Bison by the Numbers

Data & Statistics

 

183,780: Number of bison in the United States residing on private ranches and farms according to the 2017 USDA census.

1,775: Number of private U.S. ranches and farms raising bison according to the 2017 USDA census.

119,314: Canadian private-bison herd size according to 2016 Canadian Census of Ag.

9,855: Approximate number of bison in US federal herds (DOI 2014)

9,008: Bison in State and other Public herds (USFWS 2011)

20,000: Estimated bison on tribal lands

362,406: Estimated herd size in North America today.

30 – 60 Million: Estimated North American herd size prior to 1900.

Less than 1,000: Estimated number of bison prior to 1900 before efforts were made to preserve and restore the species.

69,000: Approximate number of bison harvested in the U.S. and Canada in 2020. (By contrast US Beef slaughters about 125,000/day).

63,056: 2020 U.S. bison harvest under federal inspection. State-inspected slaughter adds approximately 15% to the total number of bison harvested in the U.S.

19,447 – harvest-ready Canadian bison imported to the U.S. in 2020

5,127 – Canadian feeder bison imported to the U.S. in 2020

270-285: gestation period in days for a bison cow.

40-50 pounds: approximate weight of a new born calf.

20 years: average reproductive life span of the average bison cow.

20-30 months: age of a mature meat animal.

2.42: grams of fat in a 100 gram serving of cooked bison.

10.15: grams of fat in a 100 gram serving of cooked beef.