The Hi Mountain Bison & Buffalo Hunts FAQs
If you're getting ready to come visit us for your buffalo hunt, you probably have a few questions. Here are some frequently asked questions you can look over. If you don't find what you're looking for, we have a few other topics covered in more depth on other web pages, and you can contact us through email or over the phone.
1) What can we expect during a bison hunt at Hi Mountain Bison & Buffalo Hunts?
Hunts in the past have taken as few as two hours but no longer that eight. You arrive at our ranch house at your scheduled time and we go through a safety orientation and an overview of the hunt. The herd runs on the ranch all year long which is adjacent to the ranch house. We leave the ranch house in one or more vehicles and proceed to the herd by following a private road. The herd runs on a plateau above the town of Peoa, Utah at 6,300 ft. above sea level. We find the targeted animal, and harvest it. A guide will be with you at all times.
2) What type of weapons are acceptable?
We usually hunt with rifles. We recommend a caliber of .270 through .338. Larger calibers are acceptable, but not necessary. Placement of shot is more important than caliber or grain of bullet. Bows are permitted with a rifle back up. Please have the rifle sighted in, and know how to shoot it. Some hand gun usage is permitted, but please check with us about your specific model.
3) What happens after the animal is down?
We have equipment to handle the animal and get it in your vehicle. Gutting of the animal is included in the base price.
4) Do you offer to skin the buffalo/bison?
We suggest you take the animal to the butcher to have it skinned. However, we do skin by special arrangement for $125 on medium sized animals - mostly for out-of-state hunters. We will “half” the animal or do a “modified” quartering of the animal for a few more dollars.
5) What clothing should we bring?
You can hunt year round on our ranch. Temperatures are around 85 degrees in the summer, but go as low as 30 below zero in the winter. We also get a lot of wind and snow. Sometimes if snow is really deep, we hunt from snowmobiles. Please come prepared with warm clothing, shoes, and gloves in case they are needed.
6) What safety precautions are followed?
Safety is very important. Please be aware of all safe handling procedures for guns and knives. Always point a gun in a safe direction; always treat a gun as if it was loaded; keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to shoot; keep your gun on safe until you intend to shoot. Watch knives, especially if more than one is used at a time. We sometimes have ice and snow and surfaces are slick. Bison are dangerous game. Always follow your guide’s instructions.
7) When is the best time to hunt a buffalo?
Most buffalo are hunted from September through February when the robes are good. If you do not want a robe and are more interested in the buffalo’s meat, summer is really good as animals are growing and carry more fat.
8) Can I get the robe tanned and the head cleaned (European mount) or get a shoulder mount?
Yes, we offer tanning at $18 a square foot, which will take about 8 months to complete. We can get the heads cleaned for about $250; a shoulder mount is about $1,200 and takes about 8 months. For those who do not want to wait for hides to be tanned, we keep some on hand, already tanned for $20 a square foot. We also have some heads cleaned for $250 to $300. In addition, you can purchase bison canes, shoe horns and jogging budys for sale.
9) What about lodging?
You can find lodging available in Coalville, Utah, which is 15 miles from the ranch or in Heber, Utah, 22 miles away.
10) Can we take pictures or video?
Yea, both are permitted.
11) Can we bring observers?
Yes, within reason. We allow observers 10 years and up, with a caretaker for children. One or two adult observers are ok.
12) What is the history of the bison and buffalo on your ranch?
Around one-half are raised on our ranch. Our seed herd came from some of the best herds available in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, California, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota and Canada. We have some Wood bison, the rest are American Planes Bison.
13) How long have you been in business?
For 16 years. Before that, we were booking agents for Ted Turner and his ranch in Montana where we gained extensive experience with bison hunting.