Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game looking for bison "hunt"

OK, mostly looking for the opportunity to shoot a bison for the meat. I want it for the meat, so a younger bull would be ideal. I suppose I'd keep the cape so a winter hunt would be preferred. Access to good facilities to cut/wrap the meat is a must.

I will use a 45-70 lever or 45 colt revolver, mostly to make it more fun, but have no allusion of being a real hunt. Price and access to a good butcher is my primary concern. I'd prefer to hunt as close to home as possible, so Kansas or Nebraska would be prefered.

Well you might slide over the internet to the Shiloh Rifle forum. More than a few guys there have hunted buffalo on ranches in Kansas and Nebr with a Sharps rifle.Most will tell you they had to work for their shot, as after buffalo been shot at all fall they get sorta leery of any humans to close. Be my guess anywhere you go, the guy that owns those buff will laugh at your pistol tell you to use the rifle or leave.December-Jan will get you the best hide. Going rates are about $900+ to have it robed and the hunt will run you~$2000 with processing extra.If you leave your "like fish in a barrel" attitude at home I am sure you will have fun.You asked Magnum Man

I've been thinking about a bison also.
Looks like most big bull shoots go for 4-5 grand.

I'd like to hunt the famed Flying D ranch in western Montana.

http://www.arnaudoutfitting.com/hunts/bison.html

Photos

http://www.arnaudoutfitting.com/photos/bison-02.html

I've also been looking at a "meat hunt" bison. This one's closer to me, and includes the price of the meat processing if you want it that way. I have not contacted them yet, but will probably get real serious about it this fall. Have a side of beef in the freezer now, and will have to eat through that some to make room.

http://www.loggingcampranch.com/bison_hunting.htm

Don't know if western ND is too far for you?

If you are interested in Flying D hunts, I can help there, as I book hunts for the Ranch. The Ranch is huge and there are accommodations to stay there and hunt the ranch. These are not canned hunts, these buffalo have hundreds of square miles to roam and they are wild.

The meat hunts are a different story. The buffalo are in s pasture and they are available on a limited basis. I don't believe they have any right now, but the trophy bull hunts are. I got this one on the west side of the Madison River several years ago, one of the first buffalo shot in that area for over 100 years...

If ya want great chow,shoot a cow or a spike bull. Best robes from cows. Bulls are enormous but the fur/hair/pelt is a bit different in distribution by what I saw. 3 year old cow is perfect meat and a great robe. After the winter solstice, the hair follicles loosen in prep for shed in Mar-April. Slowpoke, you are getting a hunt in the shortgrass praire same-samo my hunt. FIRST CLASS meat!!!!! I went here:
http://www.silversagebison.com/

Ok boys, for those of you who have "been there/done that", what would a spike bull/2-3 yo cow come out in processed meat? Say a 900-1,000 lb critter...400 lbs.?


maddog

I did a hunt pretty much exactly like you are referring too... As I recall it was $1100 for a spike and 1600 for a cow but they were not selling any more cows when I booked... down side is the place was selling off all of its buff after this season b/c the drought put a huge hamper on the economics.

Seems like I recall someone once posting a link to a actual Native American reservation that had legal rights to sell Buffalo hunts and the price was reasonable for a cow or spike.

maddog... 30%-35% of live weight is a good number for figuring boneless meat. 900lb animal is going to be around 300 lbs of meat.

i shot a hudge bull and the 2 sides went 1100#. meat was good and cant think how it could get any better. by the way butcher scale was used and they had no reason to fudge weight.

The Fort Belknap reservation in north central Montana sells buffalo hunts. I don't know what price structure they have, and their website just says "buffalo hunts availble, call for info". The tribe also runs a meatpacking plant in Malta.

Another option.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/big...-old-pinello-finishes-his-super-ten.html