Technical ReportPDF Available

Bison Economics Tool

June 2021

DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.34709.04324

Affiliation: South Dakota State University

Authors:

South Dakota State University

Hector Menendez

South Dakota State University

Jameson Brennan

South Dakota State University

The bison market has been a vital part of the sustained production and conservation of the species. The bison market has largely been dependent on slaughtered bison meat prices since the 1960s. The primary reporting service for bison market data is the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) office, providing monthly summaries since November 2012. Leveraging these data is essential to enhance bison production and conservation sustainability. To assist the bison management system in realizing benefits of these USDA AMS market data, the Center of Excellence for Bison Studies at South Dakota State University (SDSU) has developed the SDSU Bison Economics Tool, which is a user-friendly, visual webtool. https://extension.sdstate.edu/bison-economics-tool Link to the Bison Economics Tool is located here: https://agland.sdstate.edu/Bison_Price/

Sample “Bison Carcass Weight” output.

Sample “Bison Carcass Price” output.

Figures - uploaded by Jeff M. Martin

Content may be subject to copyright.

Content uploaded by Jeff M. Martin

Content may be subject to copyright.

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.

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Bison Economics Tool: A walkthrough on using the web tool

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The bison market has been a vital part of the sustained production and conservation of the species. This same market has been largely dependent on slaughtered bison meat prices since the 1960s. The primary reporting service for bison market data is the U.S. Department of Agriculture- Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) office, providing online monthly summaries since November 2012.

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Jeff M. Martin

Unseasonably early blizzards in the northern Great Plains threaten large mammal populations unacclimated for variable and extreme winter conditions. This region averaged 22 blizzards per winter season during the 2010s, up from 6 during the 1960s, and is anticipated to average 32 blizzards by the 2050s. In early October 2013, the fatal Atlas Blizzard affected four livestock and captive species in ... [Show full abstract] 16 counties of western South Dakota. Expected one-week total death losses for the study area were estimated from national average background mortality rates: 161 cattle, 102 sheep, 9 horses, and 6 bison. However, observed death loss varied significantly (McNemar’s Test: p < 0.001) from the expected during the blizzard with: 35,682 cattle; 6428 sheep; 400 horses; and 40 bison. Observed proportional mortalities varied significantly from the expected proportional mortalities in cattle (83.9% vs. 58.0%); sheep (15.1% vs. 36.7%); horse (0.9% vs. 3.2%); and bison (0.1% vs. 2.1%; chi-squared goodness-of-fit: χ23 = 16.85, p ≤ 0.001). Husbandry practices, animal behavior, and physiology may also explain some of the inequitable death losses for each species. Bison appear to be resilient to blizzards and blizzards are expected to increase due to climate change, therefore, bison may offer viability for ranchers in the face of blizzards and more variable weather.