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

Happy Saturday Friends!

Hope you are having a wonderful Easter Weekend! Hope you get to spend it with family and friends! Things here are good, It was a great week, we got a lot of things done, and there is still plenty yet to do, only 36 projects behind at the moment...

As we roll into April 2026, the American bison is having a banner year—and the news keeps getting better. Every healthy herd means stronger prairies and woodlands. We have a great "Bison Bash" story to share later this week from the North American Bison Discovery center... have to write that up. Here are the details though. This group has done some great things, and I am looking forward to heading up there for this. There is also a Bison Baby Shower happening May 16th at the Lucky B Bison ranch in Bryan Texas. Beverly and Donnis are just absolutely wonderful folks, this is gonna be a great one too!

We might have to try and aquire some camel fiber, as there was more than a little interest in the stuff, it was just a joke, us being silly. We are however getting our bison fiber harvest scoured right now, and it will be heading to the mill in Wisconsin shortly to get dehaired and spun into yarn...It will take a while, but Crescent spinning mill has done an excellent job of getting stuff done, they have Trekker and Pro-gear yarns heading to the sock mill right now. Should have a decent supply of both of those before too long. Hate being out of so much stuff, but it kind of is the nature of our mission.

The Youngest has finished her Japan travel guides, and if you want to check them out... here is her Etsy Shop She is doing a really good job on these... kinda fun getting to see her figure things out.

From all of us here to all of you there: Wishing you a peaceful, warm, and reflective Easter Sunday. May your world be as blessed as we feel ours is.

Ron, T, Stacy, Paula, Piggy Wrangler, and the rest of the BWC Crew

Only one real story in here today, and it's kinda long, but definitely worth the read, from a great producer and friend, and then a little bit about our newest partner Rogue Leathers, and if you want to shop, you will probably have to click the "read more bit"

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! and if you are local, and could use some naturally colored eggs for Easter, hit us up, have plenty to share.

CBC Bison: From the Western Bison Association.

We have known and loved Ms. Susan for many many years, truly wonderful person, amazing bison producer, and just a great friend. Did get to spend a little time with her on this last trip to Colorado. Thought you would enjoy this story she wrote. Susan has been "all in" on bison, bison raisers, bison associations - a hand when you need it and a smile when you don't.

Dad bought his second bull - Tankashala (means "Grandfather" in Lakota) - from CBC at a Gold Trophy Auction in Denver, probably 30+ years ago? I don't remember exactly

by Susan Maass

Writing this ranch review is not something I have wanted to do. I do not want to brag about my history in bison but that is what it has become, beginning 43 years ago. When I met Merle Maass he always wanted to raise buffalo. So that was what we did, under the Colorado Bison Co. name which he registered in the state of Colorado and insisted that I not use when we divorced 30 years later. So I use CBC Bison, still known for registered bison. We had bought our first three bison from Tony Heim in 1983. He was the only one doing selective breeding by single siring breeding herds. If we were going to do this, they had to be good ones.

I was first asked to be Show Chair for the GTSS the same year the board made Bob Dineen the Sale Chairman, I believe in 1985. Bob and I made numerous changes to the GTSS which made it the crown jewel of bison competition that it became and still is today. We started Producer of the Year and upgraded the trophies to bronzes. We took on the jobs that a third party had been doing, upgraded the sale catalog, and made it a profit center for the ABA, which was the American Buffalo Association at that time.

About the same time, I offered to take on the NABR, the North American Bison Registry. This was before DNA had been discovered. We used a red blood cell test to prove parentage. Very few producers were registering bison. CBC bison were registered and we ran single sire pastures, not an easy thing to do. CBC Bison won Producer of the Year in 1994. In 1996 I was asked to judge both the GTSS and the Canadian National, and again in 1997. (First woman to judge both bison events). We were pretty low on animal numbers to compete so I agreed to judge. Along the way, we sold bulls like CBC Chief Joseph and CBC Sioux Raindance for record-setting prices, backed by advertising that included pedigrees. That was in 1998 and 2000. Colorado Bison Co. was also Producer of the Year in 2000 and 2010. Only a few of us can boast earning “bookends” from the Producer of the Year Award that became the Tony Heim Producer Award following his tragic death in 1994, founder of the GTSS at the NWSS. I also judged in Quebec, the NW Bison Association, Wisconsin Bison Association and Girls Gone Wild for DTBA. I had the very special honor of judging with the infamous Bill Lenton, a Canadian legend, twice.

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. As a bonus they attract the most interesting and loyal people that I have ever known; from countless diverse backgrounds. Which explains why I continue to be involved in the industry thirteen years after selling the ranch and the herd. I keep memberships in seven bison associations, was President of and currently Secretary for Western Bison, have been on the NBA Winter Conference Committee for over 10 years, and continue with my main interest, the NABR. I attend as many bison conferences as I can. Regenerative management, herd health, nutrition, genetics, and anything bison will always occupy my time. With the help of many of you writing great articles for Bison Review, I managed to put it together for 15 years.

Colorado Bison Co. was a cow/calf operation with emphasis on quality breeding stock. We sold meat in CO and I sold meat in SD. I saved every hide from butcher bulls, prepped them and got them to Moyles for tanning. The herd had a considerable number of dark animals so the hides were beautiful.

We started out with one herd, then two herds, bought more land and by the time we found the ranch in SD I would run from 90 to 120 cows depending on drought, always in four herds, only one bull each. No teaser bulls. Later on Boyd Meyer bought my lesser bulls and I was always proud when he told me they finished well under his strict demands for a profitable result.

I admit that I joined the ranks of those that have survived getting gorged by a bull. I believe there are more of us than realized. That got me a chopper ride to Rapid City Regional Hospital. After four forks I was able to roll under a pipe corral panel and later learned that the worse wound missed my femoral artery by a couple millimeters. It could have been much worse.

Our last location was in South Dakota, the bests eight years of my life. Merle had lost interest in the animals by then, so I managed CBC by myself. John Cammack helped me work animals and I was always so grateful for his help. Little did I realize how immensely grateful I have become to John and Melanie. When Merle announced one day that he wanted the ranch and the animals sold before his 70th birthday, I was devastated. The ranch was paid off, the animals were doing great and after about three months of trying to figure out how I could financially keep it, I settled in on getting ready for an auction to include the herd and the property.

Then one day John drove in and said he wanted to buy the herd; cows and bulls. He never asked me to lower the price. I think it may have been only seconds before I said yes! They would all be going to the same place. I wouldn’t have to watch them be auctioned off. No testing because they were staying in SD. And mostly they would be joining an excellent herd with people that appreciate good animals.

Little did I realize how much the Cammack's stroked my ego bragging about the Colorado cows. The first was Melanie saying after their first calves were born that buying Susan’s cows was the best thing they ever did. Mind you the Cammack’s have made many good decisions! Then awhile later I heard John telling someone wanting to buy heifers from the CBC cows that he didn’t sell any heifer’s from Susan’s cows. Again this past GTSS John mentioned them during the podcast being made. I smiled and cried. This is what keeps me going; the friends and the animal, my reputation, and admittedly, my ego.

Bison are so special. Working with the NABR has special significance for me because it will contribute to be a huge future for the bison industry. Markers will be discovered allowing us to learn more about disease resistance, disease susceptibility, longevity, ancient genes, and even rate of gain genetics. Getting their DNA to verify parentage is only one tool available through the NABR. We are working closely with the Canadian Registry and use their Plains/Woods test to verify percentages of each. We are also working on combining both registries. Why is the bison so powerful spiritually and as a survivor? We all know they are but what if we discover DNA that scientifically unravels it genetically? What if some medical breakthrough for people is discovered from bison?

Between now and dead, it’s definitely bison, and I am not alone on that score.

Friends we work with: Rogue Industries

At Buffalo Wool Co., we’re always on the lookout for partners who share our deep respect for American bison and a commitment to exceptional quality. That’s why we love working with Rogue Industries, the small family-owned leather goods shop just outside Portland, Maine.

Rogue’s bison leather goods stand out for their unmatched durability and natural beauty. Their signature American Bison Leather Front Pocket Wallet (I have been carrying one for a few months now, and love it, just fits well in the pocket and is bulletproof tough)

Everything is hand-stitched right in their solar-powered Maine workshop. Made from chrome-free, vegetable-tanned American bison leather, each piece features a rich, distinctive grain that only gets better with time. Slim, RFID-blocking, and incredibly comfortable for front-pocket carry, these wallets are lightweight yet tough enough to handle years of daily use—customers regularly report them lasting a decade or more. Their American-made ethos, ethical sourcing, and two-year warranty align perfectly with our own values of supporting U.S. bison ranchers and creating products that last a lifetime. We’re proud to partner with them, Quality like this doesn’t come around every day—thanks, Rogue!

Production news: Got some yarns skeined off and dyed some of the bison silk.. did red, green, brilliant blue, and some hot pink.

Kim has been busy too, now has the bison balm, some mason jar candles and a bison tallow dish soap kit... so we have put together a new Bison Tallow Collection