Bison question part 2

[kooz]

Ok, one more question. I am told by the rancher that hosts this hunt that the animals are two years old and weigh between 700-800lbs on the hoof, and that their hanging weight is between about 285-350lbs(gutted, skinned, head and legs removed ) and that I can expect about 150-180lbs of meat ??? I figured between 300 and 350lbs of meat for an animal weighing that much. What do you think ?

[Hillbillygunsmith]

The information the rancher gave you is correct. You will lose almost 1/2 the hoof weight on field dressing and skinning and removal of head and lower legs. I just harvested a young cow that had a on the hoof weight of between 800-900 pounds. The hanging weight of the meat at the butcher shop was 460 pounds. I should get about 300- 325 pounds of package meat from that. Bison have larger bones then beef cows and you lose more weight due to bone lost. I have been told by a rancher that you can figure on a 65-70 % weight lost on bison when comparing the package meat to the "on the hoof weight". I have found this to be very true on the three bison I have harvested in the past 4 years.

[Buffboy]

Hillbillygunsmith is correct, if not overstressed bison will hang on the rail(w/tong, heart, & liver) at 50/55% live weight. Stress before death reduces that because of water loss. The halves will shrink down to about a 45% figure with aging as the meat dries somewhat in aging. For best flavor and tenderness of the meat you want that water loss on the rail not in the field. As he said the bones are heavier so it will bone out less than a beef. Another reason is most lockers bone the meat completely out and don't make cuts bone-in like beef.