what s new and upcoming from past loved authors! There’s so many out there I cant keep up with everyone!

  71. This is the first scavenger hunt like this that I’ve ever done but I’m enjoying learning about the authors and the ideas behind some of the books.

  72. Looking forward to reading your books! They are currently on a massive TBR pile…. #storyofmylife

  73. Hi Robin! I didn’t know all that information about bison. I love that you added this information during the scavenger hunt. I totally want to read this now. LOL!

  77. Robin, I love the opportunity to get to know the authors, get a glimpse into their research or writing process, and all the extra giveaways. Happy writing!

  79. I love historical novels and yours look right up my alley! Can’t wait to read them!

  81. Everything! I enjoy reading and learning about all the authors.
    And, of course, the additional giveaways!

    Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all 🍀

  86. Thank you for taking part in this scavenger hunt. I enjoy seeing new authors and the books of those I already know that I enjoy reading.

  87. These scavenger hunts are so fun. I like reading about new authors and having a chance to win books!

  89. Thanks for the great bison facts! This scavenger hunt is making for a wild Friday night😉

  93. Cool facts about Bison! My MIL loves them! She decorated her house with a western theme so she could incorporate a lot of bison pictures, statues, and stuffies!

  95. We would travel as a family through Wyoming to North Dakota to visit my grandparents. I was always amazed at the beauty of the buffalo.

  99. i love getting to know new authors or stuff about my favorite authors and their books!

  100. My favorite thing about these scavenger hunts is adding new authors (and books) to my “to-read” lists.

  102. I enjoy each of the stops connecting with authors I know and others new to me. Plus it is really fun to win the individual giveaways.

  108. It is a great way to find new authors and stories you may not have heard of and introduce you to them. Excellent idea!

  109. I needed something to keep me occupied this weekend. Having great fun and finding new authors!

  111. Excited for the chance to win any kind of book related prize & learn about new books.

  112. I love reading about authors that I haven’t read before! Exploring all the different authors is so much fun!

  114. It is fun to see all of the authors pull together to support each other–along with all the great books!

  117. I love finding new-to-me authors and learning about new/upcoming books from my favorite authors.

  120. I’m really enjoying getting to meet so many new authors through this treasure hunt! And I appreciated the facts about the American Bison!

  135. I enjoy seeing the new books out and learning more behind the scenes of my favorite authors!

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