▁game ▁is ▁getting ▁very ▁scar ce ▁and ▁that ▁you ▁must ▁soon ▁have ▁some ▁other ▁means ▁of ▁living ; ▁you ▁should ▁therefore ▁cultiv ate ▁the ▁friendship ▁of ▁the ▁white ▁man , ▁so ▁that ▁when ▁the ▁game ▁is ▁all ▁gone , ▁they ▁may ▁take ▁care ▁of ▁you ▁if ▁necessary ." ▁▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁b ison ▁hun ters ▁also ▁emer ged ▁at ▁this ▁time . ▁Military ▁for ts ▁often ▁supported ▁hun ters , ▁who ▁would ▁use ▁their ▁civil ian ▁sources ▁near ▁their ▁military ▁base . ▁Though ▁officers ▁h unted ▁b ison ▁for ▁food ▁and ▁sport , ▁professional ▁hun ters ▁made ▁a ▁far ▁larger ▁impact ▁in ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁b ison ▁population . ▁Offic ers ▁station ed ▁in ▁Fort ▁H ays ▁and ▁Wal lace ▁even ▁had ▁bet s ▁in ▁their ▁" buff alo ▁shooting ▁championship ▁of ▁the ▁world ", ▁between ▁" M edic ine ▁Bill " ▁Com stock ▁and ▁" B uff alo ▁Bill " ▁C ody . ▁Some ▁of ▁these ▁hun ters ▁would ▁eng age ▁in ▁mass ▁b ison ▁sla ugh ter ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁living . ▁ ▁Military ▁invol vement ▁The ▁US ▁Army ▁san ction ed ▁and ▁act ively ▁end ors ed ▁the ▁wh oles ale ▁sla ugh ter ▁of ▁b ison ▁her ds . ▁The ▁federal ▁government ▁promoted ▁b ison ▁hunting ▁for ▁various ▁reasons , ▁to ▁allow ▁ran ch ers ▁to ▁range ▁their ▁cattle ▁without ▁competition ▁from ▁other ▁b ov ines , ▁and ▁primarily ▁to ▁weak en ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁Indian ▁population ▁by ▁removing ▁their ▁main ▁food ▁source ▁and ▁to