According to historical accounts (Anonymous, 1959), the bison was rare
or absent in Harding County at the time of settlement in 1876. By the
early 1880's, however, herds were of regular occurrence, and there is
one record (_op. cit._: 95-96) of thousands crossing the Little Missouri
near Camp Crook in November of 1882.
One report has it that the last bison killed in the county was shot in
the summer of 1884 (_op. cit._: 73-74), but Visher (1914:88) reported
that an "old settler" had seen "a small bunch in 1886." Visher also
reported finding bison remains, probably in 1910 or 1912, to the
northeast of the North Cave Hills and west of the South Cave Hills.
~Ovis canadensis auduboni~ Merriam, 1901