Just north of Winnipeg, Canada, and situated in the heart of Manitoba Interlake, along the Prime Meridian Trail, sits Overby Bison. Ken and his wife Iris started their business in 1994 by purchasing five bison heifers (a young female bison that has never had a calf) and one bull. For the Overbys, the idea of raising bison was triggered during a camping trip in Riding Mountain National Park. While driving through the park, Ken and Iris had to bring their camper to a quick halt in order to let a herd of bison pass in front of them. It was an epiphany for Ken as he immediately imagined herds much larger than this covering the Great Northern Plains. He was awestruck. Enough so that he also imagined raising the animals himself. He quickly came to his senses, assuming the animals could only live in national parks. In 1980 he learned differently - and fourteen years after that drive through the park, Overby Bison became a dream come true.
When asked what they love most about rising bison, the couple will say, "We have fallen in love with the natural advantages of the animal. We appreciate the low maintenance production and the taste of the meat."
Ken and Iris currently have a herd in excess of 300 animals. They roam freely on a 3,500 acre ranch Ken bought from his father in 1985.
Did You Know?
The best description of a bison's temperment is "unpredictable". They usually appear peaceful, unconcerned, even lazy — yet they may attack, often without warning, for no apparent reason. To a casual observer, a grazing bison appears slow and clumsy, be they can out run, out turn, and negotiate rougher terrain better than all but the fleetest horse. Bison can move at speeds of over thirty-five miles per hour and cover long distance at a lumbering gallop.