Bison Month Day 10: another of our favorite people.

The latest news from Ron & T of The Buffalo Wool Co. at RATH Ranch. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

Happy Bison Month, it's Day 10 Friends!

Photo by Jacob W. Frank NPS

It's Friday, and we are almost to the weekend!

Hope you are having a great week!

Almost 1/3 of the way through bison month, and I hope you have enjoyed what we have been sharing... it's fun looking into how a lot of these ranches got started and really exciting to see where they are going. This is the greatest comeback story in history, and it's pretty cool being a little part of the gang that is making it happen. Have quite a few more stories we want to share, so I think that even when this 31 day run is over, will keep the ranch stories as part of the weekly update. Got a lot of very cool friends doing this amazing work.

In the meantime, have another wonderful friend's story today.. she is one of our favorite people, and if I can find a picture of her pup "Jack" he is pretty spectacular as well. It's a bit long today, Susan has earned it. She is absolutely the real deal and one of the best bison advocates anywhere.

Found one!!!

I think you are gonna love the tri-tip roast too, one of my favorite cuts when you can get it.

Hope you have a truly great day!

Ron & T, and the crew here at the BWC

Susan Maass: A Lifetime of Passion and Leadership in the Bison Industry

So fun to see Susan Maass and our dear friend Dixie Byrd!

For more than four decades, Susan Maass has stood as one of the bison industry’s most dedicated and influential figures. A pioneering producer, respected judge, longtime association leader, and steadfast advocate for genetic advancement, she has poured her energy, expertise, and heart into elevating bison ranching from its early days to a modern, professional sector. Peers consistently describe her as a “truly wonderful person, amazing bison producer, and just a great friend” and it's all completly true.. she is an amazing person, who is always ready with “a hand when you need it and a smile when you don’t.”Humble Beginnings and Building a Quality Herd".

Susan’s journey began in 1983 when she met Merle Maass, who dreamed of raising buffalo. Together they founded Colorado Bison Company (later CBC Bison) and bought their first three animals from legendary breeder Tony Heim, who emphasized selective, single-sire breeding. Committed to excellence from day one, they focused on registered, high-quality breeding stock rather than volume.The operation grew into a cow-calf enterprise with an emphasis on genetics and management. They maintained multiple single-sire herds (no teaser bulls), sold meat in Colorado and South Dakota, and carefully preserved hides—especially the beautiful ones from their darker animals. At its peak in South Dakota, the herd numbered 90–120 cows across four pastures, depending on conditions.Their dedication paid off. CBC Bison earned Producer of the Year honors in 1994, 2000, and 2010—earning the rare “bookends” around the Tony Heim Producer Award (named after the breeder who inspired them). They also produced and sold standout bulls such as CBC Chief Joseph and CBC Sioux Raindance at record-setting prices, supported by detailed pedigrees and advertising. Dad's favorite ever bull Tankashala, came from CBC bison about 25 years ago. Just a flipping beauitiful animal.

Trailblazing Leadership in Shows, Sales, and JudgingIn 1985, Susan took on the role of Show Chair for the Gold Trophy Show and Sale (GTSS) at the National Western Stock Show, partnering with Sale Chairman Bob Dineen (will get to Bob soon, heck of a great guy). Together they transformed the event: introducing the Producer of the Year award, upgrading trophies to bronzes, bringing operations in-house, improving the sale catalog, and turning it into a profit center for the American Bison Association (now part of the National Bison Association).Her judging career broke new ground. She became the first woman to judge both the GTSS and the Canadian National Bison Show (in 1996 and 1997).

She went on to judge shows for associations in Quebec, the Northwest, Wisconsin, and Dakota Territory’s “Girls Gone Wild,” often alongside legend Bill Lenton. Her fair, knowledgeable eye helped raise standards across the industry. Championing the North American Bison Registry (NABR) One of Susan’s most significant and enduring contributions is her work with the North American Bison Registry. She succeeded Merle as chair of the NABR committee in 1985 and led it through a critical technological shift.Under her leadership, the registry moved from older red blood cell (RBC) parentage testing to a modern DNA-based system (implemented around 1999–2001). This transition dramatically improved accuracy, reduced errors, enabled future genetic research into disease resistance, longevity, rate of gain, and other traits, and strengthened collaboration between U.S. and Canadian registries. Today, the NABR continues advancing tools like the Plains/Woods test for verifying breed percentages and exploring combined registries—work Susan remains deeply involved in because she sees its potential to unlock bison’s “spiritual and survivor power” at the genetic level. Life on the Land and an Unbreakable BondSusan has experienced the full spectrum of ranch life—the triumphs, the challenges, and even surviving a serious goring by a bull. She speaks movingly about the animals themselves: “Bison are amazing. I could watch them for hours. Their intelligence, their instincts for survival and mostly their physical power and spiritual power are immeasurable. I love this animal. And they are gorgeous.”

She also treasures the people: “As a bonus they attract the most interesting and loyal people that I have ever known; from countless diverse backgrounds.”After selling the South Dakota ranch and herd around 2013 to the Cammack family (who have repeatedly praised the quality of her genetics), Susan stayed “all in.” She has kept memberships in seven bison associations, served as President and now Secretary of the Western Bison Association, sat on the National Bison Association Winter Conference Committee for over a decade, and continues attending events focused on regenerative grazing, herd health, nutrition, and genetics. She even compiled and edited Bison Review for 15 years. (I am working on getting that all scanned and digitized with the SDSU Bison Center of excellence, it's not a fast process)

A Lasting Legacy Today, Susan remains active—still listed with CBC Bison in Colorado, visible at conferences (often with her beloved dog Jack, one of my favorite animals ever), and deeply engaged with the NABR’s future. Her story is one of quiet, consistent excellence: selective breeding when few others did it, professionalizing major shows and sales, pioneering as a female judge and leader, and driving the industry toward science-based genetics.As one recent tribute put it: “Susan has been ‘all in’ on bison, bison raisers, bison associations” for more than 40 years.Whether you’re a longtime producer, a new rancher, or simply someone who appreciates the return of bison to the prairie, Susan Maass’s contributions have helped make the industry stronger, more professional, and more connected. She is, without question, one of its favorite and most respected people, and we love her so much.

Spice Rubbed Bison Tri-Tip- Flipping delicious.

From the MN Bison Association.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed or very finely minced
1 3-pound bison tri-tip roast

Instructions

Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, rosemary, cayenne and garlic. Rub seasoning mixture into all sides of tri-tip roast.
Cover roast and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.
Let roast sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. Meanwhile, preheat grill for indirect heat. (Cooking over natural hardwood lump charcoal or with woodchips is recommended.)
Grill roast over direct heat on both sides until a crust develops, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Move roast to indirect heat; cover and grill approximately 20 minutes, or until meat reaches 130 degrees in the thickest part of the roast.
Let meat rest at least 10 minutes before slicing against the grain. (Note that the tri-tip roast has two sections with the grain running in a different direction in each. For best results, cut the roast where those sections meat, and slice each portion separately against its grain.)

Just a heads up, we are down to 24 pairs of B.o.s.s in LG and 5 2packs of Med No-Shows.

And that big shipment had a whole bunch of extra Red Dog Kids Trekker socks we weren't expecting, so gonna offer up a deal on them this weekend.