About The Ranch
The Big Horn Bison Ranch expands across Wyoming’s majestic mountains and high plains.
Big Horn Bison is building their herds by carefully hand-selecting bulls genetically tested and purchased from the Yellowstone, Custer Park, and Castlerock Bison herds.
Big Horn Bison will internally grow their herds over the upcoming years. As each herd begins to proactively produce viable offspring, Big Horn Bison plans to humanely and actively monitor their growth to the capacity of their ranch.
Doing this will ensure the genetic diversity of the Great American Bison and uphold the pledge of all Big Horn Bison ranches made to the preservation efforts of the indigenous American Bison’s genetics.
As Big Horn Bison actively monitors the growth of their herds within their natural environments, the predicted longevity will maximize each ranch and its herd to pave the way for the conservation of a subsistence lifestyle lived by the surrounding native communities. As Big Horn Bison begins to deem each herd viable and genetically pure, we will begin to sell our harvested and vetted livestock. Any unproductive livestock deemed genetically non-viable or “productive” to our mission will be used for the Big Horn Bison’s evolving subsistence living program.
BIG HORN BISON MISSION & VISION STATEMENT
Our History
In the summer of 2021, a dream became reality as acres of land across Wyoming’s majestic mountains and high plains, were purchased and merged with the intent to become what is now established as the Big Horn Bison Ranching System. The Big Horn Bison Ranch employs the mission of the owner in regards to conserving the environment alongside promoting the land’s historical relevance and preserving the genetics of the Great American Bison by practicing a regenerative and holistic approach to its ranching system and ensuring a 100% grass-fed ranching operation. As Big Horn Bison grow their herds, they plan to promote the subsistence lifestyle.
The land selected for the Big Horn Bison Ranching System was sought out due to its grasslands, capability to produce naturally, and its historical significance and historically documented events of the American settlements in western America. The Big Horn Bison Ranches lands encompass multiple relevant national historical landmarks such as The Bozeman Trail, Tipi Rings, and Petroglyph Rock Carvings. These landmarks will likely be the highlight of the Big Horn Bison Ecotourism program.
LIVING VALUES
GRAZING PRACTICES AT OUR RANCHES
HOLISTIC AND REGENERATIVE PLANNED GRAZING TECHNIQUES
The Big Horn Bison Ranching System practices Holistic and Regenerative Planned Grazing Techniques throughout all of its ranches. All bison within our ranching system is certified and genetically tested to exclude any non-native DNA pertaining to the preservation of the diverse genetics of the Great American Bison. As Big Horn Bison builds their herds, they have subsequently implemented a holistic and regenerative grazing management program throughout their ranching systems. Planned grazing techniques will allow a herd of bison to graze their entire ranch year-round. It will also give plants within their ranch ample time to rest, grow, and flourish before they are subjected to grazing again. This technique additionally supplies sufficient drought reserves for the ranches. By enlisting this planned grazing technique into the Big Horn Bison Ranching System, we plan to see a higher forage production, enhanced forage quality, and healthier plants, ecosystems, and bison than other ranches choosing not to use this technique.
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
OUR TESTING PLAN
The Big Horn Bison Ranching System supports and has plans to employ Carbon Sequestration Testing across all of its ranches. Carbon Sequestration is a natural or artificial process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form.
Carbon Sequestration Testing will produce results for the Big Horn Bison Ranching System to measure and track how much carbon each of their ranches is sequestering as a result of practicing their Holistic and Regenerative Planned Grazing techniques throughout their ranching system programs. The Big Horn Bison Ranching System stands against global warming by implementing Carbon Sequestration Testing within its ranching programs. We believe that we can make a difference, and reduce our carbon footprint in order to save our bison, their ecosystems, and the overall health of our beautiful planet.
HEALTHY HERDS
LOW-STRESS HANDLING TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES
In addition to the above ranching practices, The Big Horn Bison Ranching System plans to use a Low-Stress Handling Technique to be practiced throughout each of its herds. The Big Horn Bison Ranches will ensure a safe, friendly, well-managed handling facility for both our bison and our staff members. At Big Horn Bison, we understand how caring for the land, the ecosystem, the plants, and the animals naturally can and will build a long-lived and sustainable ranch program that promotes a healthy environment for all of those involved. Thus equivocating to the ranches’ maximum production and financial security.
GRASS-FED HERDS
100% GRASS-FED OPERATION
The Big Horn Bison Ranching System is a 100% grass-fed operation. Our bison have little to no supplementation and are fed a diet consisting of 100% forage. None of the bison within our ranching program herds are to be raised within a pasture-like environment, and will never be put into confinement or compound of any sort. Additionally, none of the bison will be treated or supplemented with hormones or antibiotics. We trust in the ability of Mother Nature, where natural selection takes precedence in our selection process for our breeding and conservation herds.
THE SUBSISTENCE LIFESTYLE
SUBSISTENCE FARMING & LIFESTYLE
The Big Horn Bison Ranching System recognizes the Memorandum of Agreement made between the ITBC and the National Bison Association. We pledge to equally commit our ranching system program and practices in order to ultimately restore and unite bison herds, tribal lands, and private lands. This agreement is understood as an effort to re-establish a healthy bison population on tribal lands, in order to heal the spirits of both the Indian people and the Great American Bison. As a subsistence lifestyle ranch, the Big Horn Bison Ranching System intends to use all of the parts of the bison as the Native Americans once practiced when they inhabited our ranches lands, when the Great American Bison was thriving and genetically pure. We plan to restore this important lifestyle and culture to our ranching lands, and programs as we take a step towards preserving the Great American Bison genetic diversity, which are in fact at risk of extinction.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF RAISING ANIMALS
“Animal Husbandry combines the art and science of raising animals by blending time-honored practices and modern scientific knowledge into a system that provides for animal well-being and provides for safe and efficient management and handling of animals.” – NAIA (National Animal Interest Alliance)
Big Horn Bison’s ranch management team acknowledges the Bison, not as a domesticated species such as cattle and sheep, but as a native inhabitant of the land our ranches encompass. To handle these animals with respect while they are inside of our facilities, the Big Horn Bison management team has been trained and instructed on how to do so in a delicate, calm, non-intrusive manner. Practicing these ranching techniques, and withholding the utmost respect for our animals is one of Big Horn Bison’s top priorities for our ranching systems to build, grow, and maintain success.
The Bison are naturally adapted and equipped for the environmental conditions of western North America. For this reason, the Big Horn Bison ranch management teams handle the animals on a less-frequent basis than other ranching systems would when handling a more “domesticated” animal. Additionally, our Bison will never receive growth hormones, as our mission stands, we aim to naturally conserve this great animal and its depleting genetics. Antibiotics will only be used to treat sick Bison in extreme conditions outside of the extension of our dependence on the natural role that our ranches allow Mother Nature to control.
In order to keep the Big Horn Bison herds “at home”, our ranch management teams are held to expectations meant to maintain the lands, pastures, corrals, and facilities all-encompassing at our ranches. These expectations have been set to exceed the bars set by standard ranching regulations that other ranching systems might use and follow regularly.
Our Bison are allowed to exercise all of their natural, instinctive behaviors within their herds, including the establishment of a natural “pecking order”. Doing this and other practices mentioned above will ensure the Bison are under minimal to 0 stress whilst in our ranching program/system.
As stewards for The Great American Bison, the Big Horn Bison ranching system wholeheartedly commits itself to the utmost respect of the Bison, and humane husbandry practices expected of our management teams throughout the entire life cycle of our Bison.