“I’m comfortable with them and I think they’re comfortable with me. But you have to remember that buffalo are wild animals and they can be dangerous. I can do anything with my buffalo that the average farmer can do with cattle. I just have to do it slow and easy.” Van’s heritage played a role in his assembly of his now 20-head buffalo herd, but the necessity of a lower cholesterol diet following a heart attack a few years ago was the real determining factor. “My wife fed me chicken until I couldn’t look at any longer. Buffalo could be the meat of the future since it is lean red meat that is low in cholesterol and good for you.” “I’m a red meat guy and I know of none healthier than buffalo. Don’t get me wrong, I still love beef but I like a good buffalo steak, too.” For nearly as long as Van can remember, he has fostered thoughts of raising buffaloes. When he was just 10, Van’s oldest son, Wes, started prodding his father to get in the buffalo business.
“I don’t know how many times through the years Wes said let’s get some buffaloes. I’ve always wanted to do it.” It was – by chance – about four years ago the opportunity arose. He was driving through Stigler and passed the local sale barn and saw three buffaloes penned there. “I stopped, and asked if they were for sale.” The sale barn operator said he’d sell them for $200 apiece, and Van took him up on the offer. He and the sale barn operator thought the three were all females since they were in such rough condition. Their hair was matted with all sorts of stickers and cockle burrs. It wasn’t until he later got the animals to his ranch, feed them daily and wormed the trio that he discovered there were two heifers and one bull. “I had my start,” he remembers. “I told the guy at the sale barn if he found more reasonably priced that I wanted to buy them. The next thing I know, he’s got 50 on a semi. He let me pick the ones I wanted. I got 15 head – 14 heifers and one bull – for $220 each. So, that’s how I got started.” The addition of the buffaloes to the Byars’ 90-acre ranch overlooking Lake Eufaula added numbers to the menagerie he has assembled. Chickens, doves, homing pigeons, three dogs, cats and horses called the place home when the buffaloes arrived. He didn’t make any special accommodations for the critters.
Van Byars always keeps a “respectable distance” between himself and his buffalo. He is comfortable around them, but remembers that they indeed are “wild animals.” Those wanting to learn more about raising buffalo should call Van at 918-967-2559. Top right: A cow and calf lull near the barn, watching for the feed truck to emerge. Buffalo calves are smaller at birth than their bovine cousins, but literally “grow like weeds,” according to Van Byars. Van’s buffalo and big Pinto roam the lush pastures together in relative harmony.
8 • Oklahoma Country • Winter 2005