tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10144302895741242172024-03-05T22:33:34.381-08:00Life on a Bison Ranch & Hunting Retreat<em>News, stories and updates about life on our Southern Missouri Bison Ranch & Hunting Retreat.</em>Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420785502889410680noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-7084585448034127402014-10-15T05:31:00.001-07:002014-10-15T05:31:03.006-07:00Herefords in the Fall lead to Next Year's TigersI believe an introduction on here is in order! We've had some additions to the ranch lately that haven't been shared here on the blog. For those of you who follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you will have seen our pictures of the fall calves coming in. These calves aren't our usual cinnamon colored bison calves though. We have decided to enter the realm of grass fed beef with a herd of purebred Hereford cows from the Journagan Ranch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pKL4Ir_SWFwQ4znV3bwJkV-TZNtQLVm3HFg60WlQjlK9q8UWRadOp_91tjJu56ysV46nqZV9aVeN6l3IZ_LDkREhgsr1Q4Xd1H8pVMc6borCyV0N-sF1rLhjOF2NFwVio5Li5JfPF38Y/s1600/Brahmas+and+Herefords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pKL4Ir_SWFwQ4znV3bwJkV-TZNtQLVm3HFg60WlQjlK9q8UWRadOp_91tjJu56ysV46nqZV9aVeN6l3IZ_LDkREhgsr1Q4Xd1H8pVMc6borCyV0N-sF1rLhjOF2NFwVio5Li5JfPF38Y/s1600/Brahmas+and+Herefords.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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Our recent addition consists of 38 head of Hereford cows, 31 of which were bred to calve this fall. This season they will calve out purebred Hereford calves as you have seen from our social media pictures, but next year they will be bred to our two Brahman bulls. Now someone may ask "Why take a pure bred Hereford <span style="text-align: center;">only to breed it with a Brahman?" Well the answer lies in the genetics of these two cattle breeds as I'll elaborate.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPGmj6jBT3zzERI20D4nh_VvK0r5svItD68e9pQZB-TZ5OQAY9ds8S-Fg36-WEwIPIZalabYAC1wiA6l-W-injoMwlEEJhGumL0nYBXk_1VJsHJjkv-RzpEH7pr-Z-FTI5DajGlBFs735/s1600/Hereford+and+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPGmj6jBT3zzERI20D4nh_VvK0r5svItD68e9pQZB-TZ5OQAY9ds8S-Fg36-WEwIPIZalabYAC1wiA6l-W-injoMwlEEJhGumL0nYBXk_1VJsHJjkv-RzpEH7pr-Z-FTI5DajGlBFs735/s1600/Hereford+and+calf.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Hereford cow with her calf.</td></tr>
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Hereford cattle have long been bred as an outstanding meat breed. Their lineage dates back to the 18th and 19th century. They were originally bred in Herefordshire southern England for use as a dual purpose beast of burden and superior beef animal. The breed was originally brought into the United States as long ago as 1817. Thanks to the traits selected for this breed they muscle very well for meat production and tend to be easy breeders, as well as easy calvers; on the down side though, they aren't as well adapted to heat stress being initially from England, and they also have a predisposition to cancer eye.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4kXDaSLbqFR5tWyKhtFBLSypoT2Skv4XCs08ZFyKWsk479SjxVWyK8P2XaotjY7uaEh2WHbMp4a8o0b5SIC420pjLz8JrPzv6P0tKpKcu5b-NHntBPnqe2xZRHgT79mqoiAw2Cw9vI-K/s1600/Caleb+and+Brahmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4kXDaSLbqFR5tWyKhtFBLSypoT2Skv4XCs08ZFyKWsk479SjxVWyK8P2XaotjY7uaEh2WHbMp4a8o0b5SIC420pjLz8JrPzv6P0tKpKcu5b-NHntBPnqe2xZRHgT79mqoiAw2Cw9vI-K/s1600/Caleb+and+Brahmas.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caleb feeding a Brahman bull.</td></tr>
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Brahman cattle are also a breed that was imported to the United States long ago with the first cattle being brought in in the late 1800's. The story on them gets a little more interesting though as they were a very difficult breed to import being as they are considered a sacred breed in the Hindu religion. The animals brought in actually consisted of four different breeds of Indian cattle with the vast majority of them being bulls. With these animals being bulls, most were bred to the European base meat breeds raised in the south. After five generations of breeding back though your breeding stock can be returned to a base of (31/32) pure, thereby showing the characteristics initially brought here.<br />
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The benefits of the Brahman breed are perfect for creating a solid genetic base in grass fed beef. They sweat whereas the European don't, thereby along with their pendulous skin allows them to comfortably withstand heat above 105F whereas most cattle show losses in production over 75F. Brahmans also have a low birth weight with a fast rate of gain and don't generally have issues with cancer eye.<br />
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What this leads us to is the basis of Hybrid Vigor. When one breed is bred for a certain set of traits for an extended period of time other traits often become depressed. Hybrid vigor takes two breeds with both their great traits and bad traits and combines them to create a cross that often exemplifies the best of both breeds while diminishing or completely replacing the flaws bred into either parent breed.<br />
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This is what we are achieving by breeding the Brahman bulls to our Hereford cows. We wind up with a calf that has a low birth weight but grows quickly and efficiently on grass, tolerates higher temperatures, resists parasites better and has low incidences of cancer eye. The colors created also are a plus as when these two breeds are crossed we get what is known as a "tiger stripe" as shown in the picture. With all of these traits we hope to be able to provide our customers with a superior grass fed beef product in the years to come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxggtGtRPqsZ-I6qqYfWnspmluv-wAHbVAAufZZkxE_LvnuMKWNlIbhggMc9bCAIpZQ02eQEF_2-6GWcJxrDZcDwYIMavEBsBU4mbS5I8sDkn6CuLnDwjcj5tCEktP6aHNpAN-gUe-fHI/s1600/tiger+stripe+cow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxggtGtRPqsZ-I6qqYfWnspmluv-wAHbVAAufZZkxE_LvnuMKWNlIbhggMc9bCAIpZQ02eQEF_2-6GWcJxrDZcDwYIMavEBsBU4mbS5I8sDkn6CuLnDwjcj5tCEktP6aHNpAN-gUe-fHI/s1600/tiger+stripe+cow.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our current Tiger Stripes.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-35977863790611947572014-09-18T09:17:00.000-07:002014-09-22T07:59:32.089-07:004 Ways to Enjoy Fall at Miller Bison at Elkhead RanchFall is almost upon us! You may not notice it just yet, but leaves are beginning to turn colors and the air has a touch of chill to it. And maybe it's just me, but I think that the fall season has its own smell it brings with it too! Fall (or autumn, whichever you prefer) is my favorite time of year. Fall means sweaters and scarves and apple cider, gorgeous fall colors, pumpkins and great horseback riding weather! Fall is also the perfect time of year to come visit Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyKm65aEre3fDjw_jFe7vJtsifyelqRr3D-SXNbTjiG1VLkZybx5FLstvZUJkkDMUwXpqEf634MHDMeFpShrM5WDzyoMMCaCo-kMunWpePmnfpwvFfNC7JmmUwoRoi7faEN8AKpwq0gjq/s1600/fall+ranch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyKm65aEre3fDjw_jFe7vJtsifyelqRr3D-SXNbTjiG1VLkZybx5FLstvZUJkkDMUwXpqEf634MHDMeFpShrM5WDzyoMMCaCo-kMunWpePmnfpwvFfNC7JmmUwoRoi7faEN8AKpwq0gjq/s1600/fall+ranch.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Fall on the ranch</td></tr>
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You're probably wondering just what there is to do here during this red and gold tinted season. Well, you can...<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Stay in the Cabin</i></h3>
The cabin at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch sits on top of the highest hill on the property - and you'll really appreciate the great view you'll have of the beautiful fall colors in the Ozarks! You can sit on the porch with a cup of hot coffee (or cider - personally I would choose cider!) and admire the amazing scenery. Our cozy cabin features a fully equipped kitchen, and our guests have the option of adding a bison meat package to their stay - so if it's too cold to venture outside, stay in and cook a hearty fall meal! Bison chili, anyone?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHjq9V9KRj-T1puGAm0s2UyyZLJTxjbE4KGvH58SG6NR4LGBNCkzccENpCFv-tVJBPuIzSG6qQiZTfwZj57DbBhq5YDfIEHrzlYbgs8IJfUWuJz-ZLy6aTdCx4DzAd8DUtuvjI7IyAuX1/s1600/cabin+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHjq9V9KRj-T1puGAm0s2UyyZLJTxjbE4KGvH58SG6NR4LGBNCkzccENpCFv-tVJBPuIzSG6qQiZTfwZj57DbBhq5YDfIEHrzlYbgs8IJfUWuJz-ZLy6aTdCx4DzAd8DUtuvjI7IyAuX1/s1600/cabin+kitchen.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cabin kitchen</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Take a Hike</i></h3>
Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch features a beautiful hiking trail that cuts through the heart of the acreage we've dedicated to wildlife conservation. Autumn is a great time to hike since the weather is cooler. Plus, the animals on the trail tend to be a little more active! On your fall hike, you can see our hunting stands and food plots, an old homestead site, a historic cemetery, and of course, have an opportunity to see fall color at its best!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJAqvlatXwIkr8hYfP7teMMvPONWD_wO198-wwbEh9ppDhc0DXiZQeiC_bNyeAwsfnD-ZP1id_g0ONPaLmaoqB6LUOaLiFyySDKrdp0o39gyblC5I-5RdvbRyFcVoGVv3ah_Vy9aaQv1_/s1600/gravestone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJAqvlatXwIkr8hYfP7teMMvPONWD_wO198-wwbEh9ppDhc0DXiZQeiC_bNyeAwsfnD-ZP1id_g0ONPaLmaoqB6LUOaLiFyySDKrdp0o39gyblC5I-5RdvbRyFcVoGVv3ah_Vy9aaQv1_/s1600/gravestone.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the headstones in the historic cemetery </td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Go Fishing</i></h3>
Just because it's cooler doesn't mean the fish aren't biting – fall is a great time to sit on the dock at Elkhead Lake and cast a line! Our five acre, thirty foot deep lake is fully stocked with catfish, bass and more for your fishing pleasure. Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch is full of panoramic autumn views, and the one off the fishing dock is spectacular! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIdRoytM9pC6acVw6ZoEjJwnC6sYteuz23h1r7dIDVJyV_XSNI2dZVrvmaDcZUEaGIiaz8u_1wXOQY3ykHjMsbIadU12UqEz7Gk_KD8pIiwpuYlJo6c8MxL2x2RF2H_EbcDAEeDgIHEFA/s1600/catfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIdRoytM9pC6acVw6ZoEjJwnC6sYteuz23h1r7dIDVJyV_XSNI2dZVrvmaDcZUEaGIiaz8u_1wXOQY3ykHjMsbIadU12UqEz7Gk_KD8pIiwpuYlJo6c8MxL2x2RF2H_EbcDAEeDgIHEFA/s1600/catfish.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A catch from Elkhead Lake</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Tour the Bison Herd</i></h3>
The best part of our ranch is the bison that call it home - and fall is a great time to come see them! We offer bison herd tours where you, your family or your field trip group can get up close and personal with these great American icons. Be sure to bring a camera with you – the stunning fall colors in the background make for some nice bison photo opportunities!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-83342124077423990802014-09-11T12:47:00.001-07:002014-09-11T12:47:06.875-07:00Get Your Camo On! 4 Popular Types of Camouflage for the Upcoming Hunting SeasonIf you are familiar with hunting at all, chances are you know that hunters wear camouflage. 'Camouflage,' by definition, means 1. <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><i>the disguising of military personnel, equipment, and installations by painting or covering them to make them blend in with their surroundings"</i> and 2.</span><i> "to </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><i>hide or disguise the presence of (a person, animal, or object) by means of camouflage."</i> While the military and the hunting industry have perfected camouflage as a useful tool, the patterns known as camo have become popular fashion statements as well. You see it everywhere - on clothing, on vehicles, backpacks, OtterBoxes; you name it, it probably comes in camo. I myself am guilty of the camo craze, and I have the sweatshirt, bedspread and seat covers to prove it! So with all this camo out there, what should you be wearing for the upcoming hunting season? Here are a few of the most popular choices.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><b>Realtree Xtra: </b>Realtree Xtra Camo is a 3D pattern that is designed to effectivley blend into forested surroundings in fall, winter, and early spring. With 12 natural colors integrated into the pattern, the deer won't be able to see you coming! Your hunting gear will be studded with large trees, small twigs and an assortment of leaves to help you blend in.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_wh11nx-B1hO7YVQFBSj6zXk9efG6aeBvVObvSafEYQ0yvWW9311ITaEyXt1rh0i-BYdtztuVSpZY4H8cruM4TNgi79MTnkcsz7HFYJtLp9_j-12vIFg9IgjgabBzEiUbaLquxFD8KxF/s1600/Realtree+Xtra+Camo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_wh11nx-B1hO7YVQFBSj6zXk9efG6aeBvVObvSafEYQ0yvWW9311ITaEyXt1rh0i-BYdtztuVSpZY4H8cruM4TNgi79MTnkcsz7HFYJtLp9_j-12vIFg9IgjgabBzEiUbaLquxFD8KxF/s1600/Realtree+Xtra+Camo.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Realtree Xtra Camo <i>Photo credit: RealTree.com</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #222222; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;">Realtree Hardwoods HD: </b><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 15.6000003814697px;">Realtree Hardwoods HD Camo is a versatile season and region camo. This pattern is designed to effectively make the visible edges of the hunter disappear into the woods. You will be outfitted with perfectly colored timber to disguise your hunting spot even in the dead of winter!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9akLtj2Jy3uLYRgszKYWqjxJX6_oRllOfCv-X-xEWMQC9lQF3HHhvVxhEHDgd8t44PiRfOXldmfQRnB7tEldCL7udmecSGgMhKm6I7L6lIU5V2-0GBVVbvi1xPGn10ocyaBfqHvUaHNV/s1600/Realtree+Hardwoods+HD+Camo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9akLtj2Jy3uLYRgszKYWqjxJX6_oRllOfCv-X-xEWMQC9lQF3HHhvVxhEHDgd8t44PiRfOXldmfQRnB7tEldCL7udmecSGgMhKm6I7L6lIU5V2-0GBVVbvi1xPGn10ocyaBfqHvUaHNV/s1600/Realtree+Hardwoods+HD+Camo.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Realtree Hardwoods HD Camo <i>Photo Credit: RealTree.com</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><b>Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity: </b>Using real images from the woods, Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity is a camo with true depth to really break up (hence the name) the outline of the hunter wearing it. This pattern features realism and contrast, and you will certainly match the woods when you wear Mossy Oak's acorns, leaves and tree limbs!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-3JqSxHHx2P5ZnJgVad7JvNOuxfw-v94yfXgFtqdx44OxVJWn6SRBVDmARxtOUTTuOP73Djf0xVwyJGTzaoyX0D1k8sGt0_7aya6F9HEJWM88nUtf_myetGNkRM-jEtlbVqyX1egnr0l/s1600/breakupinfinity-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-3JqSxHHx2P5ZnJgVad7JvNOuxfw-v94yfXgFtqdx44OxVJWn6SRBVDmARxtOUTTuOP73Djf0xVwyJGTzaoyX0D1k8sGt0_7aya6F9HEJWM88nUtf_myetGNkRM-jEtlbVqyX1egnr0l/s1600/breakupinfinity-16.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity Camo <i>Photo Credit: MossyOak.com</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><b>Mossy Oak Bottomland: </b>Mossy Oak Bottomland is the company's first and original camo pattern - they call it 'The Foundation of Concealment.' This subtle pattern, still featuring the original look but with newer technology, it helps a hunter blend into darker environments. Your outfit will have some nice tones of dirt and bark added to it with this pattern!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mossy Oak Bottomland Camo <i>Photo Credit: MossyOak.com</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is a very small glimpse at all of the different camo patterns out there - you won't have any trouble finding one that suits your hunting style - or your fashion flair! Happy hiding!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-43243354606756857092014-08-26T16:34:00.000-07:002014-08-26T16:35:25.510-07:00Ferdinand and Eeyore: New additions to the Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch family!Ferdinand and Eeyore are the newest additions to the Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch livestock family. They are yearling Brahman bulls and currently are weighing in at 1200 lbs. and 1150 lbs., respectively. They are going to be BIG boys! These big boys are full brothers and come to the us from the England Brahman Ranch in Mercedes, TX. <i>(Thank goodness they are used to the hot weather because since they have arrived, we have been in a heatwave!)</i><br />
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Even though Ferdinand and Eeyore are full brothers, each bull has his own distinct personality. Ferdinand was named by my grandsons because one of their favorite books is<i> Ferdinand the Bull</i>. Ferdinand will let you stand and scratch his poll, rub his ears and wiggle the many folds of skin under his chin. He was hauled around the US going to Brahman Shows and is halter broke, so he is very tame and easy to handle. He has the 'England Brahman Bulls' brand on his right hip, and #307 on his left hip. He is so gentle, I wouldn't even hesitate letting our grandchildren pet him!<br />
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FERDINAND</h4>
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Eeyore also has his own unique personality. He is much like the <i>Winnie the Pooh</i> character he is named after; a bit shy with long, drooping ears. When he first arrived at the ranch, he would stand away from me when I fed Ferdinand from my bucket. But, slowly, he has begun to trust me. Today, I can scratch his poll and pet him on the head. He is still a bit shy around new people, however. He is much more comfortable with only 1 person in the corral at a time. He, too, has the England brand on his right hip, with his #306 on his left hip. I think he is going to be a darker gray color than Ferdinand. He has already become darker around his hump and neck, since he has been here.</div>
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EEYORE</h4>
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You might be wondering why these Brahman bulls were purchased. </h3>
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Well, it is simple. They are going to be the 'husbands' to our Hereford cows. The cross between a Brahman bull and a Hereford cow produces what is called an F-1 Tiger Stripe. These Tiger Stripes <i>(we have 6 cows on the ranch- see pictures below)</i> are easy 'calvers', easy keepers, and don't mind the heat. There is a good market for the Tiger Striped calves, especially the heifers.</div>
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The Tiger Striped phenotype is recessive. Therefore, the 'tiger-striped' look will not be produced from F-1 Tiger Stripes. In other words, the Tiger Striped cows you see below will NEVER produce a Tiger Striped calf. That is why we have chosen to cross the Registered Hereford cows <i>(our choice for the cows)</i> x Registered Brahman bull. The cow in the first picture below has the phenotype we are striving to produce in our calves from the Hereford and Brahman bull cross. </div>
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F-1 Tiger Striped cows on the ranch, currently.</h4>
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The latest pictures of Ferdinand and Eeyore enjoying their breakfast. </h4>
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I can't wait to see the first calves that these big boys produce. They will be turned out with a few open Hereford cows very soon. So, the first babies F-1 Tiger Striped babies should arrive sometime in June, 2015. The female calves will be Golden Certified with the American Brahman Breeders Association. I will be anxious to share pictures of these new babies when they arrive!!! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07220030272129984318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-30788869372621734492014-08-22T09:15:00.000-07:002014-08-26T07:23:52.507-07:00Deluxe Hunting Blinds and 10 Point Bucks are ready for Deer Season<div class="MsoNormal">
September is almost here - I’m not certain what that means
to you, but here it means deer season is on the horizon. September 15<sup>th</sup>
opens up Missouri Archery whitetail season which lasts till January 15<sup>th</sup>
with only a 10 day break for rifle season (which runs from November 15-25). With just
under a month to go until the first big deer season of the year, we have been
doing everything we can to make your odds of getting big buck that much better
here on our ranch! We are a fair chase hunting retreat when it comes to deer
and turkey, so there are no guarantees but that’s what makes it fun!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BEo9x_7aJnjQSlXArJACUmdnQACoXBrwmjT1uZ6_4bLOwP7kzW7li66uVpGBLTx77u1yoUl1TzHyE_hrzDk3P7ag0A-dERxwpTyL_5AnMy59DRfHfZnd2BC1vOdgGatX91OHeWImoGVN/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BEo9x_7aJnjQSlXArJACUmdnQACoXBrwmjT1uZ6_4bLOwP7kzW7li66uVpGBLTx77u1yoUl1TzHyE_hrzDk3P7ag0A-dERxwpTyL_5AnMy59DRfHfZnd2BC1vOdgGatX91OHeWImoGVN/s1600/005.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A soybean food plot just outside one of our hunting blinds.</td></tr>
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Here on the ranch we have planted acre after acre of soybean
and clover food plots to grow our deer as big as we can and some of these guys
on our trail cams are showing it! We have over 50 acres of dedicated wildlife food
plots that we manage and plant to up your odds of bringing down your very own
Ozarks trophy with either a bow, rifle, or crossbow. We also set out mineral
blocks to guarantee that those guys are getting all that they need to grow
those big ole racks you’ll be looking for on your hunt here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TPG9CkoxWZ5ItsdAJC3HBlX_C_4SBnKVPzJSSspEA2J00cWXvKFeuHbwBYn06H-eoK8ysZp2y0KiukwdoJ2vsY0zjiHQJjjKvWBO19f5CDMNbeDUVCvzJPYBQj6gPlnU-4MqvWhC9o9G/s1600/%234+062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TPG9CkoxWZ5ItsdAJC3HBlX_C_4SBnKVPzJSSspEA2J00cWXvKFeuHbwBYn06H-eoK8ysZp2y0KiukwdoJ2vsY0zjiHQJjjKvWBO19f5CDMNbeDUVCvzJPYBQj6gPlnU-4MqvWhC9o9G/s1600/%234+062.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a>We have 7 cameras out facing our mineral blocks in the food plots so that we can place you right where the big guys are at this season.
No matter which stand you sit in, every one of the cameras promises the potential for an
awesome harvest. Even with several deer in velvet and still growing, we are getting pictures of 8s and 10s out there. Our stand options include two
deluxe hunting blinds about 10 feet in the air with sliding windows and swivel
barber chairs, or one of several two seater ladder stands. Whichever you hunt
out of is completely up to your preference.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI6p7hzWrf051bLg9VdelQ4iwf8ngUzAhFhAjqMQUTSwNzbv8lCI4ZkcDl876SDWK9OAHDnBHVdk9GYLaBC9vrd_FXJfxfFmllVwRgr8iV3AeYrpYVRvW-axemoU8zQ3X42kvdygR3K7B/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI6p7hzWrf051bLg9VdelQ4iwf8ngUzAhFhAjqMQUTSwNzbv8lCI4ZkcDl876SDWK9OAHDnBHVdk9GYLaBC9vrd_FXJfxfFmllVwRgr8iV3AeYrpYVRvW-axemoU8zQ3X42kvdygR3K7B/s1600/003.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our deluxe hunting blinds</td></tr>
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To book a deer, turkey or even a bison hunt with us, <a href="http://www.millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/" target="_blank">visit our website</a>, <a href="mailto:caleb@millerbisonatelkheadranch.com" target="_blank">shoot us an email</a> or simply give us a call at 1-417-683-6888. We would love to hear from you- or even
better, set you up with a great trophy this season!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-67681368389052917892014-08-11T10:07:00.000-07:002014-08-11T10:07:56.160-07:00Book Review: Portraits of the BisonDuring the National Bison Association Conference earlier this summer, Caleb and I purchased a book that was written by Canada's leading bison expert, Wes Olson, called <i>Portraits of the Bison</i>. As the summer went on, we found ourselves frequently referring to this book, since it contained lots of pictures and information on the animals we care for on a daily basis. It's a great book for bison and nature enthusiasts alike! Check out my review below.<br />
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<b>Portraits of the Bison: An Illustrated Guide to Bison Society, 2nd Edition</b><br />
<b><i>Written by Wes Olson, Photographs by Johane Janelle</i></b><br />
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This beautiful book about the North American Bison features one of the biggest bison photo collections in print. The full color photos by Johane Janelle of these amazing animals, accompanied by Wes Olson's eloquent writing style, really draw you into the world of bison societies. <br />
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Chapter 1 tells the story of the bison saga: from plentiful roaming herds to near extinction to the conservation of bison in today's world.<br />
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Chapter 2 goes into detail about safety and awareness when being around bison – whether you own a herd, or just happen to stumble upon a lone bull while hiking through Yellowstone. Olson offers sound wisdom on being aware of a bison's 'bubble,' and how to look for signs like pawing and head tossing to tell when an agitated animal might charge.<br />
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Chapter 3 discusses the seasonal structure of bison herds and provides the reader with a glimpse of what it's like to be a bison in the spring when bison cows abandon their yearlings to attend to new calves, or during the summer, when breeding season can draw hundreds of bison together. <br />
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Chapter 4 features photos and drawings of male and female bison at different stages in their lives so that the reader can learn to identify the age and gender of bison at a glance. <br />
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Bison lovers and naturalists of all kinds are sure to enjoy this informative book! It is written in such a way that people who may not be very familiar with bison can understand the material, through drawings, diagrams, descriptive language, and of course, plenty of photographs, while still being entertaining and enjoyable for the more seasoned bison folks out there.<br />
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The part of the book that engaged me the most were the drawings by Wes Olson. The details of them, along with the descriptive captions and diagrams indicating each part of the animal, were fascinating to someone who can't draw! Wes has a way of bringing the animals on the pages to life with each stroke of the pen. <br />
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Being fairly new to the bison industry, I found <i>Portraits of the Bison</i> to be a wealth of information, especially when it came to telling the gender of our summer calf crop. The book taught me to look for a smooth underbelly on heifer calves, and to look closely for little round buttons that indicate a calf is a bull. With the drawings from the book as a guide, I'm now fairly confident in my observation skills!<br />
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Portraits of the Bison <a href="https://www.bisoncentral.com/products/portraits-bison-illustrated-guide-bison-society" target="_blank">can be purchased</a> through the National Bison Association for $39.95.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFcu7K4EAEvMCzi5OnlmSiACmMbHjgcThinf5_5uwVE-RiTmPEzmP1FAf41wFlutgYQgIaQsSNjylRr7bNMefPkSaFhkEuHn_RSYInqo46FtKnWBypCgCqMSUad0EeO5ifk4V5v7XJI8l/s1600/book+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFcu7K4EAEvMCzi5OnlmSiACmMbHjgcThinf5_5uwVE-RiTmPEzmP1FAf41wFlutgYQgIaQsSNjylRr7bNMefPkSaFhkEuHn_RSYInqo46FtKnWBypCgCqMSUad0EeO5ifk4V5v7XJI8l/s1600/book+pic.jpg" height="592" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-40302047471556205192014-07-23T07:51:00.000-07:002014-07-29T11:02:53.171-07:003 Reasons you should be eating Responsibly Ranch Raised Bison MeatIf you read our blog, you know that we raise bison here at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch. You probably also know that we are affiliated with the National Bison Association (NBA), that we sell bison meat products at the Farmers Market of the Ozarks in Springfield, MO and that we offer tours, cabin rentals and hunting opportunities all at our Southern Missouri bison ranch. But what you may be wondering is: <b><i>why eat bison?</i></b> Allow me to shed some light on the subject:<br />
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<h3>
<b>Bison tastes good.</b></h3>
Really, <i>really,</i> good. Before coming to work at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch, I had little to no experience with eating bison meat. In fact, I just assumed it was an elitist Montana tourist food. But then I ate some. And I haven't eaten beef since.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJwg2vKcZsbDO2GW8RYT5Bgsq4LU0wVGxUQYdymZT3KcxCaJkSaF2Gn9w1wnWeNlnkHB9gYckBRUQUuVEu33RjmbJQKYMNaELR7slPsCBanu9ZbxDIJSFnWUlwEs1o5q5av6WHpiPFSY/s1600/sirloin-steak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bison Top Sirloin Steak" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJwg2vKcZsbDO2GW8RYT5Bgsq4LU0wVGxUQYdymZT3KcxCaJkSaF2Gn9w1wnWeNlnkHB9gYckBRUQUuVEu33RjmbJQKYMNaELR7slPsCBanu9ZbxDIJSFnWUlwEs1o5q5av6WHpiPFSY/s1600/sirloin-steak.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Bison Top Sirloin Steak, available from our sister website: <a href="http://nebraskabison.com/" target="_blank">NebraskaBison.com</a></td></tr>
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Thanks to ranches like ours across the United States, bison meat is becoming more readily available and affordable for the common man. Yes, beef is still cheaper. But it's nowhere near as tasty or as healthy for you! Bison meat possesses a rich, sweet flavor all its own – it isn't gamey tasting like some people think. Chances are, if you've had gamey tasting bison, it wasn't raised well or it was cooked wrong. Well-raised and properly cooked bison meat isn't just a meal – it's an experience! An experience that has half the fat of beef, less fat than skinless chicken and more protein. In fact, bison meat is so healthy for you, it's on the Mayo Clinic diet. How can you go wrong?<br />
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<h3>
<b>It preserves the species</b></h3>
Demand for bison meat is what keeps the American Bison going as a species. It gives these majestic creatures value (monetary as well as intrinsic) and encourages farmers, ranchers and livestock enthusiasts everywhere to give the big guys a home. It ensures that bison mamas will keep giving birth to new calves every year so that herd numbers continue to swell. People like you who make the choice to eat a healthier, more natural meat are what continues to proliferate the bison – and we thank you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDF1TTOZDR5F4j8Rfr3WY6rLQZQho_2LVSbd20USGgfeJPvdfB8W0e56241snCjvCIq0rXDvffJ7IcBDbjX5YoGhhF3Rmu-w2c1XFx2_Sv0F3VP-GF2V8VBPxovawkJ8sZdDynWHCD7iE/s1600/_MG_9698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bison Grazing on Southern Missouri Bison Ranch" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDF1TTOZDR5F4j8Rfr3WY6rLQZQho_2LVSbd20USGgfeJPvdfB8W0e56241snCjvCIq0rXDvffJ7IcBDbjX5YoGhhF3Rmu-w2c1XFx2_Sv0F3VP-GF2V8VBPxovawkJ8sZdDynWHCD7iE/s1600/_MG_9698.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bison eat native grasses and are responsibly ranch raised with no hormones, antibiotics or steroids.</td></tr>
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<br />
<h3>
<b>Bison meat is Responsibly Ranch Raised</b></h3>
Here at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch, we give our bison and our customers a promise: a promise to produce Responsibly Ranch Raised bison meat. Our bison are raised in their natural environment: on grass. We make sure to provide a respectful, low stress lifestyle for our animals that mimics the way they would live in the wild. To accomplish this we use management practices that include management intensive rotational grazing, planting native grasses for the bison to forage on, and providing lots of room in our pastures for the herds to spread out and graze, wallow and interact with one another. Another very important aspect of our Responsibly Ranch Raised promise is that our bison do not, and will not, receive antibiotics, steroids or hormones in any way, shape or form. Period. Good for the bison, good for the land, and good for you! We promise.<br />
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<br />
These are some of the reasons why we eat bison meat – and we'd love to hear about yours! Find us on <a href="http://facebook.com/MillerBisonAtElkhead" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/mbelkhead" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/mbelkhead" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and tell us why YOU choose to eat bison. <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-13783494841432846592014-06-26T07:07:00.000-07:002014-06-26T07:13:30.599-07:00Welcome to the Market: Selling Bison Meat at Farmers Market of the OzarksCaleb and I have always loved farmers markets. We love to shop local, and to meet like minded farmer folk - plus we always end up finding some really cool vegetable, tasty baked good or awesome smelling homemade soap. So when it came time to start selling bison meat from our ranch at <a href="http://www.loveyourfarmer.com/">Farmers Market of the Ozarks</a> in Springfield, Missouri, we were SUPER excited. We would finally get to see what it was like to be on the other side of the vendor booth...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdAd-wR7-sCw7yCrUA-G30DJHK3KGPgDfiXcOjdJ-aJvG7YGrfPFv6XE3x7GjjkdePmqBMbEfLRe3lRLmYAKCXwFXRK6-9kg2oJNRfMwQXkJLT9I0MMkH1CPH1NtGQnSvhKUmV_EsSxyd/s1600/Jane+and+Caleb+at+market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdAd-wR7-sCw7yCrUA-G30DJHK3KGPgDfiXcOjdJ-aJvG7YGrfPFv6XE3x7GjjkdePmqBMbEfLRe3lRLmYAKCXwFXRK6-9kg2oJNRfMwQXkJLT9I0MMkH1CPH1NtGQnSvhKUmV_EsSxyd/s1600/Jane+and+Caleb+at+market.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane and Caleb ready to sell some bison meat!</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>Our first big market day was a Saturday – the first day of summer, to be exact. And it was certainly hot enough! Our booth was set up outside, but the market provided tents and tables to their vendors, so we had shade and plenty of room to display our products. Our first several markets, we will be selling ground bison, bison burger patties, our 100% bison franks (my favorite!) and our cut and formed bison jerky. By 8:00 am, our banner was hung, our jerky samples were cut and assembled on toothpicks, and one very large bison skull was displayed on the table. We were the new vendor at the market and we received several very warm welcomes from the other market members. It quickly became clear that Farmers Market of the Ozarks was one big family and we were already a part of it.<br />
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The bison jerky was one of our biggest sellers that day – I would offer passerby a sample on a toothpick, and they couldn't seem to resist! Jane and Caleb sold package after package of the stuff, along with plenty of ground bison, bison patties and bison hot dogs. We gave out more than 750 bite sized jerky samples, and ran out of ranch brochures. All of our customers were so excited to try our responsibly ranch raised bison meat products – many of them had already heard about the health benefits of bison, and those who hadn't, we provided with a pamphlet that listed nutritional facts.<br />
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Not only were our new clientele interested in our products, they were also interested in our <a href="http://www.millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/">bison ranch</a> – we had lots of questions about the bison, the cabin, the tours, and the land. <br />
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All in all, it was a pretty great first day at the market. Our new vendor friends were anxious to find out how we had done, and they promised that it would continue to get better. We even traded some jerky for some muffins, kettle corn and salsa! How fun is that? It was great to feel so at home among the locals, and we can't wait to see everyone again at the next farmers market! Stay local, friends.<br />
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<b>Visit Farmers Market of the Ozarks this summer! Thursdays 4:00pm - 8:00pm, Saturdays 8:00am - 1:00pm</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-44643398580142885472014-06-16T06:36:00.000-07:002014-06-16T08:16:52.235-07:00Bison Ranch Life: Eating Local FoodsLocal food is a blessing to have and here on the ranch we have it in abundance - but I'm not just talking about the several hundred bison that roam our hills, woods and pastures. Local food cuts down the miles your food travels, increases your awareness of the local climate, flora and fauna and can help you to stick to a healthier diet. Which really isn't a challenge to stick to when you can put on a meal of Catfish Parmesan with asparagus and morels as a side dish. Or perhaps you're more of a red meat lover and want to go with a deer roast served with young potatoes, onions, and carrots. Perhaps for breakfast you're a steak and eggs kind of person; well Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch has that to. Personally I love to cook and these are the sort of meals I make with the food from the ranch and with the fully equipped kitchen at the guest cabin you too can make these meals (in the right season of course). Join us at our cabin and see all that we have to offer in whatever season you chose to join us. Here I'll just give you a brief overview of the local foods we have when you come to stay with us (just to get your appetite going).<br />
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<h3>
<b>The Pond:</b></h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-JRdP-X6Hbsdn59lAZNr1DS9PwTgOBwlUqpi_ALlAT1xbqp3G9GWkBuxVeraNNe2ILH8EoHufFQpdGtOITfOaQqJst-It9kapThSSSFewshzdpLowauSWYQpSI_EHhy5pgw-p3QTJOXV/s1600/securedownload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-JRdP-X6Hbsdn59lAZNr1DS9PwTgOBwlUqpi_ALlAT1xbqp3G9GWkBuxVeraNNe2ILH8EoHufFQpdGtOITfOaQqJst-It9kapThSSSFewshzdpLowauSWYQpSI_EHhy5pgw-p3QTJOXV/s1600/securedownload.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catfish from Elkhead Lake right here on the ranch.</td></tr>
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Our pond, which to me seems more like a small lake, runs just over 30 feet deep and covers 10 acres. The waters are teeming with 17-19 inch catfish (at the current time), some really nice sized bass, and of course plenty of bluegill. If the amazing fishing that the pond offered wasn't enough the pond sits on top of the ranch and has in my opinion the second best view of the sunset and sunrise (the best being the guest cabin's front porch). On three sides the pond is bordered by bison pastures so at the moment when I go fishing I can look over from the dock and see our newborn bison calves playing around with their mothers on the other side of their fence.<br />
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<h3>
<b>The Wildlife:</b></h3>
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Everywhere you look there seems to be something, I am
constantly spooking up quail, rabbits, and squirrels, being stared at by gorgeous
deer, or simply being put in awe at the numerous flocks of turkey I see on a
daily basis. These are some of the more common game animals that I see on the
ranch but it not uncommon to also find many species of ducks and geese, and even
this morning I found a nice sized snapping turtle in the creek. Now folks, I
know you may have read that and thought "eww who wants to eat snapping turtle," but trust me, don’t knock it till you try it, those armored tanks can make an
amazing meal. While not quite your red-blooded kind of wild life the ranch also
sits on some amazing morel ground that is ripe for the picking in the spring
and could easily be found on a hike through the forested hillsides and bottoms.
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<h3>
<b>Chickens: </b></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7K1JO3rfmY82-ljMQT7JPFdhSqL1rGkbzukP6_kYuhuEWjMnebI6GKI_sUw0k7h29mZ50Zob1KuDOAM3_GLy-Q3Rky-og3RKLqNrF-c5H4_ZmsQWSvp5IJElsWpZHWRoRPjTAU-141BZg/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7K1JO3rfmY82-ljMQT7JPFdhSqL1rGkbzukP6_kYuhuEWjMnebI6GKI_sUw0k7h29mZ50Zob1KuDOAM3_GLy-Q3Rky-og3RKLqNrF-c5H4_ZmsQWSvp5IJElsWpZHWRoRPjTAU-141BZg/s1600/001.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chicken Coop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMY8RQp0HRhkroAYD1D0mkoeiKxqmJhsqlEEjBabMrZob-TEIcTiTBsxfbRkvzZTNBnLcgilKXNx_8hwHU96MLVLcHwik1D9gv_bfCqEDwsbeT2Lz0dNeR6Pza-xzVQTXJqsIbZy_AMOk/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMY8RQp0HRhkroAYD1D0mkoeiKxqmJhsqlEEjBabMrZob-TEIcTiTBsxfbRkvzZTNBnLcgilKXNx_8hwHU96MLVLcHwik1D9gv_bfCqEDwsbeT2Lz0dNeR6Pza-xzVQTXJqsIbZy_AMOk/s1600/002.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the hens with a new baby chick!</td></tr>
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We currently have 11 laying hens here, I say currently not
because we are going to expand our flock but because one hen just hatched 5
little chicks to add to the flock. We don’t have a rooster because contrary to
popular belief they do not crow only first thing in the morning but instead all
day and I even once had one that loved crowing right at 1 am every morning.<br />
<br />
The
fertilized eggs she hatched, if you were wondering, came from Klaires’ parents
flock - she went broody and I swapped the eggs out. Our hens are definitely not
battery hens, I can promise that, they have a very spacious hen house built by a
small local company in Seymour, Missouri and a fenced in yard that is around 250
feet long and about 75 feet wide, as you can see above. These are about as close as you can get to
free range chickens without them having to get out of the way of the tractor.
We get several eggs a day, more so then we can seem to eat, but they are an amazing
variety with white, brown and green eggs. For those curious we have primarily Rhode
Island reds, Americana’s, and Barred Rocks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Garden:</b></h3>
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This year I have started a rather large garden here at the
ranch, probably too large for my first year, but it stretches 175 foot long and
25 foot wide. We are growing radishes, onions, carrots, beets, tomatoes, Australian
squash, zucchini, several types of peppers, green beans, shell beans, potatoes
and I am trying wheat. All of our plants in the garden are heirloom varieties,
and I try to grow them as naturally as I can which means a lot of manual weed
pulling, hand picking pest insects, mulching, and companion planting. Next to
the garden we also grow three beds of sweet corn.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<h3>
The Bison:</h3>
<div>
Well last but not least, and the very reason I am here, BISON. Our primary goal here is to raise the highest possible quality of bison. The herd fluctuates, especially right now with calves being born, but our numbers run about 300 head of yearling calves, around 20 cows and so long as no one jumps a fence, 5 bulls. To ensure that we do what's best for the bison, the land, and in the end, your health, we follow a set of grazing principles known as Management Intensive Grazing. I'll do another blog article soon on exactly what that entails, what it means to us, and ultimately the health of the land and the quality of our meat. The short and sweet of it right now is that this allows us to keep our bison happy and on green grass for as much of the year as the grass stays green while building the quality of our soil. And when your bison are happy, you get an amazing result... some of the best meat in the world–<a href="http://www.nebraskabison.com/">available online</a> and on select days at the Farmers Market of the Ozarks in Springfield, MO! </div>
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Honestly sitting here typing all of this is making me rather
hungry, and I’m really looking forward to my dinner of a Bison burger on homemade
sourdough buns with pan fried zucchini and young onions. Come join us and see
where your food does or can come from. Remember folks, eat local when you can
but above all eat responsibly and healthily.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-69329243415844518702014-06-11T08:52:00.000-07:002014-06-11T08:52:57.686-07:00Bison Ranch Life: WeldingI figured taking a Construction Tech class and then a more specific welding class in college would become a valuable asset, and boy was I right! I'm fairly close to just calling myself a welder now instead of a ranch manager.<br />
<br />
We have had several projects that have needed welded on the ranch and by my estimations I've welded at least 200' of weld beads, and that's a conservative estimation. I really enjoy it though, its nice to sit out, lay out or in some cases hang out there (more on that in a minute) and just be alone with your thoughts while focusing on creating and improving things we use on a regular basis. Here are some of the things that I have been welding on as of late:<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Feed Bin:</b></h3>
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Our big feed bin was moved to a more permanent location on a concrete slab which made it have less clearance since before there had been a trench under it we were able to drove though. So I welded on some I beams below the two legs to raise it up allowing us to still be able to drive under it. I wasn't certain I would ever be finished with this project! It holds 96 feet of solid weld beads in it alone. But boy does it look good.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Cat Walks:</b></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyZKnKOC5MuJK97FLMzrFI4ITy80qg2_S4O0oLUHXOu9kNJLzw8pmmt7S1Ij0Q-B7gDL1tQUQefUzqsBDjbm5877kV_1C4bzqyDn4A_euqKCjIxl9JYHaAl-VzNOMZsNJKeKZBfmPO5s/s1600/DSCF2033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyZKnKOC5MuJK97FLMzrFI4ITy80qg2_S4O0oLUHXOu9kNJLzw8pmmt7S1Ij0Q-B7gDL1tQUQefUzqsBDjbm5877kV_1C4bzqyDn4A_euqKCjIxl9JYHaAl-VzNOMZsNJKeKZBfmPO5s/s1600/DSCF2033.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on the Corral System</td></tr>
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The corral we have set up here at the ranch is based on a lot of Temple Grandins design principles and therefore has catwalks all around it. But there were a few spots they weren't built in yet so I got to build some catwalks to go around some of the perimeter of the set up. This allows us to have solid sides yet still work the live stock in as stress free a manner as possible. I also put in an overhead catwalk to connect over the load out chute (I'm pretty proud of that one). Along with the catwalk I also welded on some corner braces and a few cross braces over the alley way which was interesting to reach and is what I meant by hanging out there since often times to reach it I just monkeyed out over the edge of the corral to weld them on.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Miscellaneous:</b></h3>
<br />
Something always breaks that needs re-welded such as the bale fork and the quicktach bucket arm rests on the tractor. Some things need re-adjusted such as moving where the doors in the corral attach or welding on injection holders to our table out at the corral. Hmm now that I look at this a lot of the welding I have done has been out there on that corral. It is one really nice corral though and it gets better every chance we get to work on it, even though it is already one of the best working chutes I have ever seen. I also welded up our sign out front to be quite a bit sturdier. So now when you drive down county road 557 near Bruner, Missouri, you can't miss us!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-15509419169164685892014-06-10T10:34:00.000-07:002014-06-10T10:34:33.333-07:00National Bison Association Summer Conference and Ranch Tour 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWrFaZNwJTp8_vAtKfvU6M7pnwRS-i8C0keMl7g5OovPEz0rBsNZk8G_8XL15lAO0Ud9BvR8qU_FS4PZE6OL1oOKjUehGstss8Eeo-bzrFTeS5tz7KDeKXVRaONdHLEDh4W327JKWcEVO/s1600/NBA+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWrFaZNwJTp8_vAtKfvU6M7pnwRS-i8C0keMl7g5OovPEz0rBsNZk8G_8XL15lAO0Ud9BvR8qU_FS4PZE6OL1oOKjUehGstss8Eeo-bzrFTeS5tz7KDeKXVRaONdHLEDh4W327JKWcEVO/s1600/NBA+logo.jpg" height="200" width="163" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The National Bison Association is known for promoting
and preserving the American Bison and serving as a resource for bison
producers and enthusiasts. Up until this
week, that was pretty much all I knew about the NBA. Then the long awaited conference ranch tour
rolled around – hosted by none other than Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch. Since Caleb and I came on board in February
of this year, just about everything we’ve worked on and projects that have been
completed has been in preparation for this conference tour. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By about 10am on Wednesday June 4<sup>th</sup>
(the day of the tour and the start of the conference), everything was in
place. Fencerows were weed-eated, barns,
porches and corrals were painted, bison were front and center, tables and
chairs were set up, portapotties were installed and bison burgers and hot dogs were on the
grill. We were set. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpDnLpYqhuzT9FrfeHL4m9b26whrs7WFoXQ7eqKUibC_9VMnzcfkTikxKQcos0jn2-zZGZc9yb5OJE8ZGmLHp4SAwzd8icbGwUxjRizzC6muaUNnreTUyNMveviznAlvmVG5ZgwIJX8s/s640/blogger-image--1919690231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpDnLpYqhuzT9FrfeHL4m9b26whrs7WFoXQ7eqKUibC_9VMnzcfkTikxKQcos0jn2-zZGZc9yb5OJE8ZGmLHp4SAwzd8icbGwUxjRizzC6muaUNnreTUyNMveviznAlvmVG5ZgwIJX8s/s640/blogger-image--1919690231.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Bison Shaped Burger Patties on the grill for lunch at the ranch.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The whole Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch crew was sporting
matching polos with our logo, and man, we looked sharp. All we lacked now were the buses full of NBA
members. They showed up right when
expected, and that was when my real
lesson on the NBA began. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejUwe_5hEmpeat7z8alU2uOvtJdA1TqC0Lmtv6UN7fqBaB04EJztTLx-ePClAXXOtgnaoWOhSgpx70nz5CnL48u5DBWVyRMhCSPjVlvdTP47wUm5_zZviXzhj7CceRkwXCFeRPdChF-8/s640/blogger-image--1810622158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejUwe_5hEmpeat7z8alU2uOvtJdA1TqC0Lmtv6UN7fqBaB04EJztTLx-ePClAXXOtgnaoWOhSgpx70nz5CnL48u5DBWVyRMhCSPjVlvdTP47wUm5_zZviXzhj7CceRkwXCFeRPdChF-8/s640/blogger-image--1810622158.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The lunch buffet line went off without a hitch thanks to our catering partners at Club 60!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi9lWzpZegastwunIV9gD-llTjau_E2OQHedyS0nqG4-xR0hQBTIcr9u1pICdCFnVNQXui4bGqd51Rjq8HEO-WRYgp4TsUOl9BhivRpEv3z6vVO4X-cO6p3Vg4nPDCRxAzrqLXG4enmQ/s640/blogger-image-2041397856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi9lWzpZegastwunIV9gD-llTjau_E2OQHedyS0nqG4-xR0hQBTIcr9u1pICdCFnVNQXui4bGqd51Rjq8HEO-WRYgp4TsUOl9BhivRpEv3z6vVO4X-cO6p3Vg4nPDCRxAzrqLXG4enmQ/s640/blogger-image-2041397856.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Loading the busses for the ranch tour.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu3zltNqi9OhpXHRI_utKCkj4ljke3_raMRtjTxFZbMaRPfhd8q23xHOD1jlMfsCOi5648z7jLUyKMb9YmeICsSRkXh5l5Y7BYH9nP3iNPo-lN1EIXL7SVoZd_v_FvtnrqOBkWyzV1L0/s640/blogger-image--475958366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu3zltNqi9OhpXHRI_utKCkj4ljke3_raMRtjTxFZbMaRPfhd8q23xHOD1jlMfsCOi5648z7jLUyKMb9YmeICsSRkXh5l5Y7BYH9nP3iNPo-lN1EIXL7SVoZd_v_FvtnrqOBkWyzV1L0/s640/blogger-image--475958366.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Randy talking about our corral system during the ranch tour.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">People
involved in the bison industry are fantastic. I love these people. They are
friendly, knowledgeable and curious and have the most giving spirits of any
folks I’ve ever seen. Caleb and I moved
through the crowd of 200 plus, greeting, visiting and passing out business cards,
and people talked to us like we were old friends. Being the ranch managers was something akin
to being a celebrity – everyone wanted to compliment us on the ranch and the
stock and the amount of work that had been put into the event. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lunch was fantastic – and of course featured
bison meat – and the tour went off without a hitch. It was a long day, but I was sad to see
everyone go. After cleaning up, the
question was “what the heck do we do now?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
next day, Thursday, June 5<sup>th</sup>, was a day of conferencing at the
Chateau on the Lake in Branson. It was
pretty fancy – all the NBA members had breakfast together and there was a
waiter standing by just to pour orange juice! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZYaMZ6yome2xXMR9KXGJEF6CHbF-z8EAWwCyqEQarosv3TzxWlC-qagHGkVQl3TmbWWR9HqP3YLvFjBc5zqR9Poudp_3lJYReGR7MsyFJO4WCNYmvqEb8EdalOdQnn5rXrO-RyGaXc7s/s1600/presentation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZYaMZ6yome2xXMR9KXGJEF6CHbF-z8EAWwCyqEQarosv3TzxWlC-qagHGkVQl3TmbWWR9HqP3YLvFjBc5zqR9Poudp_3lJYReGR7MsyFJO4WCNYmvqEb8EdalOdQnn5rXrO-RyGaXc7s/s1600/presentation.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the panels during the conference.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Then the presentations began. First was a panel on farm-direct marketing with some of the association
members. Next we all had a break to
visit the vendors that carried awesome homemade products like bison jewelry,
home décor, and socks made from bison hair. Then there was a presentation by Dr. Joseph Craine discussing how the
changing climate will affect bison. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lunch was the next item on the agenda – bison short ribs donated by the
president of the NBA. I don’t like short
ribs. But </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">these</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> short ribs…they were magical. I’ve never had anything so good. The short ribs were rivaled only by the pecan pie the Chateau served for
dessert. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The next presentation was made
by Wes Olson, one of the premier bison experts in North America. He tackled the question of whether Plains
Bison and Woods Bison are subspecies or ecotypes. His well laid out research findings said that
Woods and Plains are indeed, subspecies. I found this particular presentation very interesting, since we have
both Plains and Woods Cross at on our ranch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The final
class of the day was presented by Amy and Michael Billings of The Buffalo Lodge
in Kingsville, MO. Their talk was of
special interest for Caleb and I, because they were recounting their adventures
in agritourism, something that we are starting to vamp up at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch. </span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0ZeA_V7q3SCLB-CSPGlQdTO5J-Pr4vJApARP8skvbtDVIJvrPMXB5rP0XIBuIfovFRvnBffJeA1obYOECgiKn-SG4zisg7Q_q7K-FWeFbj24Za4KGRpdiMcheLvlHDad_HMWXU_LDGPd/s1600/mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0ZeA_V7q3SCLB-CSPGlQdTO5J-Pr4vJApARP8skvbtDVIJvrPMXB5rP0XIBuIfovFRvnBffJeA1obYOECgiKn-SG4zisg7Q_q7K-FWeFbj24Za4KGRpdiMcheLvlHDad_HMWXU_LDGPd/s1600/mural.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A painting in the conference room at Chateau on the Lake.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As
the day wore on, it became apparent that several of the people Caleb and I had
spoken with the previous day at the tour were big names in the bison industry –
and we hadn’t had a clue. And that is
something that makes these people near and dear to my heart – they are
humble. We’re all connected by a pretty
fantastic animal, and nobody plays the winning or losing game in this
business. It’s all about support,
sharing resources, and making friends. That is how we preserve the American Bison, and make memorable, lasting
connections. I was moved to tears when a
sweet lady named Marilyn, an association member and a vendor, found out that I
was getting married in July and proceeded to give me a set of bison themed
ornaments for my first Christmas tree as a gift. They are currently hanging in my kitchen
until the holidays roll around, and I think of Marilyn every time I see them. <o:p></o:p></span>A painting in the conference room at Chateau on the Lake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
dinner that evening (bison top sirloin!), Wes Olson invited us to sit with him
and his wife (an outstanding bison photographer) along with some Canadian folks, and a
couple from Missouri as well. We all
shared stories and swapped bison observations and when Wes found out about
Caleb and I’s upcoming wedding, he proposed a very nice toast. When it was time to leave, everyone promised
to keep in touch, and several invitations for Caleb and I to come visit and
stay with our new friends were extended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">All said and done, it was a pretty
great event, and I’m rather sad that it’s over. But it’s nice to know that so many wonderful people are backing what we
do here at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch – and I can’t wait for the next NBA Conference to roll
around!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-35222910840704584182014-04-16T08:43:00.000-07:002014-04-16T08:43:17.065-07:00Meet Caleb and Klaire, our new Ranch Managers<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Howdy folks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Caleb and Klaire here - your new Ranch Managers at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are very excited to make our home where the buffalo roam, and we are even more excited to share it with you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will hear a lot about the ranch and the bison in the weeks ahead - but first, a bit about us:</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Caleb</b></span></h3>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQCjfg6UcYqcAlzFLXOt5MytmuP1BYn9Ml1DlOHj0wF5cDrCj0HQUOpLlKbBuFuRXXQEScoWTC-EKQkr-W_HLxTbQzLSsnhYSZl9qryXbwdkvAGsqyb9h8nVXjdHakLheFzXJjT6ANZSi/s1600/photo(1).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had always known that my career would involve agriculture in some way, but I can honestly say that I didn’t see "Bison Ranch Manager" as a viable option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But here I am now, and I can promise that I am here to stay for quite some time. This is a dream career for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether that be managing the grazing patterns of our bison to optimizing the growth from the pastures or even just welding up gates for the chicken yard, it seems that everything I have learned and developed a passion for has led me here to give this place my all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my spare time I enjoy blacksmithing, leather craft, carpentry, gardening and cooking.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Klaire</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well folks, my name is Klaire with </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">a K.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I grew up hearing cowboy stories </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">from my father and have long aspired to have a ranching career - I just never </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">expected it to involve bison!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My roles </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch include publicizing and promoting the ranch by way of </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">blogging, writing and networking, working on the ranch's upcoming business </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">selling bison meat at the Farmers Market of the Ozarks, assisting Caleb with </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ranch duties like fencing, welding, daily feeding chores, record keeping, etc, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">and keeping a neat and tidy ranch house.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Phoc1xLUTza7B9aPAfwE2pnC8xVQPd8jygGp_UmDAgKDm3TrF6_60VhpnJA23CxytnLdFgHgsQI9I1OPBXVFqJHKyg2aybzRQYvQX7QvF4mKXy7Zbxhzluu5PFXUntlvfG6ffWjK5OET/s1600/998720_10201137856184057_138499074_n.jpg" height="424" width="640" /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of my interests include creative writing and poetry, horses, cooking, yoga and reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had some of my writing published in newspapers and magazines around the country, and I have traveled from as far south as Livingston, Texas and as far north as Broadus, Montana to train horses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am also a CHA Certified Riding Instructor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have spent much of my life on the back of my horse, and so far it's my favorite place to be!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to take road trips, and I'm fond of learning hands on skills that I think all women should know – like welding, chopping wood and hunting.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Caleb and I met our first year at </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">college.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We both discovered that we had </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">a common passion for all things outdoors and a sustainable lifestyle and well, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">here we are!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We will be getting married </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">this summer and couldn't be happier.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-30183841170264151722014-04-03T09:27:00.001-07:002014-04-04T11:20:53.097-07:00New Ranch Managers at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch<h3>
Randy and Jane are excited to announce new additions to the ranch family: Caleb and Klaire! </h3>
Caleb and Klaire are currently students at College of the Ozarks and will be moving to the ranch full time starting this summer to serve as the new ranch managers of Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRtFKrUjkus4adVw81OePrLw9UzZ6Z9TE7TGm7VpjXj4Z529CpIQr6p50qWFnGKdm0HiXJe2Rb45W_aKlzmnscEtOibn7PG5_0BffLNclsRYtZj1ABUoeDkvmuxLhF5AZTJxreI7MRWM/s640/blogger-image--2069105919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRtFKrUjkus4adVw81OePrLw9UzZ6Z9TE7TGm7VpjXj4Z529CpIQr6p50qWFnGKdm0HiXJe2Rb45W_aKlzmnscEtOibn7PG5_0BffLNclsRYtZj1ABUoeDkvmuxLhF5AZTJxreI7MRWM/s640/blogger-image--2069105919.jpg"></a></div><br>
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Caleb and Klaire have been working hard on the ranch, beginning to learn the ropes of a working bison ranch and preparing the ranch for an influx of visitors when we host a ranch tour during the National Bison Association's annual summer conference this June.<br>
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As they get settled into their new home, Caleb and Klaire will be bringing several new changes to the ranch later this summer, including opening up the ranch for tours and making our bison meat available at the Farmers Market of the Ozarks in Springfield.<br>
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Stay tuned for more updates on the exciting things we have going on at the ranch. This summer is going to be a busy one for us all. We are so excited to share and introduce our ranch operation to more people.<br>
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In the coming days, you will begin seeing blog posts from Caleb and Klaire, as well as posts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MillerBisonAtElkhead">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/MBElkhead">Twitter</a>, YouTube and Instagram. Help us welcome them to the ranch family. We're excited about all the new places we will go with them as part of our team!<br>
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Welcome, Caleb and Klaire!<br>
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<br></div>Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420785502889410680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-1469909898002875392014-02-10T08:57:00.000-08:002014-02-10T08:58:02.149-08:00National Bison Association Winter Conference in Review!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The National Bison Conference is held yearly in Denver, CO in conjunction with the Western Stock Show. This year was our 11th year in a row attending the conference. With 400 in attendance, this seemed to be the largest participation of bison enthusiasts. We filled the classrooms during the day and the banquet hall for social/dinner in the evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"Producers and marketers at our annual conference {last week} celebrated that, as more consumers discover the great taste and nutritional attributes of bison meat, our business is experiencing unprecedented strength and stability," said National Bison Association (NBA) Executive Director Dave Carter as the conference came to a close. Therefore, many of the events focused on information to build bison herds to meet this growing demand. For example, there was a mentoring session that paired new/potential producers, with experienced ranchers. Also at the conference, members were encouraged to adopt FFA or 4-H chapters in their area through the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Student Group Membership program. The NBA provides ample resources to support such an endeavor for our future bison ranchers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of providing for the future...Ted Turner has been the catalyst for much of the growth we see in the bison industry. He has funded the Bison Genome Project, which helps ranchers identify their herds as 'pure bison.' </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most recently, Turner has funded research and the development of a vaccine for mycroplasma bovis. The M. bovis will be made available for minimal cost to bison producers. He is a true champion to the bison industry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The highlight of the conference, in my opinion, was the presentation and book signing by Todd Wilkinson, author of <u> Last Stand: Ted Turner's Quest to Save a Troubled Planet</u>. Wilkinson's presentation was a tribute to Ted Turner, not at all a sales pitch for his new book. Wilkinson discussed Turner's longtime dedication to the environment, and to human-kind. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I am about halfway through the book, and I can tell you, Ted Turner is not only a champion for our bison industry, but for the entire world and those who inhabit it; both 2-footed and 4-footed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During my first NBA conference some 11 year ago, I was struck at how generous these 'bison people' were to share their knowledge with each other. They wanted others in this industry to learn from their successes, as well as, their mistakes. The winter conference provides this opportunity to catch up with old friends, and to generate new friendships. We are a close-knit group, who share a passion for this amazing animal! As one sits at the banquet the night before the Gold Trophy Show and Sale, one can feel the energy in the room. The energy stems from a passion that unites all 400 of us; the passion we all have in common: the American Bison!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I look forward to the NBA summer conference (June 4-7, 2014) which will be held in Branson, MO, this year. Our ranch, Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch, will be the host ranch this year. We will host a tour of the ranch and lunch (albeit, the details are not yet finalized for date and time). Randy and I look forward to welcoming our 'bison family' to Elkhead Ranch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jane</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07220030272129984318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-8159737834637072422013-12-23T09:20:00.001-08:002013-12-26T13:45:39.964-08:00The benefits of eating bison meatBison meat is becoming more and more popular on menus and dinner tables across the country, and for good reason. Bison meat is a lean and healthy red meat that is raised naturally and still tastes great. As a matter of fact there are lots of great reasons to eat bison meat and if you'd like, you can read about my <a href="http://news.nebraskabison.com/3-reasons-why-i-eat-bison-meat-on-a-regular-basis/">top three reasons for eating bison meat.</a><br />
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Bison meat is still fairly new to the market, and so it's common that we get lots of questions about bison meat and the benefits of eating it. So, if you have questions about bison meat and why you should think about eating it, here's a quick crash course. Of course, we are always happy to answer any questions you may have. Get in touch with us or post your question in the comments!<br />
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<b>Our bison are Responsibly Ranch Raised.</b><br />
There are a lot of buzz words floating around the marketplace these days and not a lot of clarification or regulation about what those words actually mean. So, we created our own to explain to our customers exactly how it is that we raise our bison and that is: Responsibly Ranch Raised.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bison bull on the Missouri Ranch.</td></tr>
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1. In our operation, we take great care in raising our bison herd in a low stress lifestyle, keeping in mind the quality of life for our animals, the impact our ranch and process has on the environment and the impact our actions have on the quality of our finished bison meat product.<br />
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2. We NEVER use antibiotics, growth hormones or steroids in our bison. We do NOT add chemicals or fillers during processing. It is so important to us that we keep our finished bison product 100% real.<br />
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3. Between our Nebraska and Missouri ranches, our bison have lots of room to roam, graze and grow. The space we give our bison herds allow them to remain wild and live on their instincts according to their own social hierarchies. Throughout the course of their lives, our bison are minimally handled, highly respected and humanely treated.<br />
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4. Randy and Jane (our owners) care about their land, their animals and sustainability. They oversee all operations on their ranches and are hands on with the management of their herd. The meat we sell across the country is the same meat Randy and Jane put on their own table and share with their family.<br />
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5. We do everything we can to ensure that the meat we produce is with us throughout the entire cycle from ranch to plate. Our growing operation is more and more allowing us to raise our bison from birth and oversee the process all the way through production.<br />
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This ranch truly cares about its herd and its land and produces only 100% <i>real</i> bison meat. <br />
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<b>Bison meat is lean.</b><br />
Bison meat is low in fat,
calories and cholesterol. It is also high in protein and iron, making
it a popular choice for those who are looking to lose weight and build
muscle or those who are looking to include some red meat in a heart
healthy diet. Want to see the numbers? Check out our <a href="http://www.nebraskabison.com/pages/nutritional-comparisons-why-bison">nutritional comparisons of bison meat chart.</a><br />
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<b>Bison tastes great.</b><br />
There can be a lot of reasons to eat certain foods, but that doesn't always mean they taste good. The wonderful thing about bison is that it tastes great too! Bison meat has a slightly sweet flavor, but tastes similar to beef. As long as it is not overcooked, bison will be tender, juicy and delicious.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZ9C7MEfsCdT0BWg-OwrF3oJR4wILMKbyH7lAhdTPffqBiTNQQ6il3OJ_lv-t82vVQICkAx6IPRAYPFnJl7FNrHv4HWhhj0YJEedToxBKJxCMkEQA6JZYylR1Jhg33wC5jKv2hR1vn8bQ/s640/_MG_9991.jpg" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bison Burgers on the grill.</td></tr>
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<b>Bison has all of the same cuts you are familiar with.</b><br />
You can get all your favorite cuts of meat in bison: bison steaks, bison burger, bison short ribs, bison roasts, bison prime rib, bison jerky, even <a href="http://www.nebraskabison.com/products/gourmet-bison-franks">bison hot dogs</a>!<br />
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<b>Cooking bison meat is easy.</b><br />
The key to cooking bison is to cook it low and slow. Since bison has so little fat, it will cook fairly quickly and should be cooked over lower heat. Bison should be cooked to medium doneness, if you cook it "well-done" or "medium-well", your bison will end up tough and chewy. Bison can be baked, grilled, broiled, and pan-fried and any of your favorite beef recipes can be adapted for bison.<br />
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<b>Bison are not endangered.</b><br />
There is still a common misconception that we hear every once in awhile. Many years ago, during the westward expansion, bison were hunted to near extinction. However, the bison herds in America are once again strong and there are around 500,000 American bison in North America and that number continues to grow.<br />
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Do I have you convinced? Would you like to give bison meat a try? Well that means you have 2 options!<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.nebraskabison.com/">You can buy our bison meat online</a>. or 2. You can <a href="http://millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/hunt/missouri-bison-hunting.html">book a bison hunt on our ranch</a> and harvest your own meat.<br />
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Either way, we hope to hear from you soon!Stacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06420785502889410680noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-80722398115255980122013-12-17T09:36:00.003-08:002013-12-23T10:01:25.733-08:00Bison Weather<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKVc2Rvw-TSVrewgSH4rNb5sVTHR7NRQyoW26PgRXBa7sGvGY7P602KsryJ6dgDdEd2bSTVAocX2kxpCoQjA8phn6-HYhH0VQpdkNquGRH1vn_L62Id74OLo-S9HchphEsV1cmTJpHCDb/s1600/unnamed+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKVc2Rvw-TSVrewgSH4rNb5sVTHR7NRQyoW26PgRXBa7sGvGY7P602KsryJ6dgDdEd2bSTVAocX2kxpCoQjA8phn6-HYhH0VQpdkNquGRH1vn_L62Id74OLo-S9HchphEsV1cmTJpHCDb/s640/unnamed+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hey everyone, <br />
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The last time you heard from me was a month ago. And what a month it's been! Warm and windy, cold and wet, snowy and icy; Missouri weather at it's finest. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning the snow started coming down.</td></tr>
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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know that I had a lot to be thankful for this year, and although we didn't make it back to see our families, it was nice to celebrate with some friends instead. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two hours and 4 inches later...</td></tr>
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Fortunately, we will make it back home for Christmas, and we are definitely looking forward to some much needed time with our family and friends back home. That is, if the weather cooperates. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0s9zJYW1laCwFcmN0IKEFR4wxcrj7YOm1sKzsVxj2ZISpvr5ihVVEJLZEkYZ6B0WXzyipK423IEBoJ1WvumSTbJ6qZXpp6oFRKK4Pwjt4hQaCGBxf-Oyz-QqSkrx4QFmU-RvAMKofio8/s1600/unnamed+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0s9zJYW1laCwFcmN0IKEFR4wxcrj7YOm1sKzsVxj2ZISpvr5ihVVEJLZEkYZ6B0WXzyipK423IEBoJ1WvumSTbJ6qZXpp6oFRKK4Pwjt4hQaCGBxf-Oyz-QqSkrx4QFmU-RvAMKofio8/s640/unnamed+(5).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 inches of snow the first round...</td></tr>
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As you can see in the pictures, we have had some pretty serious snow and ice here in the Ozarks lately. I believe that with this last snow storm we have topped the 10 inch mark in the last 9 or 10 days. And, it's been staying cold! I personally love it, but it's going to warm up this week and now we're expecting a muddy mess here on the ranch. Cold, wet mud I definitely don't love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1IjUrqquHusJJ0f17YdOd9BUv5Wu2_JVDW2Db7keKoxAn5jvZzYK4PQ5YYRiuEuw301q46cjH25Ao2tBhcxT4QtpocNM9YVBp6gRsPfdVds4C1Mtu16RXtaMxD7UyX_y8mz12MzBUGQf/s1600/unnamed+(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1IjUrqquHusJJ0f17YdOd9BUv5Wu2_JVDW2Db7keKoxAn5jvZzYK4PQ5YYRiuEuw301q46cjH25Ao2tBhcxT4QtpocNM9YVBp6gRsPfdVds4C1Mtu16RXtaMxD7UyX_y8mz12MzBUGQf/s640/unnamed+(7).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2-3 more inches, 3 days later.</td></tr>
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Deer season on the ranch was tough, as it was throughout most of the Midwest, so I'm told. The deer simply shut down during daylight hours! The bright full moon sure didn't help, but it also seemed to be either too warm, too windy, or pouring rain. <br />
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One of our hunters did score a nice buck in the last half hour of daylight, on the last day of the season. The buck was a 125 inch three-year old. He wasn't a monster, and being the deer manager that he is, our hunter was hesitant to shoot, but he was definitely a trophy earned without question. He spent almost every daylight hour for 8 days straight in the stand. Congratulations sir, you earned it. See you next year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZghNOz8LnvIwU1Fa5GTFlasjKIeD1VdSd378x4JxTod6FBLxN0hBFW91jgHUbYW1KTHWfh60FT0-dvEFfulzfSg287qnXrcbgfjY03f97j2GI7jBmLNlKCmAVW4aTWIDIJ5_cw89Nz0qD/s1600/unnamed+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZghNOz8LnvIwU1Fa5GTFlasjKIeD1VdSd378x4JxTod6FBLxN0hBFW91jgHUbYW1KTHWfh60FT0-dvEFfulzfSg287qnXrcbgfjY03f97j2GI7jBmLNlKCmAVW4aTWIDIJ5_cw89Nz0qD/s640/unnamed+(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bison herd on the hillside, digging for grass. </td></tr>
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Because of the cold weather, the winter coats on our bison bulls are full and beautiful. It's time to give us a call about a <a href="http://millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/hunt/missouri-bison-hunting.html">buffalo hunt.</a> Whether it's a shoulder mount you want, a full robe, or just meat, now is the time. The next few months are perfect for harvesting your trophy. It's a huge job skinning the animal and preparing the meat for processing. These cold temperatures are exactly what we need to get the job done with no issues.<br />
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We have some open dates, so give us a call!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding hay in the early morning hours. </td></tr>
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I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and I wish you all safe holiday travels. <br />
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Give us a call anytime. We'd love to be your <a href="http://www.millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/">Missouri bison hunting outfitter</a>! <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-82122596691350814342013-11-03T20:08:00.003-08:002013-12-23T10:01:50.252-08:00Leaves are Falling and Deer are On the MoveHey everyone, <br />
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The last time I wrote, we had 7 calves on the ground and the leaves were just starting to turn. Two weeks later, we now have 18 Angus calves on the ground, the leaves have turned, and we've experienced our first, second, and third frost of the season. Fall is here. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning frost.</td></tr>
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It's an exciting, but also sad time of the year for me. I so look forward to the beauty of the turning leaves, but once they start, it's over in a matter of days. We are right in the middle of that short time period. Five days ago the oaks were blood red and burnt orange, the hickorys were bright yellow, the sycamores were yellow as well, and the persimmons were vibrant red. It lasted just a few days, and now most of the leaves are pretty much brown. It was beautiful while it lasted. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bottom pasture with recently germinated rye grass and oak timber in the background.</td></tr>
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On a positive note, a lot of good, exciting things have happened on the ranch in the last couple weeks.<br />
As I mentioned earlier, we now have 18 Angus calves on the ground! Since we started calving, it's been fairly consistent. One, two, or three calves are born almost every day now. It's fun to go out and check them every morning and see a new baby only hours old. It's truly amazing to me how the instincts of an animal kick in immediately. Within minutes of birth, the new calves are on their feet sucking on their moms. Within an hour or two, they are literally running around, strong and healthy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh cut hay. </td></tr>
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More positive news is that the 100 acre bottom ground has all been planted to rye and turnips, and it is all coming up! The timing has been nearly perfect every time with the rain. We've entered that wet fall season in the Ozarks, and we've been getting 2-3 inches per week. The water table is up, the natural springs are pouring out water, and the creeks are running. The creeks are beautiful with crystal clear water on a limestone bed. <br />
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Now for the deer talk. <br />
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The rut is starting to get going here on the ranch. I've been seeing deer (mostly doe) in the middle of the day, in places that I don't normally see deer. Without checking the cameras again I can't be sure, but I think most of the buck activity is still happening at night.<br />
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Just last night, our dog Cooper started barking aggressively from the porch at around 11 o'clock. I stepped outside to see what was going on and nice buck was running across the yard with his nose to the ground. He ran right under the yard light! It was pretty obvious what was on his mind. <br />
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With all this deer activity and hunters coming in soon, I decided I had better sneak out to our hunting blinds and make sure they were ready to go and no critters were living in them. Of course there were no critters, but there were a few wasps. They are locked up pretty air tight, but it's a good thing I had a look.<br />
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While I was out there I took some pictures for you as readers to see what kind of set up we have.<br />
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We have two very nice blinds, 10 feet in the air on steel posts driven 5 feet deep. I designed and built them myself with the bow hunter <u><i>and</i></u> the rifle hunter in mind. They are 8 foot by 8 foot, and each of them have 11 sliding windows for 360 degree shooting, carpeted floors for silence, propane heat, and a four foot deck. The best part is that they overlook 4 acre beanfields intersowed with turnips for late season green feed. I might also mention that they are each equipped with 3 hydraulic swiveling barber chairs to give hunters of every height the best view possible. Only the best for our hunters! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our blinds overlooking a beanfield.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view looking West.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bedding area, Northeast view.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairway to heaven!</td></tr>
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I hope everyone enjoyed the update and the pictures. Remember, here at Miller Bison at Elkhead Ranch, we offer guaranteed bison hunts as well as semi-guided deer and turkey hunts. If you ever decide to take a hunting trip, give us a call. We'd love to be your <a href="http://www.millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/">Missouri hunting outfitter</a>! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for reading, and don't forget to check us out on <a href="http://facebook.com/MillerBisonAtElkhead">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/mbelkhead">Twitter</a>!</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-73650660828321945232013-10-20T16:52:00.001-07:002013-12-23T10:06:41.970-08:00Big Bucks On The Move!Hey everyone, <br />
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The hickory leaves are yellow, the persimmon trees are red, and the scenery is beautiful here on the ranch. It won't be long until the oaks turn as well, and the fall colors will take over the landscape. My favorite natural event of the year and it seems that as soon as it's here, it's gone. <br />
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The last time I wrote two weeks ago, the rye grass was newly planted and the cows had not started calving yet. I'm happy to say now that the rye is up and we have seven Angus calves on the ground! <br />
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I check the cows twice a day, and so far I've witnessed one birth and watched two calves take their first steps, as well as their first drinks of milk. It really is a miracle what goes on in the cow pasture, and I'm really enjoying the excitement of calving season right now. Hopefully it's nice and steady until all the calves are born. Hopefully. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angus cows and calves on the ranch.</td></tr>
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Now for the deer talk. <br />
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Just as I hoped and expected, the big bucks are starting to roam around checking beds, and I'm getting pictures. <br />
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It's really exciting seeing huge deer that haven't been caught on camera all year, and all of a sudden, there they are. As you will see in the pictures, we have two big non-typicals roaming the ranch. The bigger of the two has some seriously wicked looking headgear. Long stickers and a huge, long brow-tine that shoots up like a spear. Awesome, awesome buck. The kind that keeps you awake at night. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the huge brow-tine!</td></tr>
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The other non-typical buck is just a freak of nature. Obviously something went seriously wrong when he was growing his rack. His left side is crazy! Makes me wonder where the injury is and how he got it.<br />
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He'd be a great trophy for anyone, but he's a smart old buck. So far all pictures of him are after dark. Hopefully the doe's get hotter, and he gets dumber. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front view</td></tr>
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The rest of these bucks are mostly typical 4x4's, but they sure are nice. I'm a sucker for big 8 pointers, always have been. Although they never score high in the Pope and Young, there is still something very respectable about a 130-140 inch 8 pointer that scores that high without the two extra points of typical 10 pointer. The way I see it, a 140 inch 8 pointer is every bit as nice as a 160 inch ten pointer, because the two extra tines are the 20 inch difference! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFe1SFrQBupyVjaa8uJN5ZEKmN4fGiJJVuenxMmnbqYlPR3wZZAJNbfdF48kdZI7aFQHr6tduP1449SzoD7ikv-0A0wKZlyK6oskxY7j-K29DNXnxZwU0j6J_UkgLGAuvSztkcMiRs6g2/s1600/cam4+1315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFe1SFrQBupyVjaa8uJN5ZEKmN4fGiJJVuenxMmnbqYlPR3wZZAJNbfdF48kdZI7aFQHr6tduP1449SzoD7ikv-0A0wKZlyK6oskxY7j-K29DNXnxZwU0j6J_UkgLGAuvSztkcMiRs6g2/s640/cam4+1315.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv44UBf6DoUagS5-1bPmAlCYVFPthCQ3sXHuQckvV_K799VQsnh_2MGavd0R8NpGerz2dF5MPKnOGVtSo8S-DbemHxLnhirvUPlZPOQapIS6KhFgUmtxq7R0iNgaR8N1CC-Yive9w2aLwg/s1600/cam6+300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv44UBf6DoUagS5-1bPmAlCYVFPthCQ3sXHuQckvV_K799VQsnh_2MGavd0R8NpGerz2dF5MPKnOGVtSo8S-DbemHxLnhirvUPlZPOQapIS6KhFgUmtxq7R0iNgaR8N1CC-Yive9w2aLwg/s640/cam6+300.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Thanks for reading and I hope that these pictures gave you the same thrill that they gave me. <br />
We still have deer hunts and <a href="http://millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/hunt/missouri-bison-hunting.html">buffalo hunts</a> available for 2013 as well as <a href="http://millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/cabin/cabin-amenities.html">cabin rentals</a>, so give us a call or shoot us an email. We'd love to be your Missouri outfitter! <br />
<br />
Good luck in the stand everybody!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-48144462337012602932013-10-06T16:44:00.004-07:002013-12-23T10:11:44.080-08:00Soybean Competition Results Are In!Hey everyone, <br />
<br />
The leaves are turning, the days are getting shorter, and the first frost is right around the corner. It's really feeling like fall around here. With that comes fall calving in our Angus herd, and planting rye grass for winter grazing. I've been checking the cows every morning and every night for the last couple of weeks and still no babies. A few of the cows look overdue. I'm expecting to see the first calf of the year any day. <br />
<br />
Monday and Tuesday I spent in the tractor discing and preparing a seed bed for rye grass seed, Thursday Randy planted it, and Saturday we got an inch an a half of good slow rain. It all worked out perfect for once! Within the week or ten days it will germinate and we will have a good stand of rye grass, dark green in color, looking like a big beautiful green carpet. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlmAsDythzZNANxOm90vFs5EUjl7Nf1c6_p71rkoJVN8iSCBl2xxTlWcCukDTnps4WLueQg2K_8vpvV4D6gBYN8L-JUYYzatOyhQYCn7cj2Ha3RBI6T0AAOEe5ux5savgoFu4RlzUypLm/s1600/rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlmAsDythzZNANxOm90vFs5EUjl7Nf1c6_p71rkoJVN8iSCBl2xxTlWcCukDTnps4WLueQg2K_8vpvV4D6gBYN8L-JUYYzatOyhQYCn7cj2Ha3RBI6T0AAOEe5ux5savgoFu4RlzUypLm/s640/rain.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Saturday morning sky, just before it cut loose and rained all day.</td></tr>
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Now for the deer talk. <br />
<br />
A week ago I was checking cows and I saw a bachelor group of six bucks hanging out together in an oak timber. I'm very anxious to check cameras next weekend and see if they have been wandering over to the food plots at night. They were over a mile away from where the cameras are but I'm happy that they are living on the property. Two of those bucks were VERY nice, and I do not have pictures of any of them yet. <br />
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I did however get a picture of a very nice 8 point so far, and some younger bucks with potential. I'm very optimistic that we are going to have a good season because we have so much food planted, and LOTS of doe. Last year we didn't get many big buck pictures until this time of the year, but soon they will be checking doe beds and looking for love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIh_zR668Rye8B7ggsaTQnB7M4tFuYtEZOXTGvQDRUICAOvQVjrshEXBNVDsYf3LMMjYknFk0fhMDQKm5IcNO_7no9Bg1NpT_fucOEX7cfpTfwCca1C1LMMC1nIWIY90qSyN8RkdPvi6-/s1600/cam4+1184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIh_zR668Rye8B7ggsaTQnB7M4tFuYtEZOXTGvQDRUICAOvQVjrshEXBNVDsYf3LMMjYknFk0fhMDQKm5IcNO_7no9Bg1NpT_fucOEX7cfpTfwCca1C1LMMC1nIWIY90qSyN8RkdPvi6-/s640/cam4+1184.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nice 8 point I mentioned.</td></tr>
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The corn is mature and the beans are still growing fast. The eight or so acres of forage soybeans I planted are being browsed hard every night, and the results of our little competition between the two soybean brands turned out some very interesting results. <br />
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<b>SOYBEAN COMPETITION RESULTS</b><br />
<br />
Back in June I planted a four acre field half with Croplan Genetics forage soybeans, and half with Real World brand forage soybeans on the same day, with the same no-till drill settings. We put no fertilizer on the field, so soil conditions were identical. Both products are Round-Up Ready, and they were sprayed for weeds on the same day on two seperate occasions. The two brands are the same price per bag.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGoWlfmiZ4DyxeI1b4esWWdPtdFu5qAYP76T7JHNb21EWzUNdMkZRyA7E5y_wsFPxEnNpyn4a2x_R9PVQtnvqLoiW4pGdWB4qAjQ3Hzaw0BKTi_oGz7h6pRvGpA00Vd7cM46m2jtsTF2q/s1600/beans3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGoWlfmiZ4DyxeI1b4esWWdPtdFu5qAYP76T7JHNb21EWzUNdMkZRyA7E5y_wsFPxEnNpyn4a2x_R9PVQtnvqLoiW4pGdWB4qAjQ3Hzaw0BKTi_oGz7h6pRvGpA00Vd7cM46m2jtsTF2q/s640/beans3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The competition plot.</td></tr>
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What I have found is that the Croplan Genetics brand produced much bigger leaves and much more leafy forage for the deer. On the other hand the Real World brand produced smaller leaves, but actually produced a lot more pods. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgfLoTh9S7DTPbbPf5ciVlQKbCIOToO38vaDisOvRf81oKbPjvZANW1IBqO0NkyA9bZCShpNSRYzOxE0WJBhcwRL1g8wL5OIIneXyJLwZUJQqNex2HB6g9AAzP805V2Z7cVPc93lUfP-I/s1600/beans2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgfLoTh9S7DTPbbPf5ciVlQKbCIOToO38vaDisOvRf81oKbPjvZANW1IBqO0NkyA9bZCShpNSRYzOxE0WJBhcwRL1g8wL5OIIneXyJLwZUJQqNex2HB6g9AAzP805V2Z7cVPc93lUfP-I/s640/beans2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Real World on the left and Croplan on the right.</td></tr>
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<br />
So in conclusion, the results of the competition to me, gives the Real World brand a slight edge, but not by much. <br />
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Croplan Genetics - More tons of leafy forage per acre meaning that more forage will be available to the deer throughout the growing season until a hard freeze when the leaves fall off.<br />
<br />
Real World - More pods per plant, meaning more forage during the hard winter months when deer need the nutrition the most. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNENAKcMgAPMWtXbacAKwCq6FXx-jITwKcJXWm1Yp1grghga2ILNtNn1CA2bepZzH1FXjjicU5rLD6xLuVIgX0fVjVzQD0tyvnXuXtczQiIn6QOLPXl0iAtjRCffCtgtu_g4aK8ZDKQD_/s1600/beans1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNENAKcMgAPMWtXbacAKwCq6FXx-jITwKcJXWm1Yp1grghga2ILNtNn1CA2bepZzH1FXjjicU5rLD6xLuVIgX0fVjVzQD0tyvnXuXtczQiIn6QOLPXl0iAtjRCffCtgtu_g4aK8ZDKQD_/s640/beans1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In this picture you can really see the browsing pressure this field is getting. The beans in this field would be two or three times taller if they weren't getting so much pressure.</td></tr>
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<br />
Thank you for hanging on the edge of your seat reading about this competition for the last several months. If you have any questions about it please feel free to email me, or message me on Facebook.<br />
Take care everyone, and good luck in the deer stand! <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-8496447370826172602013-08-21T14:35:00.004-07:002013-12-23T10:17:41.356-08:00Starting to get Fall Fever... Hey everyone, <br />
<br />
First off, the weather has been beautiful and it's really getting me excited for fall. Towards the end of each of the four seasons, I usually become excited for the change. For example, when the Winter is coming to an end and the temperature starts to rise, I start to think about grass greening up, leaves on the trees, spring turkey hunting, picking mushrooms, and catching crappie. When Springtime turns to summer, I think about long daylight hours, warm nights, big bass in the shade, and cruises through the countryside. This time of the year, especially since we've had cool temperatures and dry air, I think about leaves turning, days getting shorter, football on the tube, and big bucks looking for love. <br />
<br />
Fall is hands down my favorite time of the year. I do love winter also because of the bobcat trapping, coyote calling, and fun in the snow, but it just always seems to come too fast and stay too long. Fall is when the hoodies come out and the chili starts cooking, which means it's time to spend some quality time in the woods. <br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
For all of you deer hunters out there, you know what goes on in the woods. For all of you that have never experienced life from 20 feet up in a tree, let me try to explain what goes on in the woods when you're quiet and still. <br />
<br />
The woods come alive. You start to see squirrels everywhere, hoarding nuts and scolding whatever intruder walks under their tree. You might see an opossum waddle by in no hurry, but headed somewhere. A coon might crawl out of the tree you're in towards dark and head toward the nearest cornfield or creek. A coyote might trot by looking for the coon that came out of your tree, and if you're lucky you might see a bobcat sneaking through the brush. You probably won't hear him, but you just might see him. <br />
<br />
But the best is when you start to see the deer coming out of their beds and heading toward the food. <br />
Early in the season, you might just see doe after doe, fawn after fawn, and yearling buck after yearling buck, because the older, bigger bucks are generally nocturnal. But when it gets closer to Halloween, and the temperature gets frigid, those big bucks will change their patterns and habits, eager to find that first doe in heat. <br />
<br />
They will start wandering around during the day, checking doe beds, hoping to catch a whiff of that familiar smell. They will start fighting with other bucks for the right to breed, sometimes it's a fight to the death. And when the does start coming into heat, it becomes a race to the finish line. You might see bucks running at a full sprint with his nose to the ground for miles and miles because he knows that hot doe is at the end of that trail. If you're on the ground, they might run right past you and not even know you're there. They become so focused on breeding that it consumes them totally and they make mistakes. They become vulnerable to the hunter. <br />
<br />
That's when you want to be in your tree, with a bow or rifle in your hand. <br />
<br />
The feeling that a hunter gets when a doe is close, and it's so quiet that you'd swear she can hear your heartbeat is indescribable. It's when your instincts as a carnivore kick in and your senses become heightened. Some start to shake, others may forget to breathe, but you know at that moment in time that if you move a muscle that deer will know you're there and your hunt is over. <br />
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But if you play your cards right with the wind in your favor and the setup being perfect, she might just keep on walking towards the food. When she's out of your personal space and you feel like it's OK to breathe, keep your eyes and ears open for what might be following her. <br />
<br />
When that giant buck comes into view, he will take your breath away. Try to keep breathing, get your weapon ready, and do not look at his rack. If he took your breath away, there's no reason to study it, he's the one you want. Stay as calm as possible, focus on the kill zone, wait for the perfect shot and take it. <br />
<br />
This is when you get the biggest, most intense shot of adrenaline of your life. Just before the shot and immediately after. <br />
<br />
This is the feeling that makes hobby hunters into deer hunting addicts, and addicts into hunting junkies. You can never duplicate the feeling of successfully harvesting the buck of a lifetime. It is achievement like no other, and that's a fact. <br />
<br />
I have personally harvested some very nice bucks, but I have yet to kill the buck that takes my breath away. Usually those are just out of range, or are only seen in the headlights. <br />
<br />
But when I do finally feel that feeling of pure ecstasy, I will carry it with me forever, and constantly long to feel it again. <br />
<br />
I will then truly be a deer hunting junkie.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-48729035180266654542013-08-06T12:22:00.000-07:002013-12-23T10:19:58.828-08:00Thank You!Hey everyone, <br />
<br />
First off, I want to thank you all one more time for tuning in last week to see us on Campfire Stories TV. We had viewers from all over the country, and I hope that this blog reaches you all as well. <br />
<br />
We have been very busy around here working on the corral, working livestock, weaning calves, and hosting company. I did find the time to check some trail cam pics a few weeks ago and I want to share with you a nice buck we snapped a few pictures of. He still has some growing to do this season, but he's definitely off to a good start. <br />
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The food plots we planted in the spring are doing great as of lately. There for a while, the corn was looking shabby and the beans refused to grow. We have been getting plenty of rain the last couple weeks and the drought in our area is definately over. In fact, the water table is full and our creek has been flooding the last couple of days. It's kind of a hairy situation right now because we are expecting rain every day for the next 7 days, and we have plenty of work to do without dealing with more flooding. <br />
<br />
The competition we have going with the forage soybeans is too close to call right now, but with all this rain I'm sure we will start to see some serious growth in the next couple weeks. It will be interesting to see which brand wins. <br />
<br />
Once more, thanks again for watching our bison hunt with Campfire Stories. I hope everyone that viewed now has a better understanding of what our operation is all about. Please spread the word and don't hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions about a<a href="http://www.millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/"> hunt, a visit, or a stay in the cabin.</a> Take care everyone!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-82667410266521023532013-07-31T14:20:00.000-07:002013-12-23T10:20:58.953-08:00Campfire Stories TV on the Pursuit ChannelHey everyone,<br />
<br />
It's a very busy day on the ranch today, but I thought I'd take a time out to thank everyone that tuned into the Pursuit Channel Tuesday morning to watch our first successful <a href="http://millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/hunt/missouri-bison-hunting.html">bison hunt</a> aired on TV. We have been receiving lots of positive feedback since then and it's very much appreciated.<br />
<br />
For those of you who couldn't watch it for whatever reason, it will be on again Thursday evening (August 1st) at 7:30 p.m. EST, and Saturday (August 3rd) at 7:30 a.m. EST. The Pursuit Channel is channel 604 on Direct TV, and channel 393 on the Dish Network. <br />
<br />
Thanks again for all who tuned in, and keep the comments coming! <br />
<br />
Set your DVR's! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-56656754802496557762013-07-24T13:45:00.000-07:002013-12-23T11:09:52.374-08:00Bison Hunt on the RanchI'm excited to tell everyone that this coming week, our <a href="http://millerbisonatelkheadranch.com/hunt/missouri-bison-hunting.html">bison hunt</a> with Campfire Stories TV will be airing! <br />
<br />
Looking back to February when this hunt took place, it seems like it was only a few weeks ago as vividly as I remember it. <br />
<br />
First off, what a great couple of guys we met in Andy and Bob. Full of energy and all business until the job was done. Then when it was time to sit back, relax, and share a delicious bison meat supper with the guys, the stories and laughs started coming out of everyone at the table, and friendships were born. <br />
<br />
If you don't remember the story of the hunt a few months ago, I'll refresh your memory:<br />
<br />
The day the guys showed up to hunt, a snow storm was brewing. After a quick introduction it was decided that we had to get this bull down before the storm hit. <br />
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We searched for this bull for quite a while before we found him bedded down in a deep ravine, preparing for the weather ahead. <br />
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After a stalk to within range, we were disappointed with absolutely no shooting lanes for Andy's crossbow. It was simply too thick. And then he made us. <br />
<br />
After the bull spotted us he was on high alert. Our next attempt at a stalk failed as we sat there just out of range and watched him stomp and snort at us. He was very, very, mad and seemed that he knew what was going on. <br />
<br />
Eventually, we got the job done in epic fashion as I watched Andy's broad head zip right through the beast. It was after the fatal shot hit it's mark that I thought the big guy just might charge. As he stood there bleeding to death, he glared at Andy and Bob for what seemed like minutes before he started to wobble, then stumble, then go down forever. <br />
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I haven't seen this on camera yet, only in person. I can hardly wait to relive the adventure! <br />
<br />
Set your DVR's to the Pursuit Channel, Campfire Stories TV episode 5, Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. EST, Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. EST, or Saturday at 7:30 a.m. EST. Also for your information- For Direct TV customers the Pursuit Channel is 604, for Dish Network customers it's channel 393. <br />
<br />
Tell your friends and co-workers, check us out on facebook, and please check out our new and improved website. Stacy has done such a great job on the website so far, and I'm sure it will continue to get better.<br />
<br />
Once again, hope you get to enjoy the episode this week and please feel free to shoot us a comment! <br />
<br />
We'd love to hear your thoughts on the website, the facebook page, and of course the bison hunt with Campfire Stories. <br />
<br />
Take care everyone and stay cool! <br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-280180531746176432013-06-27T14:50:00.000-07:002013-12-23T11:15:35.835-08:00Busy Season on the RanchHey everyone,<br />
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It's been way too long since I've wrote last, but this is the busiest time of the year. Because of the haying, the planting, the welding, the maintenance, etc., I haven't had much free time lately. Today the record high temperatures have drove me inside for a few hours, so I'll try to catch you all up. <br />
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It has been a very wet spring around here, even for Missouri. Because of this, the grass has been growing like crazy and the animals are fat and happy. The downside to all of this rain is that it has made it very difficult to bale hay. Plus, the ranch experienced a major flood about a month ago, and we are still dealing with the aftermath. The creek that runs through the ranch is usually just a small trickle of cold, clear, spring water in the summer months, and 6-8 inches in the winter months. The ranch sits in a huge valley that runs for miles, so all of the run-off from rain storms drain into this creek. A month ago this area of Missouri had a huge thunderstorm that dumped anywhere for 4 to 8 inches of rain on us. The ranch got 4, but up the valley to the east, it dumped 8.<br />
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It all came as a flash flood, spilling out of the banks of the creek taking out fence lines and bridges along the way. Our little 5 foot deep creek was raging at 10 feet deep. Our poor little bridge that leads back to the animals washed out, and just this morning we finally poured the last of the concrete to fixed it so it's usable again. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Here's what the bridge looked like AFTER the water went down.</i></td></tr>
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The food plots I have mentioned in the past are all planted and producing plenty of forage. Our deer herd is benefiting big time.<br />
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When it was all said and done I had planted 8 acres of forage soybeans, 4 acres of corn, 3 acres of Doc's Sandy Bottom Blend, and an acre of Doc's Premium Clover. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Here's the forage soybeans shortly after emergence.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the corn plots.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Doc's Sandy Bottom Blend.</i></td></tr>
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A month ago, I checked the trail cameras and was happy to see that we have some bucks that are getting a good start on growing their antlers. It's too early to tell how big these guys will be, but to me the pictures look promising. With all the good nutrition these deer are getting I can hardly wait to check cameras again in a couple weeks!<br />
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Here's a couple samples of what we are seeing on the cameras. Take a look at the dates on the pictures and we'll keep track on their progress together as the weeks pass. I'll try to get the pics up right away next month.<br />
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I'm looking forward to heading back to Nebraska with my wife and daughter next week to relax with family and friends. I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July weekend!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014430289574124217.post-62765729640372776312013-05-09T07:50:00.000-07:002013-12-23T11:15:22.119-08:00Bison Calves Born on the RanchHey everyone,<br />
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I'm taking advantage of another rainy morning to inform you that it's officially calving season! They actually started about two weeks ago, but we have had 11 calves since then.<br />
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The first three bison calves were all born on the same day, and it's been one here, one there since then. For all of you that have never seen a bison calf, they are really cute with an orangish brown color, and soft, almost fuzzy fur.<br />
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Minutes after the calves are born they are on their feet running. Keep in mind that a few hundred years ago on the open plains, if the calves were not able to move with the herd immediately, predators would have easily killed them. This adaptation is part of the reason that the bison herds of long ago grew to be so huge. <br />
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If anyone would like to come check out the new babies, shoot me an email or give me a call and we will set you up. I can drive up to them fairly close without the mothers getting too nervous, but for safety reasons we will stay in the truck.<br />
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I've attached some pictures for you all to enjoy. The last one is of our biggest bull using the truck to scratch an itch! Take care!<br />
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