Bison industry raises its profile

DENVER -- The irony of bison ranching isn't lost on Dave Carter. Recovering the once nearly extinct creatures has required raising them for slaughter.

The proof is in the numbers, said Carter, executive director of the Colorado-based National Bison Association. About 35,000 bison were processed nationwide last year, up 17 percent from 2004.

There are more than 250,000 bison on ranches across the country. The massive, shaggy animals that once roamed across the North American plains by the millions were decimated by widespread slaughter during westward growth, dropping to an estimated 1,000 or fewer by the late 1800s.

''As we continue to rebuild the herds out there and to bring the species back from a point where it was on the brink of extinction 120 years ago, it really requires that it end up on the dinner plate, for the ranchers to have the incentive to bring the animals back," Carter said.

Media mogul and bison rancher Ted Turner has helped raise the industry's profile through his Ted's Montana Grill restaurant chain, which specializes in bison meat. There are 39 restaurants in 16 states -- more than twice the number in 2004.

Still, Carter concedes the industry will likely always be a bit player. Although last year's total of 35,000 bison processed was a healthy increase, ''the beef industry does more than that before lunch," he said. Roughly 125,000 cattle are processed every day and the industry is measured in billions; Carter estimates there are $112 million in annual bison sales.

The bison industry's small scale, though, has worked to ranchers' benefit, Carter said. One of the industry's selling points is that about 50 bison are typically processed daily in small plants, compared with thousands of cattle a day in large industrial facilities. The belief is that smaller and slower translates into more care and attention. And, he said, bison typically yield more meat than cattle, because they are leaner.

John Painter, who manages a bison ranch near Taos, N.M., said health-conscious consumers also like the fact that the animals aren't given hormones or antibiotics. Paintersaid he prefers bison meat for the high iron and low cholesterol.

The bison's range

Some facts on the largest land mammal in North America.

Top weight: Mature bulls can reach more than 2,000 pounds.

The head alone: Up to 300 pounds, which is supported by the bison's hump. They use their big heads to clear away snow to forage for food.

Top speed: 40 mph (in bursts)

Population: More than 250,000 bison on 4,000 US farms and ranches. Experts estimate American bison once numbered as many 70 million but dropped to as low as 1,000 by the late 1800s because of widespread slaughter.

SOURCE: National Bison Association