ison ▁to ▁North ▁America . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁Phill ip ▁purchased ▁a ▁small ▁her d ▁( five ▁of ▁them , ▁including ▁the ▁female ) ▁from ▁D ug ▁Car lin , ▁P ete ▁Dup ree ' s ▁brother - in - law , ▁whose ▁son ▁Fred ▁had ▁ro ped ▁five ▁cal ves ▁in ▁the ▁Last ▁Big ▁Buff alo ▁H unt ▁on ▁the ▁Grand ▁River ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁and ▁taken ▁them ▁back ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁ran ch ▁on ▁the ▁Che y enne ▁River . ▁Scot ty ' s ▁goal ▁was ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁animal ▁from ▁ext inction . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁at ▁ 5 3 , ▁Philip ▁had ▁grown ▁the ▁her d ▁to ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁head ▁of ▁b ison . ▁A ▁variety ▁of ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁her ds ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁established , ▁starting ▁from ▁this ▁population . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁Samuel ▁Walk ing ▁Co y ote , ▁a ▁P end ▁d ' or ville ▁Indian , ▁her ded ▁seven ▁or phan ▁cal ves ▁along ▁the ▁Fl at head ▁Res ervation ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁Rock y ▁Mountain ▁divide . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁he ▁sold ▁ 1 3 ▁of ▁these ▁b ison ▁to ▁ran ch ers ▁Charles ▁All ard ▁and ▁Michel ▁Pablo ▁for ▁$ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁gold . ▁Michel ▁Pablo ▁and ▁Charles ▁All ard