Bison

Bison, which once roamed the valley free and wide, were almost killed off in 1833 by the Walker expedition. By the time the early settlers arrived in 1847, they had completely disappeared. William Glassman had an idea to restock bison to the area, and in 1893, bison from Texas were shipped out to a few islands. Due to the isolation on the lake, the bison flourished and numbers rose to pre-Industrial Revolution levels. In 1926, island owners decided to raise sheep and cattle instead. Utah thus hosted the "last great bison hunt" at $300/person. The event was quite popular and the bison population subsequently fell to 30 cows and 25 calves. Today, the population fluctuates between 550 and 700 and is regulated and maintained by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.