Raising Buffalo – Lowering Cholesterol

It is hard to believe that at one point in our very recent past that bison roamed the country side in vast numbers. So much so that the ground shook as they passed but in a moment of history we would rather try and forget their numbers were decimated to almost extinction. Now a rather small but dedicated number of ranchers are bringing these magnificent animals back. Peter Cole has been raising bison for about 26 years.

COLE: I was interested in raising something that was healthy. I had worked in Montana for a couple of years back in the mid-70’s and saw buffalo up there and was intrigued with the and figured I would check into it so I spent about 3 years researching it and trying to find people who were raising it. There weren’t s lot of people raising them then. Every day when I get up and walk outside I’m still as elated to see them as I was the first day I saw them.

Peter Cook is one of the new generation of young ranchers that has made the decision to raise bison.

COOK: You know I’ve always loved the animal. Growing up I was fascinated with them - I loved history and they just caught my eye. I’ve always been an outdoors kind of person. In college I got a degree in finance which made me perfectly qualified to raise buffalo but I decided I didn’t want to be in an office all the time and I thought this might be a nice little side hobby. Like Peter Cole was saying, once you’ve got them, there’s something about them. I mean I tell people it’s like fishing. Once you get a good hook set in a fishes mouth it just keeps pulling you in. They don’t let go.