I bought a cow!

[Wyogal]

hey, he wanted to see a bison fence...

 

[vagriller]

Then take a trip to a bison ranch. Yes, there are fences.
bison fencing - Google Search

Wyogal, not trying to argue with you. I've been to the National Bison Range in Montana. They did have fences there (and they were tall and very stout), but I couldn't see them containing a 2000 lb animal that really wanted to get out.

jabbur, sorry for the threadjack!

 

[Wyogal]

O.K. you're right.
I'm wrong.
No bison could ever be contained by a fence.
(I didn't really think this was an argument)
Yes, one can buy a side of bison like a side of beef. It's done here all the time. I'll be driving past a couple of bison ranches in a couple of days on my vacation.

 

[BreezyCooking]

No Wyogal - YOU are the one who is correct.

For what it's worth, I have not one, but TWO bison farms in the immediate area - one a mere 7-8 miles down the road (Cibola Farms Bison & Buffalo). Has been around for quite a number of years with zero escapes. Fences aren't outrageously tall, but are VERY sturdy (think posts made from telephone poles - lol!).

 

[GB]

Breezy are you TRYING to start a fight??? No one ever said there are not fences or that the fences do not contain bison. All that was said is that there is a doubt that the fences could hold in a bison who really wanted to get out. Since they have everything they need on the farm they have no motivation to try to break out. No one ever said they break out. It was just a question as to if they could if they really wanted to.

 

[Kathleen]

Bison vs. Buffalo

I know that Bison are indigenous to the Americas and Buffalo live in Africa and Asia, but are there other differences? Also are bison meats similar enough to be completely interchangeable with beef?

Over the fourth of July, we had burgers made of what was said to be buffalo meat, and I thought they were delicious. From what I see online, it seems that bison have less unhealthy fat than beef. It's totally awesome to buy the cow! I especially like the idea that I could find a farm that I might trust to raise the animal without negative factors. I'd be bouncy if I had one coming!

 

[Andy M.]

I've had a few bison burgers and can't honestly say I noticed a difference in taste from beef. I would say it's interchangeable with beef in just about any application.

 

[GB]

I have had a few bison burgers too and have not enjoyed them. I do taste a difference. It is not a huge difference and if bison burgers were the only option then I could eat one and enjoy it, but I enjoy the flavor of beef much more and will always pick that over buffalo given the choice.

 

[Wyogal]

You can wiki the difference... the "true" buffalo and bison are indeed different. I think someone early on misnamed what they saw, calling them buffalo. not sure. haven't looked it up myself.
My husband and sons like bison meat. It's leaner and purported to be healthier. I haven't really tried much of it. I know folks that only eat wild meat or bison for their red meat intake. Quite a few freezers around here hold elk, deer, antelope, some moose.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Bison is definitely interchangeable with beef recipes so long as you always keep one cardinal rule always in mind: It is VERY VERY lean meat. Thus, unless you're braising it (like a stew, chili, or pot roast), you need to cook it relatively quick & rare. A well-done bison steak is like shoe-leather. As far as bison burgers (or meatloaf) go - I like them very much. Definitely a different flavor from beef. When I make them though, I always add a dollop or two of extra-virgin olive oil to the ground meat to avoid the dryness that can occur due to so little natural fat.

 

[CharlieD]

I think Ilearn in some geografy class, when I was 12 or so that all indignious Bisons were killed, and what we have here today in Amerika is really a Europian buffalos. Never checked this fact though.

 

[Wyogal]

Bison bison
American bison
They are indeed bison. Not all were exterminated.

 

[megamark]

My dad shot a bison once, several years ago. A very big one too. After it was processed he had 600 lbs of packaged meat. Steaks, roast, sausage, jerky, etc. He filled 2 upright freezers, gave away as much as he could, gave a bunch to the local food bank, etc. So just find a hunter that wants to get one. He'll likely give you some for free. Can you really use 600 lbs of meat?

i mean my friends and i could go through 50 lbs. after a while. i think it would be worth it. ive had some pretty gamy stuff before i dont think i could do that much if it was real gamy though.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

I could eat it all for lunch today! (very hungry today)

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

All I mean is that I would like to see the fence that could contain a full grown bison! Like trying to fence in a tank. Of course if they have everything they need they really have no motivation to get out. And I think that's part of it.

Bison, like cattle, always want to expand their range. And liek cattle, even if what is on the other side is dangerous to them, if the fence is broken, they'll go through it. As far as jumping bovine is concerned, I was at a rodeo in Lakeside California. There were 8 foot fences surrounding the arena. After a brahma bull threw its rider, the rodeo hands tried to drive the bull from the arena and into its holding pen. But the bull was having none of that. It charged the horses and so was left alone. This huge animal trotted over to the side where roping cows were held. Remember, the fence was 8 foot high. The bull was standing sideways to the fence. Suddenly, from a standstill, it easily leaped the fence to get in with the cows. The announcers had been telling the audience to stay away from railings as the bulls could, if they desired, jump over any fence or railing in the place. Nobody had listened until that Brahma cleared the fence so easily. Everyone immediately moved away from the railing.

Up here in Michigan's U.P., there is a farm that raises beefalo, a cross between bison and beef. Like mules, they are sterile and the young come from artificial insemination.

At a local zoo in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, they had bison in one of their enclosures. You could walk around the enclosure and get to the other side, which was not really where you were supposed to be. Well, when have I ever listened to rules and regs? I took my four children to that other side where we pulled tall grass from the ground and fed the bison by hand. Not a good idea. They seemed gentle enough at first. Then, a big bull threw its massive head against the fence, scaring the daylights out of us, me included. We quickly left that area and returned to the main viewing area. Bison are huge. I like the flavor of venison better though. Now elk and ostrich, they both have exceptional meat flavor and good texture.

As for a quarter beef, there is a beef processor about twenty miles from my home. We bought a quarter beef from them. it was far superior to anything we could get at the grocers. This year, they are going to smoke some chuck roast and beef hearts for me, to use at the chili cookoff. If you know a good place to get local beef, do it. It's much cheaper and better quality that anything you can get at the market. And, you also know what it's been fed. Just don't have a daughter with a boyfreind who won't eat anything but steak. A lot of good meat filled that young man's belly several years back. Fortunately, they broke up and that daughter married a fine young man who hails from Washington state, a long ways from my freezer.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[mollyanne]

...Up here in Michigan's U.P., there is a farm that raises beefalo, a cross between bison and beef.

I read in National Geographic how there are so few genetically pure North American Bison (commonly called Buffalo and an American History icon). The pure ones are near endangerment...most are now a cross with cows...but they are making a comeback. The few we have left are in Yellowstone free-roaming but controlled. Montana has been an issue with slaughtering them as they cross the border.

There used to be 20-30 million gentically pure North American Bison..."Today, approximately 500,000 bison live across North America. Most are not pure bison but rather have been cross-bred with cattle in the past and are raised as livestock on ranches. Fewer than 30,000 bison are in conservation herds, and fewer than 5,000 are free-ranging and disease-free. Today bison are ecologically extinct throughout most of their historic range, except for a few national parks and other small wildlife areas. Yellowstone National Park has the largest population of free-roaming plains bison (about 4,000)."

Most Bison are a cross with cows...and you better not find ANY of the pure bison on dinner tables anywhere:
You can go to this link...wyogal will want proof :
Bison - bison bison - Video, Facts - Defenders of Wildlife

1,600 pure North American bison were killed in the winter of 2007/2008 -- more than a quarter of the wild population.
Here's what you can do to help (just sign this pretyped letter and email to Montana):
https://secure.defenders.org/site/A...interest=C3C4&s_Affiliate=act_&autologin=true

Meanwhile, please boycott SunriseFoods.com as they sell pure bison...why isn't that illegal?!
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sunrisefoods.com/store/media/beef/Bison-burger&imgrefurl=http://www.sunrisefoods.com/store/specialty_foods.html&usg=__xrHtR0b7Sd5wxhxI1QeeAUXLEbE=&h=273&w=330&sz=18&hl=en&start=5&itbs=1&tbnid=M1ZbpJ8JUkCkuM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpure%2Bbison%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

[BreezyCooking]

Sorry - completely disagree. Good old "Defenders of Wildlife" notwithstanding. "Facts" from "Defenders of Wildlife" are like "facts" from "PETA". Even the link you provide show that there are folks out there farming pure bison meat - just that DoW are asking people to boycott them.

There are PLENTY of legitimate bison farmers out there with PURE bison strains. As in NOT crossed at any time with cattle. And it's not "against the law" to breed &/or serve them on the table.

Bison producers with strains that have been crossed with cattle normally make this fact known (aka "beefalo") - & around here they do.

 

[Wyogal]

Yep, certainly not impressed with your "facts."
And I don't appreciate your sniping at me directly...

 

[mollyanne]

...well, if I'm not getting in trouble on a Greek Isle, http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f12/anti-aging-nutrition-food-63123-2.html#post908031 , then I'm getting in trouble home, home on the range

...wasn't sniping you, wyogal (is that as in snip or snipe?). I was just noting, in a tongue-in-cheek spirit (was j/k), that you had demanded proof from me yesterday in another thread.... peace, mollyanne

...and I respect your opinion Breezy...interesting. I'm always learning

 

[BreezyCooking]

Poor OP Jabbur. All he did was excitedly post that he'd bought a cow.

Regardless - Jabbur - ENJOY YOUR BEEF!!!