ong ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁pra irie ▁provinces ▁which ▁also ▁grow ▁whe at , ▁can ola ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁gra ins ). ▁Despite ▁these ▁adv ances ▁in ▁far ming ▁technology , ▁the ▁area ▁is ▁still ▁very ▁pr one ▁to ▁extended ▁periods ▁of ▁dr ought , ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁dis astr ous ▁for ▁the ▁industry ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁significantly ▁prolong ed . ▁An ▁inf am ous ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁is ▁the ▁D ust ▁Bowl ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁which ▁also ▁hit ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁great ▁pla ins ▁e cor eg ion ▁- ▁contrib uting ▁greatly ▁to ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁ ▁Environment al ▁history ▁ ▁B ison ▁hunting ▁▁ ▁Nom adic ▁hunting ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁main ▁human ▁activity ▁on ▁the ▁pra i ries ▁for ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁record . ▁This ▁once ▁included ▁many ▁now - ext inct ▁species ▁of ▁meg af a una . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁other ▁ext inction , ▁the ▁main ▁h unted ▁animal ▁on ▁the ▁pra i ries ▁was ▁the ▁pla ins ▁b ison . ▁Using ▁loud ▁no ises ▁and ▁w aving ▁large ▁signals , ▁Native ▁pe op les ▁would ▁drive ▁b ison ▁in ▁f enced ▁pens ▁called ▁( buff alo ▁pounds ) ▁to ▁be ▁killed ▁with ▁b ows ▁and ▁ar rows ▁or ▁spe ars , ▁or ▁drive ▁them ▁off ▁a ▁cl iff ▁( called ▁a ▁buff alo ▁jump ), ▁to ▁kill ▁or ▁inj ure ▁the ▁b ison ▁en ▁mas se . ▁The ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁horse