▁first ▁commun ion ▁was ▁on ▁E aster ▁ 1 8 4 2 . ▁Att acks ▁from ▁Black foot ▁war ▁groups ▁closed ▁the ▁mission ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁against ▁the ▁wishes ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁Fl at head s . ▁▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁b ison ▁hun ts ▁and ▁near ▁ext inction ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁North ▁America ▁contained ▁ 2 5 – 3 0 ▁million ▁buff alo . ▁B ison ▁were ▁h unted ▁almost ▁to ▁ext inction ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁Less ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁wild ▁by ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁h unted ▁for ▁their ▁sk ins ▁and ▁tong ues ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁animal ▁left ▁behind ▁to ▁decay ▁on ▁the ▁ground . ▁After ▁the ▁animals ▁ro tt ed , ▁their ▁b ones ▁were ▁collected ▁and ▁sh ipped ▁back ▁east ▁in ▁large ▁quantities . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁ro aming ▁behavior ▁of ▁b ison , ▁their ▁mass ▁destruction ▁came ▁with ▁relative ▁ease ▁to ▁hun ters . ▁When ▁one ▁b ison ▁in ▁a ▁her d ▁is ▁killed , ▁the ▁other ▁b ison ▁gather ▁around ▁it . ▁Due ▁to ▁this ▁pattern , ▁the ▁ability ▁of ▁a ▁h unter ▁to ▁kill ▁one ▁b ison ▁often ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁her d ▁of ▁them . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁an ▁ess ay ▁in ▁a ▁journal ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁observed : ▁ ▁The ▁cause ▁of