Questions & Answers
FAQs
Inquiries and concerns related to the Wisconsin Bison Association and other common bison questions. Have a question that you don’t see posted on this page?
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about WBPA, bison, and raising these iconic North American mammals.
Questions from Producers
Here’s why our members value their WBPA membership:
- Learn from other bison producers local to your area
- Identify and implement best practices
- Make connections with local resources such as processors, licensing authorities, and veterinarians
- Buy and sell animals
We recommend joining WBPA, networking with existing ranchers, and attending meetings to learn about raising bison.
Absolute minimum requirements for raising bison might include:
- Land for grazing
- Well-maintained fencing
- Bison handling facilities
- Plan for feeding through winter
Bison do not require barns or shelters. Use of vaccines and supplements varies by producer based on location and purpose of the animals.
There are about 150 bison producers in Wisconsin with about 10,000 animals.
Fencing regulations are contained in the Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 90 (see http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/). There are several options constituting a legal fence (e.g. high tensile, barbed wire, woven wire, board, etc.) and there are other requirements if the fence abuts a neighbor’s property. We are not aware of any specific legal requirements for bison.
We encourage you to visit bison farms to take a look at the types of fencing other members use. NRCS also has standards for bison fencing that can serve as a reference.
Per our members, demand continues to exceed supply for bison meat.
Questions from Consumers
The American Bison, often called a buffalo, is not a true buffalo. You can read more about the difference here. Because history has associated the name “buffalo” with American Bison, it is still widely used.
Many WBPA producers sell bison meat directly from their farm or at farmers’ markets. Some groceries, meat markets, and restaurants carry our members’ products. You can find a locator for bison near you here.
Any cut that is typical from beef cattle can be expected from bison.
Meat from female bison is very good. Some folks think it tastes even better than meat from bulls. Like most animal species, females naturally have a little more fat. Fat adds a little flavor and a bit of tenderness. However, females are considerably smaller than males causing the primal cuts (steaks & roasts) to be smaller. This is the main reason a cow is less expensive than a bull.
In Wisconsin, meat must be inspected if it is offered for sale. Most members have animals processed at state (DATCP) or federally (USDA) inspected plants. Wherever you buy bison, whether at a farm, farmers’ market, grocery store, meat market, or elsewhere, every package of meat will contain an inspection label identifying the processing plant as well as a safe handling label.
The exception to this is if you contract directly with the farmer to purchase a whole, half or quarter animal and make the arrangements for processing (i.e. cutting) and packaging yourself.
Similar to other livestock, there are no farm inspections at this time. Many producers will encourage you to visit their farms to see the way animals are raised.