Dr. Ernie Walker archeologically dug the jump in 1988. The use of a backhoe on the talus slope directly below the sandstone drop off was required. Uncovering the jump revealed that the site had been used numerous times in the last five thousand years, (though not on a yearly basis).

People needed to eat, and the buffalo were plentiful. Many things that were needed for everyday life were provided from buffalo alone. They were used for various things such as clothing, tools, food, and decoration. They were heavily relied on and were very important for human survival at that time.

Getting ready for a hunt as large as this required forward planning. It is estimated that a group of nearly one thousand people, (including children) were necessary to properly manage and process the results of the slaughter. It is reasonable to assume that several tribes needed to co-ordinate their efforts to make a success of the drive.

When tribes were too small to hunt the buffalo in this fashion, they used alternate methods. They could chase the animals into a barricade or a corral located in a steep sided ravine. When they were captured, many of the animals could be attacked and slaughtered at one time.

Dr. Walker's report states that for a kill of such a large scope several weeks would be spent by "herders" creeping amongst the herds. "Herders" were dressed in coyote skins. Their job was to gather bison from as much as twenty miles (32 kilometers) away. In the meantime, workers at the kill site would be busy doing various jobs. They would burn off the grass at the base of the precipice, dig pits lined with a bed of stones to hold heat for processing, gather brush and wood for fires, and build (or rebuild) small posts for fencing to help guide or funnel the animals toward the precipice.

At this kill site small piles of stones were set out to hold branches and sticks for "fencing" in the animals. These branches and sticks fanned out in two directions. They went to the northeast and the southeast for one and a half miles; (agriculture usage has obliterated any further extensions there may have been). Two smoke signal sites about 14 miles (24 kilometers) to the northeast may be related to the drive.

To prepare the stone lined pits for processing a fire would be made on the stones. They would allow for sufficient time to thoroughly heat these stones. Then they would be dowsed and a buffalo hide, with hair removed would be placed over the pit filled with the material to be rendered. Then it was covered with "hair on" hides for insulation to hold the heat in for an indeterminate length of time. This method is very similar to that used in cooking an Hawaiian luau. No doubt that after a 45-foot (15 meter) drop onto other animals some bison may be able to escape. If a drive in the fall had an excess of mild weather it is reasonable to assume that all the meats could not be processed in time before spoilage.

Large bones of bison were broken open to obtain the marrow. The marrow was very nutritious, but more importantly acted as a preservative for making pemmican.