The first task for the “jump kill” was to find a suitable cliff. The best jumps sites were those that began with a good pasture which sloped gently down towards the rim and ended in a sheer cliff some twenty or more feet in height. Once such a site was located the native people would begin preparing the scene by piling up large piles of rocks and tree stumps in a V-shaped pathway with the point ending at the precipice.

One individual would cover himself in the hide of a bison calf and attempt to lure the herd to the entrance of the trap. The disguised individual would often bleat to attract the attention of the herd and then begin to move toward the cliff. As the buffaloes moved closer, other hunters hidden behind the rocks would jump up shouting and waving hides to keep the bison within the "V" while another group would startle the herd from behind. As the buffalo stampeded towards the edge of the cliff, the animals in front would see the drop and try to stop but the sheer weight of the herd pressing from behind would force the buffalo over the cliff. Others would then rain down onto the land below.

The fall would kill some beasts and cripple others. Those surviving would then be finished off. Immediately after would begin the massive task of skinning the animals. The fresh meat would be consumed but most would be dried and stored for later use. Enormous leg bones would be crushed to get at the rich marrow inside, and bone bits would be boiled to extract the fat. The process of butchering, skinning and smoking would last for weeks, at end of which the natives would have an enormous supply of dried meat, and hides which could be made into clothing including bedding, shirts, coats, pouches, shelter and so on. No part of the animal would be wasted.

This type of hunting was a communal event which occurred as early as 12,000 years ago and lasted until at least 1500 CE, at a time when horses were introduced. The use of horses and better hunting tools allowed hunters to follow the bison herds, and hunt for fresh meat year round, as opposed to large communal hunts in the fall. The bison jump quickly became an obsolete method for hunting.