Finishing location and rangeland biodiversity influence the carcass characteristics, meat quality, and terroir of grass-finished bison (Bison bison) bulls

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of finishing location and rangeland biodiversity on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and terroir of grass-finished bison ( Bison bison ) bulls. To evaluate the effect of finishing location, bison bulls were grass-finished on native rangeland in three geographically distinct locations of the Great Plains: 1) Kansas (n = 42 bulls), 2) Nebraska (n = 45 bulls), or 3) Montana (n = 89 bulls). To compare the effect of rangeland biodiversity, bulls in Montana were separated into two finishing pastures with differing levels of rangeland biodiversity: 1) a biodiverse rangeland (BR, n = 45 bulls) or 2) a limited biodiversity rangeland (LBR, n = 44 bulls). Only BR bulls were utilized for comparisons among finishing locations. Bulls entered their respective finishing phase at approximately 30 months of age. At that time, they were separated from their respective breeding herds and allowed to graze for the duration of the finishing period. Final live weight was recorded prior to slaughter, and bulls were slaughtered at approximately 37 months of age. Hot carcass weight (HCW), marbling score, and ribeye area were recorded following carcass chilling. Striploins were collected from a subsample (n = 30 carcasses closest to the average HCW of each treatment). Ultimate pH was measured at the posterior end of the striploin before fabrication into steaks. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), cook loss, proximate composition, and trained subjective sensory evaluation were assessed. Bison from Kansas produced carcasses with lighter HCW, lower marbling scores, and tougher WBSF values compared to Montana and Nebraska. Steaks from Kansas had lower bison identity scores than steaks from Nebraska and Montana. Additionally, Nebraska steaks had greater scores for liver – like and sour aromatic flavor than Montana steaks. Bulls finished on BR produced carcasses with lower marbling scores, greater ash content, and lower WBSF than those finished on an LBR. No differences were observed for subjective texture or flavor attributes. These findings suggest that the finishing environment contributes to variations in carcass characteristics and meat quality, while rangeland biodiversity was less impactful on carcass and meat quality outcomes.