Bison were an important prey of prehistoric peoples, particularly after the extinction of mammoth. Virtually the entire animal was used prehistorically, not just the meat. Hides provided clothing and shelter; bones were modified into tools; and some parts became offerings to the spiritual world.
The tendencies for bison to herd-up and stampede were exploited by prehistoric peoples to harvest them en masse, that is, to drive, trap and kill large numbers of bison at the same time. Bison were hunted with spears, later with atlatl (darts thrown with the aid of a separate, notched shaft), and still later with bows and arrows, and finally with the gun in the historic period. The horse, introduced in the historic period, also changed the manner in which bison were hunted. Later, commercial hunting and government policies lead to their near extinction, which severely handicapped Plains Indian tribes.
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