Reading more of that Wiki article turns up the fact that they used every part of those buffalo, to make their clothing, footware, tools, utensils, bowstrings, ropes and even their tepees, drying the excess meat into pemmican for later consumption while on the move.

Given the energy required for hunting, it's very likely they didn't hunt again until the last of that meat was nearly consumed.

In contrast, the buffalo hunters who supplied the army, railroad and telegraph contingents, shot millions of buffalo and took the tongues and hearts, leaving the carcases to rot and scandalising the Indians, who couldn't understand that degree of waste.

In the end it proved a useful genocidal tool for the white men, virtually starving the nomadic Indians intosubmission.

DonT.