THE RANCH
Tall Grass Buffalo are raised in a remote, rugged area of Northwestern South Dakota. Our herd is free to roam a majority of the ranch’s 18,000 acres, most of which is pasture. We rotate the animals between three pastures to ensure plentiful grass for the buffalo to graze. Native grasses abound: blue gamma, big blue stem, little blue stem western wheat grass, crested wheat grass, and buffalo grass. Also at home on the ranch are many varieties of wildlife, including predatory animals.

MANAGING THE HERD
Once a year – usually in the late Fall – the herd is brought in and worked. This ensures peak flavor and nutrition for our quality buffalo products. All animals are weighed, retagged for identification, and vaccinated as required. Heifer calves selected for future breeding are either retained or sold to interested parties. Bull calves are identified by the year of their birth, so they may be used for future processing. The two year old bulls that have been selected for processing are separated and placed in holding pens. From here, they are transported to our processing facility; Westside Meats in Mobridge, SD. The cows are pregnancy tested and returned to the main herd.

AREA HISTORY
The town of Camp Crook is named after the noted U.S. Army General George Crook, who had encampments along the Little Missouri River in the latter part of the 1800s. Rifle pits are still visible along the banks of the river. A variety of metal objects bear witness to General Crook’s camps: shell casings, horseshoes, bits, and buttons.

The Native Americans of that period also camped in the area, as is evidenced by visible teepee rings. A type of rock once used for making paint is plentiful here. Native Americans of today make an annual trek to the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana. They make the journey on horseback, still camping at our ranch along their way to that historic site.

Erwin Latham, a local resident, tells how his parents once played host to Sitting Bull. Latham recalls the time in his childhood when the great Sioux medicine man sat at their family table. Home sites dating back to the 1880s, which were abandoned in the 1920s, can also be found at the ranch. Fossil evidence found here tells of ancient bison that roamed the area during the prehistoric era; among the items found were vertebra as large as a standard sheet of paper.