Bison

WHAT ARE BISON?

Bison are a large mammal with a keen sense of smell and excellent eyesight. They have a reputation for hardiness and have strong herding instincts. They are curious, wary and easily frightened. Their covering is composed of long, coarse guard hairs and a matted, woolly undercoat. The head and forelegs are covered by a shaggy, woolly dark brown mane; the coat on the hind quarters is short, straight and coloured coppery brown; the head and beard are almost black.

WHERE ARE BISON PRODUCED IN BC?

49% of bison farms are located in the Peace River region, 22% in Thompson-Okanagan, 22% in Cariboo/Chilcotin area, 5% in the Kootenays, and 2% in the Lower Mainland.

HOW MUCH BISON DO WE PRODUCE?

There are 55 bison game farms and a total of approximately 3800 bison in BC. Bison account for 40% of the game farm industry in BC.

HOW ARE BISON PRODUCED?

As bison are wild animals, their reproductive systems function in a versatile manner which reacts to the environment. When times are good and nutrition is high, bison breed; when times are bad, bison back off reproduction in order to stay alive. Farmers can make the bison's reproductive system believe forage is plentiful by providing the best pasture six weeks prior to breeding season and during the first month of breeding.

Cows are monoestrus which means they cycle at one time of the year. To ensure a cow cycles each year, farmers must maintain top herd nutrition and a percentage of body fat to trigger the estrus cycle. Mature bulls are hard to handle and dangerous during the "rut". Rutting bulls bellow frequently. Some increase grooming activity by pawing, wallowing and horning; trees are jabbed, rubbed on, debarked, thrashed, and even uprooted. The rut reaches its peak in late July to mid August, waning by the end of September. Most of the breeding activity happens during the cooler times of the day, such as dawn and dusk.

Optimum breeding occurs in July or August with calving in April and May. The gestation period is just over nine months or between 270 to 285 days. Usually one calf, weighing 20 to 25kg, is born. At two and a half years a bull can weigh 550 to 650kg. Bison are slaughtered for meat when they are four years old. A bison is fully mature at 8 years and lives for 12 to 25 years. They can, however, become very cantankerous after 5 years of age.

WHAT DOES BISON LOOK LIKE WHEN I USE IT?

Bison are raised for their meat and for their hide. Game meat is lean and low in cholesterol. It is in demand by restaurants and is exported to Europe and the United States. The fur hides are made into jackets, coats and hats.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE BISON LEAVES THE FARM?

When bison are ready for market they are transported to processing facilities where the animals are slaughtered and processed. The product is distributed by various means to retail stores, restaurants and novelty shops.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO BISON PRODUCERS FACE?

Bison can jump several times higher than any domesticated farm animals. Game farmers must, therefore, construct very strong, high fences to ensure their animals remain inside the farm. A good knowledge of bison behaviour will result in better management and prevent problems of escape and damage to facilities.

WHO'S INVOLVED IN PRODUCING BISON?

• Game farmers
• Processors at the slaughterhouse
• Specialty wholesalers
• Truckers/transporters
• Restaurant chefs

Interesting Fact About Bison:

Bison can easily jump over 2m fences. They can go almost anywhere and a common saying is, "You can lead a bison anywhere it wants to go!"

Contacts and other resources:

• Alberta Bison Association
• Bison Information - BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
• British Columbia Bison Association
• InfoBasket: Your Portal to Agri-Food Information on the Internet
• Peace Country Bison Association