Tatanka! - Buffalo jump

[Snafu]

A buffalo jump is a cliff formation which North American Indians historically used in order to hunt and kill plains bison in mass quantities.

 I wanted to build a diorama around this theme, possibly showing the dramatic moment when the buffalos topple over the cliff.

Hope you like it! Please find some more pics on my blog at http://ganzklein.blogspot.de/2014/08/tatanka-buffalo-jump.html

[Mason]

I like that!
Very well thought out and great execution.
 

[von Lucky]

As gruesome as the subject matter is, it is very beautiful and made me think a little on the circle of life. Nice work.

[Metternich]

Excellent composition.  Very dramatic subject matter.  Well done.

[HerbyF]

Great diorama.  What figures did you use for the buffalo? I am building up a herd to use in a western buffalo hunt game.

[Snafu]

Great diorama.  What figures did you use for the buffalo? I am building up a herd to use in a western buffalo hunt game.

Figures are from Toma Miniatures:  http://tomasminisworld.blogspot.de/2013/06/toma-miniatures-0001-buffalo-hunt-set1.html

I bought them from Fredericus Rex:  http://www.fredericus-rex.de/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=b%FCffel

[Harry Faversham]

Always makes me smile when I think of the tree huggers wittering on about how the Redskins were the first ecomentalists, using every scrap of a buffalo to the benefit of their tribe... conveniently forgetting that they would drive a thousand head over a cliff then harvest a dozen of 'em!

[Cory]

Jumps were used for more than bison too. Bighorn sheep were a favorite where I live.

[Hu Rhu]

A great diorama of a Buffalo Jump.  I had the great pleasure of visting 'Head-Smashed-In' buffalo jump near Calgary when I lived in Canada and they had a full scale reproduction of the event.  

The only difference as I understood it, was that most of the Buffalo Jumps were used before the natives had access to horses.  They waited until the herd was in the right position and a few hardy souls crept up to the herd using used buffalo skins as disguise before jumping out and making enough noise to stampede the herd. The herd was funnelled into the jump by the rest of the tribe using screens of grass, smoke from fires and making a lot of noise to keep the buffalo heading towards the cliff.

However, your use of mounted figures to stampede the herd works and creates a much more dramatic effect.

[Snafu]

The only difference as I understood it, was that most of the Buffalo Jumps were used before the natives had access to horses. .

However, your use of mounted figures to stampede the herd works and creates a much more dramatic effect.

Well, your're right, but I had those lovely mounted figures anyway so I couldn't resist to give the scene  some more, uhm, action. 

[Snafu]

When I came across this (excellent modelling work) I was instantly put in mind of a place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Maybe not quite as dramatic as Buffalo Jump but I offer you.....

This is now totally off-topic, but when I step into one of those dogs poops, which are quite abundant in my neighboorhood, I wish I had a dog-goes-over-the-cliff-facility nearby