WHERE THE BISON ROAM

There's a certain majesty about bison.

The monstrous animals -- 10 to 12 feet long, 5 to 6 feet high, 1,000 to 2,000 pounds -- have a fascinating power and surprising grace that, along with an historic background, make them compelling to observe.

Bison, more familiarly known as "buffalo," once roamed the plains in numbers so great that early explorers couldn't count them.

That all changed during the late 1800s, when the bison population dipped to a near-extinct number of about 500. They were placed on a "protected" list. But they are back now.

No one is more aware of that than Frank "Skip" Sayers of SayersBrook Bison Ranch in Washington County.

Today, more than 250,000 bison are alive and well on the North American continent. And that has opened the door to new business -- bison farming.

Even the United States Agriculture Department (USDA) has become a major purchaser of bison meat over the past couple of years. The USDA bought $2.5 million worth of ground bison for its school lunch program in 1998 and purchased about $6 million for federal nutrition programs for Indians and migrant workers in 1999. The USDA spends about $290 million a year for various types of meat for its nutrition program, which also includes the school lunch program.

Many Indian tribes raise bison, and a number of farms and cattle ranchers have been drawn to the business by the relatively high prices they could get for the bison meat.

Bison herds now occupy pastures in Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Kentucky and South Dakota. The can be found in most states from Alaska to Florida.

And motorists driving along Route AA, a few miles west of Potosi, Mo., may be surprised to see large herds of the big animals milling around pasture lands near the road.

This is indeed "a home where the buffalo bison roam," said Sayers.

The ranch is in the beautiful Ozark Mountains near the population center of the United States.

The SayersBrook Bison Ranch is a piece of Americana.

The ranch came into being in the 1930s as a result of a "good old American barter" of land in exchange for some hard work provided by Frank Sayers, Skip's grandfather.

The farm has grown since then, said the younger Sayers. "Today we have more than 6,000 acres which serves as the home to a herd of about 1,000 North American Bison."

Sayers and his wife, Connie, live at the ranch.

The Sayers family includes the Sayers' children, son Herb, and daughter Suzan, who help out on the farm. The younger children, Nick and Thirza, split their time between studies and the ranch.

It also includes a couple of fifth-generation Sayers, Herb's son, Sam, and Suzan's son, Andy.

Doug Short, who has been involved with the bison ranch five years, is the herd manager at SayersBrook Bison Ranch.

Bison meat, which is high in protein and low in fat content, is more expensive than beef.

Sayers' interest in bison came in 1976, when he read a 1,200-page book about the Plains Indians and bison.

The price of bison prevent it from becoming a staple anytime soon, but demand for special meats -- bison, emu, ostrich, antelope -- is growing.

"We see the bison business as going no place but up," said Sayers, who has extended his markets nationwide.

SayersBrook, one of the largest bison ranches in the United States, opened its new Eastern Division sales office last year. The American Gourmet, the marketing division of SayersBrook Ranch and Meat Processing, also includes other exotic meats in the catalog. All the bison produces are processed at the SayersBrook processing plant.

The catalog includes all type of bison meats -- T-bone, filet, ribeye and other steaks, bisonburgers and hot-dogs. Other products in the catalog range form ostrich, emu, pheasant squab and other prepared foods and food preparations.

The special catalog can be found on a Web site, http://www.sayersbrook.com.

There is a big demand for the bison meat, and it's getting bigger, according to SayersBrook, which ships out as many as 500 orders daily.

Officials of bison associations say that the industry has previously concentrated more on production than marketing. But that is changing.

SayersBrook is one of the many bison farms in the U.S. which promotes its products via the web-site catalog and tours, which are conducted throughout most of the year at the ranch.

The tours include a lecture on the history of the North American Bison, and why it was nicknamed a buffalo. The tours, for groups of 30 or more, includes a tour of the 6 square miles of the ranch, where bison can be found grazing. It also includes a lunch of bisonburgers or brats, with baked Potosi beans, ranch slaw, wrangler cookies and a soft drink. Other Bison cuts can be arranged.

Tour lectures are currently presented at an outdoor amphitheater, located near an 80-acre lake, but a 108-seat inside theater is currently under construction at the ranch, near the country store, which offers many clothing, food and kitchen items.

SayersBrook also hosts a Bison Festival each year, which includes fishing contests, crafts, a "Hummer" vehicle rally and lakeside dinner. Funds from the festival are used for educational scholarships for Washington County students.

Bits on bison

* Bison are the largest land mammals in North America.

* Bison were near extinction by turn of the 20th century, at less than 1,500 head in the U.S.

* Today's total is more than 250,000.

* The Buffalo Trade Association has more than 2,200 members.

* Only 20,000 bison were killed for food in 1998.

* Many Indian tribes still raise bison.

* Bison meat is low in fat and high in protein.

* Bison can live to be 50 years old.

* Almost every part of the bison can be used. In addition to food, the hides can be used in the making of robes, dresses, shoes and other clothing, or in the making of lariats, moccasin soles and saddles. The animals bones can be used for arrowheads, scrapers, game dice, toys and jewelry. Even the skull can be used, for ornamentation used in sun dances and other rituals.

* Bison may appear to be slow and awkward, but they can outrun and out-maneuver most horses. They can jump over a fence with the agility of a deer.

* Media mogul Ted Turner is one of the largest bison raisers in the U.S., with more than 17,000 bison on ranches totaling 1.4 acres in four states.