The Native Americans knew that the best buffalo hides are from winter and that is a tradition that I do not change.

In August of 1913 the American Museum of Natural History transcribed an oral history from Buffalo Bird Woman who was a member of the Hidatsa tribe. She talked about the importance of the bison to their way of living, and this excerpt jumped out at me:

"The hides obtained during a summer hunt were used for tent skins, for parfleches, bags, and raw-hide robes, but never for robes; while those obtained on the winter hunt were tanned for use as robes, bed coverlets, bedding, and winter moccasins. This was our old-time custom. I never knew of any who used winter hides for a tent cover."

Buffalo Bird Woman knew exactly what she was talking about. In winter the buffalo develops a thick, luscious coat. The hair length can range from two inches to five or more inches around the hump.

hair is also thicker and fuller, so when you run your toes through it you can feel the difference.

In early April I saw some wild buffalo just outside of Yellowstone National Park and took a long look at their hair quality. They were covered with snow but you can see the thickness of the hair, especially compared to a summer-time hide (look closely at the picture - there's even a bald spot near the top of the hump).

The absolute worst time for a hide (if you want good hair) is during  early summer because that's when the buffalo begin shedding so they can handle the heat - they aren't very attractive in the park at that time.

So rest assured that when you get a buffalo hide from me that I am following the wisdom of the Hidatsa and only choosing the winter-time coats.