Hunting Bison

[mwpslp]

I am considering doing a bison hunt this winter but wanted some input. I have heard the meat is very good but I have never tasted it. I don't want to shoot one if I disliked the meat. Can anyone tell me what it tastes like? How much useable meat am I likely to get off of say a 1,000 lb animal? Thanks.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=320573

check out that thread about a bison hunt. Bison is absolutely delicious. you won't be disappointed.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

the best way i can describe the meat is between beef and venison. if you like beef and venison you'll like bison

 

[Sunray]

"...what it tastes like..." Tastes like buffalo. Great stuff. Extremely lean. A half ton buffalo is a small one though. A cow can go to 1,000 pounds.
The carcass weight will be about 60% of the live weight, the meat yield about 70% of that. About 420 pounds for a 1,000 pound bison.
A trophy hunt will cost you $2,000 to $4,000 depending on where and what kind of hunt you book. Lots of sites turn up with a Yahoo search.

 

[nmlongbow]

I like buffalo meat better than venison and elk, very tasty.

If you go on the hunt just don't think of it as hunting compared to most wild game.

Bison will usually let you get very close without spooking. Most just aren't that used to being hunted and will stand there looking at you while you shoot them but it's still better than buying your meat from the supermarket just not much "hunting" involved.

 

[mwpslp]

Thanks Sunray. I know it's a small one but I am specifically looking for a "meat" buffalo. I was told the younger ones around 2 years old were best and that the weight would be around 1,000 pounds.

 

[Winchester 73]

The hump of the bison is considered by many to be the greatest culinary experience,bar none.
Wonderful details about this animal in Francis Parkman's(1846)classic ,The Oregon Trail.It's a great read.If you read it ,you'll want to out and get one of your own.
Hope you do it and succeed.

 

[paintballdude902]

u can get buffalo burgers at wholefoods and many other nicer grocery stores

i love buffalo and if i had to chance i would love to go buffalo hunting.....but sadly i dont see too many buffalo in eastern north carolina

 

[T.R.]

I hunted bison at the Catron Ranch near Camp Crook, S. Dakota few years back. The shot was made at about 125 yards after a long stalk to get within good range. I shot the young bull just below the butt of the ear and legs folded up instantly. My FEDERAL 180 grain factory .308 bullet exited the other side and made a ghastly wound.

Then the work began. Two hours later, I drove away with the animal loaded in my open trailer and headed to the meat processor.

Meat is far better than mule deer. Certainly same quality as young elk. Most folks compare buffalo meat to lean beef.

TR

 

[Selfdfenz]

You live in DFW...try On the Border...I think they stilll have buffalo on the menu.

S-

 

[ArmedBear]

Then the work began. Two hours later, I drove away with the animal loaded in my open trailer and headed to the meat processor.

You call that work?

(Next time, I might have someone else butcher the thing, too...)

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I seen a couple hanging in a meat locker in South Dakota last year and the butcher told me the real big ones can yield 800-900 lbs of meat. Judging from the size of these 2 monsters, I believed him.

 

[marksman13]

In all honesty, buffalo is probably my favorite wild game, though I've never eaten elk. My neighbor killed a young bull on Labor Day this year, and the bison/bacon burger he had made may very well be the best hamburger I ever ate. Like all lean meat it can get dry in a hurry if you cook it too hot or too long, but barring that, it is absolutely amazing. He killed this buffalo on the TV show RED WHITE BLUE OUTDOORS. The show aired on the Men's Outdoor and Recreation Network so some of you may have seen it. Awesome program by the way.

 

[redneck2]

I had buffalo once, long time ago. I was at a restaurant in West Yellowstone.

Ordered steak. Waitress looked at me like I had 3 eyes.

"Sure you want buffalo steak? Can't send it back if it's too tough. There's a note right there on the menu". Disclaimer in big letters about not guaranteeing the tenderness of the cut.

Against her better advice I tried it anyway. Once of those things you could say you did once. Once was right. You could have used it for shoe leather. Buffalo burger was fine, but the machine does the chewing for you.

If you get steak, I'd definitely have it run through a tenderizer multiple times.

 

[qajaq59]

My grandson nailed one that went 1500 pounds with a bow about 3 years ago and it was great. And much better for you then beef.

 

[ArmedBear]

redneck2, someone didn't know how to make buffalo. Or they went for the lousy cut. Some of it should be roasted, not cooked as steak.

Done right, buffalo tenderloin is excellent steak.

 

[bearmgc]

Bison meat is absolutely delicious, very lean, and tastes somewhat like elk, somewhat like beef. A 2yr old meat bison will weigh around 850lbs give or take, and can yield around 300lbs + of meat, depending on who butchers it.
I shot a 2yr old male on a free range ranch in Montana 4yrs ago. 1 shot with a 45-70 Marlin 300gr Partition Golds at 82yds, a through and through, double lung hit. A beautiful hair on hide with tail is on my loveseat, my black lab's
sleeping "spot." Back then I paid $650, they field dressed it and dropped it in my truck. I had it skinned and quartered for $50 at a butcher in a nearby town. Friends cut and packaged it for some of the booty. It fed me and 2 of my nieghbors through the winter and spring. If you shoot one after September and before March, you get a good hide. It was well worth it that year, since I couldn't go out during elk season. I will probably do it again if the price is right.
The thing about bison is that the boiler room is actually near the thinner part of the animal. So a well placed shot is a killing shot. Some folks reccommended a head shot, but the ranch outfitter readily agreed on the boiler room, if I knew how to shoot that rifle, and I did. A 5 second death dance and down he went.

 

[Ranger J]

A lot of buffalo you used to get were from old tough herd bulls. You can't expect a steak from say a old angus bull to be prime and the same goes for bison. The ground meat from these animals even tasts gamey. Now a steak from a two year old is something else. God didn't make a better tasting animal. Just don't overcook it, think venison.

RJ

 

[redneck2]

Beats me. I have no clue. All I know is that it was THE toughest piece of meat I've ever had in my life. They said noting about how old, what cut, or how it was cooked (other than fried).

 

[alemonkey]

Personally, I think it tastes like beef but dryer. Never had a steak, but the buffalo burgers I've had tasted that way. But then, my dad raises cattle so I'm extremely spoiled when it comes to good beef

 

[.44walkersabot]

It's good meat. Better than beef sometimes. Don't look for a lot of excitement. It's not much different than just walking out into the pasture and shooting a beef cow. The hide is worth a little pocket change if you don't rip it too bad getting it off...Okay...

 

[cobrian45]

When I guided, we had a lot of hunters take Bison. I have seen posts on both sides regarding the tenderness of the meat and both are correct. It can be the toughest thing you put in your mouth and it can be better than almost any other meat (except Eland, Eland is amazing). It depends on the type of animal, ie old bull vs young, and how it is treated after the kill. Does the processor "age" the carcass? A lot of our hunters were after, of course, a big old bull. Then they wanted to taste the meat right away. They were always disappointed with the toughness at that stage and I couldn't promise them the big old beasts would get better with aging . I recommend taking it to a good processor and then cooking it using the proper method based on the cut you are cooking, just like you would do with any other meat.

P.S. you will always cook game to a more rare stage than beef or pork due to the fat content. "Dry" means overcooked in the culinary world of game meats.

 

[cobrian45]

+1 on .44walkersabot and the "excitement". A good guide can make you think you've done something special and that is fine. On the other hand, don't be disappointed if the herd isn't "wild and crazy". They don't have much to fear after all, it's not their fault. Don't get me wrong, it's still quite exciting because they are so huge and can be dangerous. The rest of the herd might even stick around to be with you in the pictures. It's always exhilarating to be kneeling down to take pictures and feel a "huff" on the back of your neck.

Amount of meat? For a 1,000 pound animal you would be surprised. It's a LOT, but not as much as you would think. It varies depending on how it's processed, but if 1,000 is hoof weight you probably will get between 300 and 400 lbs of trimmed packaged meat. Most big bulls weigh in more than that. If you're getting it mounted, keep the backhide and get it tanned. It can be useful or sold if you don't want it.

Maybe this will get your blood going and give you a little nudge: