Buck Conner1
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2015
- Messages
- 4,592
- Reaction score
- 558
SUBJECT: HUNTING THE AMERICAN BISON TODAY
When I first started going to a gentleman's ranch south of Goodland KS in the mid 70's a 1,400 lb. bull in January would cost you approx. $2 per pound live weight = $2,800, figure you yield 700 lb. of meat.
$1,400 meat (700 lb.)
$ 500 raw winter hide
$ 75 raw skull
$ 500 un-rendered lard
$ 100 raw bones – crafters
$ 70 (2) raw coyote hides (average kill off gut pile)
$2,645 value on your $2,800 investment
BE PREPARED
Before you go on any hunt of this nature everything about what your preparing to do from travel to caring for what you have harvested. In this case check the going price of buffalo meat at your local food stores. Get an average of a few stores then you can price your meat a little under what is offered.
TALK UP THE DIFFERENCES IN MEAT (BISON TO BEEF)
People you know (cover all groups and individuals) they will buy game meat (buffalo hunting in some states is a lottery draw). Most are leary of the meat at the store, but if someone they know has taken fresh meat they are more comfortable to purchase.
From my experience friends will buy (buck skinners always want 20-25 lbs. we have found, great for their upcoming rendezvous). It’s great to have family or your friends over and cook up buffalo steaks or burgers along with other meat like beef hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. (most wouldn’t know the difference and are surprised when told what they just ate).
INFORMATION TO SHARE
Remember deer, elk, antelope, buffalo are better than processed meat you buy in the store. Once family and friends are made aware of the taste of buffalo, they will be interested in purchasing the meat. Do a little research so you can explain the attributes of buffalo meat to beef, there are many.
<table class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-width: initial; border-style: none; border-color: initial;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td style="width: 467.5pt; border-width: 1pt; border-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="623"><h3 class="post-content">Did you know? The correct name for the largest terrestrial animal in North America is bison. (Although many are from the Dakotas, they’re raised in every state in the U.S., says the National Bison Association.) True buffalo, in the same family but a different species, include the water buffalo in Asia and the cape buffalo in Africa.</h3>
</td></tr></table>
BE INFORMED ON COSTS
Mentioned above: In the 70's a 1,400 lb. bull in January would cost you approx. $2 per pound live weight = $2,800, figure you yield 700 lb. of meat.
$1,400 meat (700 lb.)
$ 500 raw winter hide
$ 75 raw skull
$ 500 un-rendered lard
$ 100 raw bones – crafters
$ 70 (2) raw coyote hides (average kill off gut pile)
$2,645 value on your $2,800 investment
A client figured this out for his $2,800 investment.
Like everything the costs have risen. Today figure $3,500 to $3,800 live weight sounds expensive but in comparison with other items we use, everything has gone up. With that in mind your looking at approximately the same or a similar ratio for your investment. The experience, stories of the hunt and the pictures will last a life time to be shared – priceless.
* I shot a few of these animals and had the same folks asking for more meat that was the reason I could afford to go for 12 years to harvest animals. Then friends wanted the experience, the excitement, I became a mini outfitter according to the wife.
WORKING AS AN OUTFITTER
I would arrange a primitive: buffalo, coyote, quail hunt, furnish my 22 foot lodge and have hiders (skinners) available to help prepare the animals, hides, etc. You want guys that know what they are doing when skinning your animals (don’t want any “nicks” in the hide). Need to get the hide, meat and all products taken care of as fast as possible. If you need to work late into the night, so be it. Care of these items is very important and could be costly to your client if not done correctly. You need to stay on top of everything once the animal is down (cost too much to have meat spoil) have dry ice, game bags to keep the meat clean and a butcher shop lined up if not cutting up the meat and packaging it yourself.
Happy clients with one of the smaller animals.
BY PRODUCTS
The lard will need to be rendered (cooked down into a liquid form) then poured into tin containers to cool). Buffalo lard once it’s been rendered will stay good in warm or cold weather and last for years. We have sold this product for years to the reenactors for cooking grease, leather water proofer, patch lube, even wipe it on the metal parts on your gun in wet weather (uses are limitless).
Here’s another thing we do with the rendered lard that’s very popular with the reenactor groups.
The raw hide needs to be salted to prevent the hair slipping (coming out of raw hide). The hiders (skinners) will have fleshed it to save time once you take it for tanning. Taken pictures of the raw hide laid out on the ground, measure the size raw, let the tannery know you have done this (may save you losing your hide or having it switched with a smaller one (had this happen on one of my hides).
The skull if keeping needs to be cleaned (get everything cleaned out – brains, meat, etc.,). We use old 55 gallon barrel that’s been cut down to half its height to boil the skull (Tide soap seems to work best in this process), once the skull is clean throw in the bones – ribs, leg bones, spine. The bones once cleaned can be sold to the guys making Native American items (they love this stuff). I’ll sell them everything, some may let a skull go also. Usually get one of their products they make from my bone pile I sold them. Nice to have something to remember the hunt.
If lucky enough to harvest a few coyotes those hides need to be cared for, which your skinners should be able to handle. The hides can go with the bison hide for tanning.
If I missed something I will address it later in this article. Thanks for your time, happy hunting guys and gals.
Don’t forget the gals, these kids today are not their mother’s child – now they are out here and shooting some really good game animals. I got a wakeup to this when in the Gun Library at Cabelas - these young ladies come in to talk about archery, rifle (modern and primitive) hold classes - teaching for the different manufactures. You have seen the ads and these kids are the real deal. 25 years ago we would have told you this would never happen, we would have shot ourselves in the foot. What a pleasure to see these young gals and young men push our sport, helping it keep alive for the next generation.
There are others that have had similar experiences that will want to add to this information with their experiences. Please do so .....
Scouting in early Oct. with clients for the winter hunt scheduled in January (with freezing weather - perfect for hunting bison).
When I first started going to a gentleman's ranch south of Goodland KS in the mid 70's a 1,400 lb. bull in January would cost you approx. $2 per pound live weight = $2,800, figure you yield 700 lb. of meat.
$1,400 meat (700 lb.)
$ 500 raw winter hide
$ 75 raw skull
$ 500 un-rendered lard
$ 100 raw bones – crafters
$ 70 (2) raw coyote hides (average kill off gut pile)
$2,645 value on your $2,800 investment
A client figured this out for his $2,800 investment.
____________________________________
Kentucky Colonel "What interesting figures... Does give one something to think about... Hmm... I wonder if I could get a restaurant or gourmet foods shop to buy the bulk of the meat and lard to underwrite the adventure... I'd definitely need to go north for a "winter hide" and I never thought about the coyotes."
____________________________________
Hunting large game animals are much the same process you’ll use when hunting the American Bison. It’s all about being prepared to care for the animal once down, from the meat to the last item worth saving. The old Boy Scouts of America 'motto' has always been a good one to remember.BE PREPARED
Before you go on any hunt of this nature everything about what your preparing to do from travel to caring for what you have harvested. In this case check the going price of buffalo meat at your local food stores. Get an average of a few stores then you can price your meat a little under what is offered.
TALK UP THE DIFFERENCES IN MEAT (BISON TO BEEF)
People you know (cover all groups and individuals) they will buy game meat (buffalo hunting in some states is a lottery draw). Most are leary of the meat at the store, but if someone they know has taken fresh meat they are more comfortable to purchase.
From my experience friends will buy (buck skinners always want 20-25 lbs. we have found, great for their upcoming rendezvous). It’s great to have family or your friends over and cook up buffalo steaks or burgers along with other meat like beef hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. (most wouldn’t know the difference and are surprised when told what they just ate).
INFORMATION TO SHARE
Remember deer, elk, antelope, buffalo are better than processed meat you buy in the store. Once family and friends are made aware of the taste of buffalo, they will be interested in purchasing the meat. Do a little research so you can explain the attributes of buffalo meat to beef, there are many.
<table class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-width: initial; border-style: none; border-color: initial;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td style="width: 467.5pt; border-width: 1pt; border-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="623"><h3 class="post-content">Did you know? The correct name for the largest terrestrial animal in North America is bison. (Although many are from the Dakotas, they’re raised in every state in the U.S., says the National Bison Association.) True buffalo, in the same family but a different species, include the water buffalo in Asia and the cape buffalo in Africa.</h3>
</td></tr></table>
BE INFORMED ON COSTS
Mentioned above: In the 70's a 1,400 lb. bull in January would cost you approx. $2 per pound live weight = $2,800, figure you yield 700 lb. of meat.
$1,400 meat (700 lb.)
$ 500 raw winter hide
$ 75 raw skull
$ 500 un-rendered lard
$ 100 raw bones – crafters
$ 70 (2) raw coyote hides (average kill off gut pile)
$2,645 value on your $2,800 investment
A client figured this out for his $2,800 investment.
Like everything the costs have risen. Today figure $3,500 to $3,800 live weight sounds expensive but in comparison with other items we use, everything has gone up. With that in mind your looking at approximately the same or a similar ratio for your investment. The experience, stories of the hunt and the pictures will last a life time to be shared – priceless.
* I shot a few of these animals and had the same folks asking for more meat that was the reason I could afford to go for 12 years to harvest animals. Then friends wanted the experience, the excitement, I became a mini outfitter according to the wife.
Slipping up on the animals (not caged animals like some shoot).
Your on your own (always have backup shooters).
Typical camp we provided, lodges, food, excitement.
I found that some talk a good story but are really limited in their hunting skills. Poor shots, freeze when they see the size of these animals close up, didn’t practice their shooting as told, haven’t paid attention to their loads (usually under powered), issues with reloading quickly, the list goes on. I’ll share a story a good friend wrote about one hunt. You’ll need a few friends to act as backup if needed, I have killed at least 10 animals that the client couldn’t get on the ground (sucks, I hate to see an animal suffer because of poor shot placement). WORKING AS AN OUTFITTER
I would arrange a primitive: buffalo, coyote, quail hunt, furnish my 22 foot lodge and have hiders (skinners) available to help prepare the animals, hides, etc. You want guys that know what they are doing when skinning your animals (don’t want any “nicks” in the hide). Need to get the hide, meat and all products taken care of as fast as possible. If you need to work late into the night, so be it. Care of these items is very important and could be costly to your client if not done correctly. You need to stay on top of everything once the animal is down (cost too much to have meat spoil) have dry ice, game bags to keep the meat clean and a butcher shop lined up if not cutting up the meat and packaging it yourself.
Salting the raw hides, the one at the bottom was a beautiful 1,800 lb. animal that was called "the terror of the plains". We took (4) animals this day - work, work, work .....
Happy clients with one of the smaller animals.
BY PRODUCTS
The lard will need to be rendered (cooked down into a liquid form) then poured into tin containers to cool). Buffalo lard once it’s been rendered will stay good in warm or cold weather and last for years. We have sold this product for years to the reenactors for cooking grease, leather water proofer, patch lube, even wipe it on the metal parts on your gun in wet weather (uses are limitless).
Here’s another thing we do with the rendered lard that’s very popular with the reenactor groups.
Shooting pouch size can of this mixed buffalo lard & bees wax.
Here's Jack Gardner (TVM) and Freddie Harris (Stock Maker) on their first buff hunt.
The raw hide needs to be salted to prevent the hair slipping (coming out of raw hide). The hiders (skinners) will have fleshed it to save time once you take it for tanning. Taken pictures of the raw hide laid out on the ground, measure the size raw, let the tannery know you have done this (may save you losing your hide or having it switched with a smaller one (had this happen on one of my hides).
Here's one of my best friends "Capt. Hook" Ben Thompson with his 1,400 lb. young bull.
The skull if keeping needs to be cleaned (get everything cleaned out – brains, meat, etc.,). We use old 55 gallon barrel that’s been cut down to half its height to boil the skull (Tide soap seems to work best in this process), once the skull is clean throw in the bones – ribs, leg bones, spine. The bones once cleaned can be sold to the guys making Native American items (they love this stuff). I’ll sell them everything, some may let a skull go also. Usually get one of their products they make from my bone pile I sold them. Nice to have something to remember the hunt.
If I missed something I will address it later in this article. Thanks for your time, happy hunting guys and gals.
Don’t forget the gals, these kids today are not their mother’s child – now they are out here and shooting some really good game animals. I got a wakeup to this when in the Gun Library at Cabelas - these young ladies come in to talk about archery, rifle (modern and primitive) hold classes - teaching for the different manufactures. You have seen the ads and these kids are the real deal. 25 years ago we would have told you this would never happen, we would have shot ourselves in the foot. What a pleasure to see these young gals and young men push our sport, helping it keep alive for the next generation.
There are others that have had similar experiences that will want to add to this information with their experiences. Please do so .....