Today, bison are fairly abundant again in the Lower 48, and there are some hunts available for these animals, albeit mostly on game farms and large fenced ranches where the experience of going afield is not all that great. Truly fair-chase hunts in the US are few and far between.
Fortunately, up my way in western Canada you can still find a handful of places where you seek out a truly wild and free bison. One of them is the Sikanni River Valley in northern British Columbia, where I have hunted twice with Mike and Dixie Hammett of Sikanni River Outfitting Inc. The first time I was amazed to find that when hunted, buffalo become as nocturnal and cagey as whitetail deer, thus belying the image we have of old plainsmen dropping them by the dozens with ease. I also found out that bison are difficult to put down. If you get a bullet into a bull, do not expect it to drop without repeating the performance several times in succession. No other North American game, in my view, is as big or capable of absorbing lead as the bison.
The hunt with the Hammetts is no cakewalk in the park. It can be bitterly cold in November and December when the hunts usually take place. You have to be in shape for walking, although snow machines are used to access the hunting areas where you then glass for game to stalk on foot. It........(continued)
