U.S. #1392
1970 6¢ Wildlife Conservation
Issue Date: July 20, 1970
City: Custer, SD
Quantity: 142,205,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Perforations: 11 x 10 ½
Color: Black
One of America's most familiar national symbols, the North American Bison has recovered from almost complete extinction to a population of over 350,000.
The American Buffalo (Bison)
The American buffalo is the largest land animal in North America. Massive herds of buffalo, more accurately known as bison, once roamed between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. Many American Indian groups developed lifestyles that revolved around hunting these large animals, which can weigh up to 3,000 pounds.
Estimates of pre-European numbers of buffalo in America range from 30-70 million. About 20 million buffalo lived on the Western plains in 1850. White hunters began to drastically reduce the buffalo herds, and by 1889, only 551 buffalo could be found in the entire U.S. “Buffalo” Bill Cody alone killed more than 4,000 buffalo in just two years. Later, great efforts were made to help the animal recover. In 2000, the number of bison had been restored to over 350,000. Oklahoma adopted the bison as its state animal in 1972.