History:
- Buffalo far outnumbered the Native American population during the pre-European era. There may have been 60 million or more.
- Most of our early pioneer trails and Indian trails got their start as buffalo roads.
- Buffalo roamed the plains in numbers so great the early European explorers could not count them, describing them as, "numbers-numberless," and "the plains were black and appeared as if in motion."
- Buffalo were the center of life of the Plains Indians, providing them with food, clothing, shelter, and much of their culture.
- The estimated number of buffalo alive at the turn of the 20th century was less than 1000 animals in the US and Canada.
- There are now more than 250,000 buffalo in public and private herds in the US and Canada.
Biology:
- A buffalo cow can produce as many as 25 calves in her lifetime. Buffalo have a gestation period of 270-285 days and they usually produce one 40-50 pound cinnamon colored calf.
- A buffalo may appear slow-moving, but can out-run and out-jump a horse.
- The American Buffalo is not a true buffalo. Bison is it's scientific name and it is a member of the Bovidae family of mammals, as are domestic cattle and oxen.
- Buffalo often live 35 years or more.
- A female buffalo stands about 5 feet tall at the shoulder and may weigh up to 1,200 pounds. The male reaches 6 feet and 2,000 pounds. Both sexes have horns.
- The sophisticated Rainbow Room in Manhattan sells twice as many buffalo burgers as hamburgers.
General info:
- Grazing bison spend most of their time ranging the prairie, going to water perhaps once a day. They will typically ramble five to ten miles each day.
- Raising buffalo is more than a hobby, it is a viable industry. There is a strong demand for buffalo meat and by-products. Efficient feed utilization along with a superior buffalo hardiness results in a lowered susceptibility to illness and death, thus reducing veterinary costs and providing a financial advantage to raising buffalo.
- The buffalo is not endangered, although a hundred years ago they numbered only about 800. During the past century, Western ranchers and conservationists have increased their population to more than 250,000. The efforts of conservationists, producers and Native Americans saved the buffalo from extinction and they are no longer an endangered species.
Buffalo Meat:
- Buffalo meat has only 26% of the fat found in beef.
- The demand from the general public for lean meat continues to grow and buffalo meat is ideally suited to satisfy part of that demand. The National Bison Association estimates 15,000 buffalo are slaughtered annually, producing 7.5 million pounds of meat. Buffalo meat is not expected to replace beef, but it is an alternative red meat source for the enlightened consumer.
- Individual cuts of buffalo appear similar to other meat although the color is darker - a dark, rich red. This coloring is due to the fact that buffalo meat has minimal marbling, or internal streaks of fat and a higher iron content.
- The lean content in ground buffalo will normally exceed 96%, compared to just 78% - 90% for ground beef.
- More about buffalo meat...
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