▁these ▁groups , ▁especially ▁after ▁the ▁European ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁horse ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁through ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries ▁enabled ▁new ▁hunting ▁techniques . ▁The ▁species ' ▁dram atic ▁decl ine ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁habitat ▁loss ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁ran ch ing ▁and ▁far ming ▁in ▁western ▁North ▁America , ▁industrial - scale ▁hunting ▁pract iced ▁by ▁non - ind igen ous ▁hun ters , ▁increased ▁ind igen ous ▁hunting ▁pressure ▁due ▁to ▁non - ind igen ous ▁demand ▁for ▁b ison ▁h ides ▁and ▁meat , ▁and ▁cases ▁of ▁deliber ate ▁policy ▁by ▁sett ler ▁govern ments ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁food ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁Indian ▁pe op les ▁during ▁times ▁of ▁conflict . ▁ ▁Pre histor ic ▁and ▁native ▁hunting ▁The ▁ste ppe ▁b ison ▁( B ison ▁pris cus ) ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁million ▁years ▁ago , ▁well ▁before ▁the ▁first ▁humans ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁arrived . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁evol ved ▁into ▁the ▁giant ▁Ice ▁Age ▁b ison ▁( B ison ▁lat if rons ) ▁which ▁lived ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁to ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁turn ▁replaced ▁by ▁B ison ▁occident alis , ▁which ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁come ▁from ▁E uras ia , ▁and ▁B ison ▁anti qu us ▁which ▁evol ved ▁separately ▁from ▁B . ▁pris cus . ▁The ▁first ▁human ▁arrival s ▁in