Saskatchewan’s bison whisperer ‘herd’ the call
On his way to a career in real estate when visit to sister’s ranch changed everything
Patrick O'ryan never pictured himself as a bison rancher. He was working as a real estate developer when he met his sister's herd and his mind was forever changed.
“I had a very strong bond immediately … so I decided to go ahead with it,” he recalls.
About a decade ago, O'ryan's sister and her husband began bison ranching on the O'ryan family's grain farm along the Qu'appelle Valley, northeast of Craven. When they were ready to retire, Patrick took over the herd. Once he discovered he had an intuitive understanding of how the animals operate, his future as a bison rancher was sealed.
“I talk to them. It's not so much verbal communication, but there's a way to read them and for them to read me,” he says.
It works quite differently than handling a cattle herd.
“I go on bison time. I don't force them to do anything. I read their energy very quickly, which helps keep me alive. When they get a little grumpy, I know to take cover.”
He keeps his herd, which grows to 50 animals after spring calving, all together in one pasture. He found that separating the young bulls caused high stress levels.
“They weren't acting normal and I didn't like that," he says. “They communicate non-vocally in ways we can't detect. They also give physical cues as to what they want and what their stress level is. That's their nature — that's how they spent several thousand years on these prairies, evolving.”
O'ryan's bison only eat prairie grasses (and hay in the winter). He feeds them a legume-based supplement to provide the vitamins and minerals missing from the native grasses, as the soil in his area lacks copper and selenium.
Of course, the human side of the operation happens when an animal is harvested. O'ryan ensures the process — which recycles their energy into nourishment — is as respectful to the animals as possible.
“For me, it's very rewarding for one's connection with nature, especially a majestic animal like the bison — how iconic is that?”
On his Facebook page, Qu'appelle Valley Bison, O'ryan regularly posts videos of his adventures and learnings with his bison herd, such as the bull Johnny Handsome. He offers farm-gate sales of grass-finished bison and makes deliveries to customers in Regina and area. He also can be reached by phone at 306-540-7007.
O'ryan also provides hides and skulls to Tatanka Boutique and the Buffalo People Arts Institute in Regina — organizations working to revitalize traditional connections for Indigenous people.
Jenn Sharp is a freelance writer in Saskatoon. Her first book, Flat Out Delicious: Your Guide to Saskatchewan’s Food Artisans, will be published by Touchwood Editions in April. Follow her on Twitter @ Jennksharp, Instagram @flatoutfoodsk, and Facebook.
I talk to them. It’s not so much verbal communication, but there’s a way to read them and for them to read me