Anyone Kill a Bison?

[Hornseeker]

I have a possible opportunity to go on a free range, wild bison hunt...for what I believe is a steal of a deal ($1200). I am himming and hawing over it....

Has anyone ever eaten "mature" bull bison meat?

What might it cost to get a big bison hide tanned?

Any other thoughts? I haven't formally been offered the hunt yet, but am pretty much expecting it....

[superdown]

I would love to be able to get a hunt like that . that seems like a great deal so many good steaks

[Woodchuck]

brother a mature bull, is HUGE. the meat i ate was wonderful stuff, very tasty. i dont know what it would cost to tan the hide but i am sure it wont be cheap, and man they are about the toughest thing i have seen take a chunk of lead

[gramps]

Check this outfit in southern Idaho...best prices around for tanning.  Must be clean, dry and properly prepared, however.

www.moytown.com

[Buckmark]

Lots good meat, neighbor raised bison for awhile.
The tanning can be pricey
the tannery i use charges 4.75 per sqft for leather tanning
and charges 23.50 for hair on tanning.
figure about 40sqft for a mature bull, so thats $190.00 for leather and $940.00 for hair on.
then you have the taxidermy cost of the head, or even the cost of a european mount and then meat processing...
Sounds like fun though, the neighbor and i used to talk about letting guys come and bow "hunt" his bison come butchering time..He never understood the wanting to hunt them and paying for it..

[pendoreilleadventures]

I killed a bison when I was 15 it was a high fence hunt was real a hunt i won it in a raffle and they said I could shot it was much fun but man are they big. Mine was a 4 1/2 year old bull there was 907 pounds of meat I would have most of the steaks cubed kinda tough but very good. I was quoted 10 years ago at around $1200 to have a rug made. 1200 is a hell of a deal. might have to buy another freezer lol.

[NRA4LIFE]

What Pendorielle said.  Buy another freezer.  A BIG one.  A butcher I know out in S. Dakota showed me the remnants of one he had just finished butchering and he said there was 1100 lbs of meat off of this monster.  10 big boxes.  The head and hide I bet weighed well over 100 lbs.   That seems like a real steal if you ask me.

[Hornseeker]

Holy Chit! Even bigger than I thought... i thought maybe 600# of meat!!! Wow.

[jackelope]

E-
Kent Hunter, a member on here, did a bison hunt last year i think, and had a shoulder mount done. you might pm him for some info.

[Hornseeker]

If anyone is interested, this outfit (not the one I'm looking at) is really a dang good deal and is on the prettiest ranch in Montana!!
http://www.cowboyhvn.com/bison_hunts.htm

[LongTatLaw]

Kent hunter will tell ya...its tasty meat!

1200 for a mature bull??  where?  and do ya have room for me to go with ya?

[popeshawnpaul]

Provider is going this fall...

[Hornseeker]

I'm not even sure I am going to get in yet... I have to be quiet about it for now. If there is any "open" opportunity, I'll let you guys know...

Thanks much though for any info! I think my biggest question is whether an old bull is good meat or not and how much there is. Sounds like you can get about 45% meat vs live weight... so a 2000#er would be yeah...900+#. Wow. Yep...new freezer or lots of sharing with friends!!!

Its also a 1 day deal and the bison aren't fenced at all... so if I dont get it done in one day I am OUT the $$... dont like that!! But heck...they are bison....

[NRA4LIFE]

The one I seen in S. Dakota was cut up like a steer so there would have been quite a bit of bone mass included in that total.  I guess if had been deboned it would have been more like 900 lbs.  Still a crap load of meat.

[runningboard]

I have shot quite a few on our ranch, they're not that tough if you hit 'em right. mostly used "deer" rifles and a bow a couple of times. good meat if prepared slowly, too much heat too quick seems to toughen it up. mature bull can be just as tasty if killed quick before they get too much adrenaline pumping, just line up his eye and ear and put the bullet right behind his ear and you'll break his neck and he won't go anywhere.