Welcome back to our column, Historical Tidbit Thursdays!
Last week we focused on war and the practice of raiding enemies. This week we'll take a look at how the Comanche warriors hunted.
Comanches were nomadic and relied on the buffalo for their sustenance. Wherever the buffalo went, the people followed. It was a difficult life and made even more so when the herd numbers began to dwindle (either from shrinking grasslands or being shot mercilessly by non-Indians).
The best time to hunt was late summer or fall, after the molting season. Buffalo grew a dark brown fur pelt in the fall in preparation for the upcoming cold winter. These pelts yielded thick, warm robes.
Hunter scouts rode out to locate the stands of buffalo, usually looking for signs such as flocks of ravens (who ate the parasites from buffalo hides). The main body of hunters would follow with the entire camp (mounted on their horses) close behind.
A warrior who carried only a lance or spear was considered very brave and strong because it took a lot of strength and daring to spear a buffalo.
Skinning and butchering the fallen buffalo was a community affair, which is why the camp would follow along the hunts. The warriors did the hard work of skinning and quartering. Hunt leaders set aside meat and hides for the elderly, ailing or orphaned.
Source:
Comanches: The Destruction of a People by T.R.Fehrenbach; ISBN#0-306-80586-3
Photo Credit: https://tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/parkinfo/bison/
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