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The Bison: A Lost Pillar Of North American Ecosystems

The bison population was upwards of 30 million only two to three hundred years ago. The herds were so abundant that these giant mammals became a symbol of the plentiful resources of the New World for European colonists. During the late 1880s, the buffalo were decimated to the brink of extinction. A 1905 census recorded a total of 835 wild bison and 256 living in captivity. They had been slaughtered en masse in an effort by colonists to subdue the native populations, who had built their lives around the buffalo. For the Lakota people of the plains, the buffalo provided everything they needed in life. The buffalo is considered sacred, a gift from the Great Spirit. The ways of the buffalo were emulated…

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 Bison proliferate as Native American tribes reclaim stewardship

Herds burgeon on reservations as Native tribes seek to re-establish balance after historical slaughter by European settlers. Most bison in North America are in commercial herds, treated no differently than cattle. Perched atop a fence at Badlands national park, Troy Heinert peered from beneath his wide-brimmed hat into a corral where 100 wild bison awaited transfer to the Rosebud Indian Reservation. “Buffalo, they walk in two worlds,” Heinert said. “Are they commercial or are they wildlife? From the tribal perspective, we’ve always deemed them as wildlife, or to take it a step further, as a relative.”

 Bison: A Healthy, Sustainable Choice for You and the Planet

Bison were built for the grasslands, and often graze in areas unsuitable for crops or cattle. Their natural grazing habits help to regenerate the soil, which improves the soil’s ability to capture carbon. Bison can help restore ecosystems by promoting the growth of native grasses, which can benefit other wildlife species. By supporting bison farming, consumers contribute to the preservation of a native North American species that is, once again, thriving on the grassland.

Articles of Interest

Bison: The Original Red Meat

Often referred to as America's “original red meat" (because it sustained Native Americans for centuries), bison is actually more similar to white meat in terms of its overall calories and fat content. And when compared to beef, “bison is richer in protein, and contains fewer calories and less saturated fat," Carlstrom notes.

Great Plains Debate: Should Bison Become ‘The Other Red Meat’?

The reintroduction of the American bison is among the greatest environmental success stories, promising a leaner alternative to beef and righting imbalances in certain ecosystems.

American Bison

Bison once covered the Great Plains and much of North America, and were critically important to Plains Indian societies. During the 19th century, settlers killed some 50 million bison for food, sport, and to deprive Native Americans of their most important natural asset. The once enormous herds were reduced to only a few hundred animals. Today, bison numbers have rebounded somewhat, and about 500,000 bison live on preserves and ranches where they are raised for their meat.

As Bison Becomes More Popular, Two Views Emerge on How to Treat Them

In the end, perhaps two systems for bison will exist, one to satisfy people who want a meal centered on four ounces of grass-fed, field-slaughtered buffalo and another for those who prefer affordable bison that can be turned into a decent, healthful burger on a Tuesday night. It may look a little like the salmon market, where supply, price and consumer preference have made room for both farm-raised fish and wild fish.

Beefalo, a bison-cattle hybrid, is being touted as the healthy meat of the future

Bison produce very lean meat, but they are wild animals that can be difficult to raise on a farm. Cattle are very docile, but their meat can be high in fat and not very healthy. That's why proponents of a crossbreed — called beefalo — say they have what should be the future of U.S. meat production.

Bison are back, and that benefits many other species on the Great Plains

Advocates cite health, ecological and ethical arguments in support of bison ranching. Bison meat is lean and has a high protein content. Many bison ranchers are committed to ethical and sustainable ranching practices, which sometimes are lacking in modern industrial livestock farming.

Bison are bringing biodiversity back to Kansas prairie land

American bison were once so numerous that in 1889 the superintendent of the National Zoo wrote that trying to count them would be like tallying “the number of leaves in a forest.” It’s much of the reason why the exact ecological impact of North America’s largest land mammals was never measured, before colonizers hunted them to near-extinction in the 19th century. But current efforts to restore them to their historic range have affirmed what conservationists and Native Americans have been saying for decades: Bison are critical to the prairie’s health.

Bison Meat has a Lower Atherogenic Risk than Beef in Healthy Men

The rearing method of bison and the nutrient content of the meat may make bison a healthier alternative to beef. We hypothesized that the acute and chronic effects of bison consumption, in comparison to beef, will result in a less perturbed blood lipid panel and a reduced inflammatory and oxidative stress response which will minimize the detrimental effect on vascular function.

Experts Reveal the Healthiest Meat for Your Burger—and It’s Not Beef (or Turkey)

While nowhere near as ubiquitous as beef, bison meat is quietly making its way onto more and more restaurant menus across the United States and into more and more supermarkets. At many grocery stores, it’s as easy to grab a pound of ground bison as it is a pound of ground beef. While the two meats look similar in the package, there are important distinctions in nutrition, taste, and best cooking technique.

Why the Buffalo Roam

Sometimes you have to eat an animal to save it. That paradox may disturb vegetarians, but consider the bison: 500 years ago, perhaps 30 million of these enormous mammals inhabited North America. By the late 1800s, several forces–natural climate changes and Buffalo Bill–style mass killings among them–had slashed the bison population to something like 1,000. And yet today North America is home to roughly 450,000 bison, a species recovery that has a lot to do with our having developed an appetite for them.