Taking the Hump Ribs

[Mark]

Having never shot a buffalo, what exactly, and precisely where in the bison's anatomy are the hump ribs. I know where the hump is obviously, but are the 'hump ribs' an overly developed extension of the loin? In A.J. Miller's painting showing the roasting of 'hump ribs' are these the vertical, over developed "neural spine"? Or are they the actual ribs as we are normally familiar with in prime rib and pork baby backs?

Thanks for any clarification you can provide.

Mark

[Rod]

The buffalo has rib-like bones that are part of the vertebra, sticking upwards from the spine. They are pretty long, like about a foot or so, and serve as muscle attachment for the back, front legs, and neck muscles. They're what make the distictive hump. By the way, cattle have the same bones, only not as long. When you get a serving of back ribs, that's what they're from.

Rod

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[sean]

Nice graphic. These are generally used to figure out where to shoot them, because bison are put together kinda funny. The heart rides pretty much right against the bottom of the rib cage, and neck shots can be tricky finding the spine in all that mass. It's really amazing how much punishment a bison can take in terms of lung shots and keep on going. I watched a Michigan gringo make a mess of the job on one of Turner's ranches once. He put 10 rounds into a cow before someone else had to finish her. It was depressing, but it reminded me of Russell's quote about throwing 25 balls at a bull from his elegant rifle and finally giving it up as a poor job when he ran out of ammo. Butchering one of these beasties is a chore too. They are so darned big, that you can really understand why the natives started cutting from the backbone and worked their way down. Period buffalo robes are in fact two pieces rejoined along the spine with sinew thread and usually decorated with a strip of quill work. I made a poor job once of trying to brain a cow bison hide whole once, and it left me the distinct impression that working with halves would have been a better strategy for my arms and shoulders. Finally, the last bison I had came from a 'pen hunt' when a friend took an older gal for the freezer. She was probably 8 and past her prime for calves. The meat was tough as a BFG All Terrain. However, a yearling will be the finest eating you will ever experience. I would never bother shooting an adult bull.

Good luck with your hunt.

Sean

[Mark]

Sean,
I have to agree with you on the tanning of a bison hide. Several years ago they reduced the Yellowstone herd by approx. 300. I was asked if I wanted one of these hides. I opened my mouth before I thought about it. Beautiful hide for hair, they were shot in January.

But whoever skinned them did not worry about knicking the hide. I sewed up over 30 cuts and it was one of the better hides. I built a frame out of 2x4's and stretched it out. Then I made a scraper and starting working. Pound for pound I do not think I have ever worked harder for the time I put in on the tanning.

Long story short tale. I should have thinned some of the area over the shoulders and hips more. I have a robe for sleeping but it is not as flexible as the commercially tanned or those that no what they are doing. A deer or elk hide without the hair would be a breeze compared to a bison. Tough one to be my first brain tan.

You know what they say about experience and knowledge. I know have some of both for buffalo robes.

Mark

[Rod]

Years ago, back when I was in high school (many years ago...), I read a book on the mountain men---it was fiction, maybe written in the 1920s-30s as I recall, for the life of me I can't remember the title (was not any of A.B. Guthrie's books). Anyway, I realize now that it was actually fairly well researched for the time, and had some interesting stuff in it. One of the things I remember was the advice from the old mountaineer to the young campkeeper regarding shooting buffalo. He told the young guy to watch the buffalo as it walked, when it swings it's front leg forward, there will be a small patch of hair off the hide behind the leg and very low---if he aimed for that, he'd hit the heart & lungs. If he aimed for center mass, he wouldn't hit anything vital.

Whoever that author was, he seemed to know his buffalo, I've seen that hairless patch behind the leg on walking buffalo, and it looks to me to be right where you'd want the ball to go.

I've never braintanned a buffalo, but I have fleshed and scraped the hair off of one. Gives me a whole new respect for those Indian women--or anyone who wrestles with those things.

Rod

[sean]

Si, the concept of lodge-poling someone who dresses hides for a living seems very much like a dangerous game.

Sean