Our Ranching Values

At the Crooked River Bison Ranch, we are committed to respecting our land and habitat, as well as the humane treatment of our bison. These issues are of the upmost importance to us and we are happy to share our ranching values with you.

Respect for our Bison

Raising our bison with respect and as humanely as possible is important to us. Throughout their lives, our animals are provided with clean water and various native grasses to feed on. During the winter months, they are fed locally sourced grass hay. They receive a 100% vegetarian diet throughout the entire course of their lives. Our bison are not grain finished. Not only is this good for our bison, but it’s also what gives our bison its’ great taste.

No Steroids, Growth Hormones or Antibiotics

We never give our bison steroids, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Occasionally, if one of our animals becomes ill for one reason or another, we will give the animal proper care and treatment without the use of hormones or antibiotics and remove it from our herd.

Field Harvest

We field harvest our bison in small numbers. This means that they are not rounded up and loaded into a truck prior to slaughter. Each animal is quickly and humanly slaughtered. We chose to field harvest because it yields a superior product. Since bison are undomesticated animals, they generally become easily stressed and agitated under traditional harvest methods. Once they become stressed, they can release a stress hormone into the body which can greatly impact the flavor and tenderness of the meat.

No Confinement

Our bison are not confined to small pens or feedlot-like conditions. They are free to roam open pasture and rangeland on our ranch.

Intensive Grazing Method

We practice intensive grazing methods (rotational grazing) on our ranch. Our bison are regularly and systematically moved from pasture to pasture. This allows the pastures to recover quicker, provides the bison with young, tender grass and reduces the need for parasitic control.