...Bison don't smell?

I visited a bison farm and as is usual for me, asked a ton of questions which netted me this most interesting trivia. Thank you to Bev Taylor for patiently answering my sometimes oaff the wall questions!

Bev amazes me—since her husband passed away a while ago, she continues to run the bison farm near Two Hills, Alberta Canada, by herself. She loves her animals, describing them as curious, intelligent, and playful. When it’s a tough day, she says, she loves to go out and sit on the tractor or in her truck and watch her bison.Bev Taylor, Bison Farmer

 Did you know...

• Bison don’t smell like cows? They don’t smell like much of anything. Although the cold winter weather may have masked some of the odor, I was assured they don’t smell bad at all—possibly due to the fact...

• Bison lift their tails and squat when defecating, ensuring they get no mess on themselves. This could also account for the fact there are few flies around a bison herd.

These are yearling females--see how their horns curl?

• The low Canadian dollar has made exporting bison meat to the European market more lucrative than selling to Canadians. Germany, in particular, is a very active market. (This increase in exporting might be why bison meat is harder to find in local Canadian stores and restaurants than a few years ago.)

• Qualities that are looked for in good breeding stock are a strength and sturdiness with good length between the shoulder and hind end—as that is from where most of the meat comes.