Beldon Bison Ranch in Saskatchewan: History, Herd, How It Makes Money and Contact Notes
Profile updated November 2026
Beldon Bison Ranch is a family bison operation southwest of Nipawin, Saskatchewan, started in 1987 by Don and Paulette Scott. The Western Producer reported about 400 cows, sales of breeding stock, and a role hosting the Canadian Bull Bison Draft.
| Location | Southwest of Nipawin, Saskatchewan |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 |
| Sectors | Bison breeding stock; bison for slaughter; hay and pasture |
| Scale | About 400 cows (Western Producer, 2016); a Harvest Hosts listing describes a 4,800-acre family ranch |
| Why it is notable | Three decades of bison production; hosts the Canadian Bull Bison Draft; family leadership in bison associations |
| Ownership | Don and Paulette Scott, with son Nathan and wife Amanda |
| Official website | Western Producer 2016 profile (no official website found) |
History of Beldon Bison Ranch
Don and Paulette Scott started the ranch in 1987 on 160 acres of sandy land, buying 10 bred cows at $2,500 each and adding 10 more a year later. The family lived through price swings, the early 2000s downturn, a drought and the border closure that followed the BSE crisis.
Their son Nathan returned to the ranch about five years before the 2016 article, after working in the oil patch while the border was closed. The Harvest Hosts listing says the family has held leadership roles in the Saskatchewan Bison Association and national bison events.
What Beldon Bison Ranch Grows and Raises
By 2016 the family owned about 400 cows and also fed other producers' animals, with two part-time workers. The ranch grows some of its own hay, uses straw from local grass seed producers and keeps cows on pasture all winter. Each couple owns its own cows while the partnership owns the feeder animals.
The ranch sells breeding stock, mainly bulls, and ships most slaughter animals to Rocky Mountain Natural Meats in Brush, Colorado. It also hosts the Canadian Bull Bison Draft, which had 37 yearling bulls consigned that year. A Harvest Hosts listing now describes a 4,800-acre ranch that hosts overnight RV stays.
How Beldon Bison Ranch Makes Money
Breeding stock
The ranch sells breeding animals, mainly bulls, through sales and the bull draft. Seedstock typically earns more per head than slaughter animals, though prices are not published here.
Slaughter bison
Most slaughter animals ship to Rocky Mountain Natural Meats in Colorado, a processor named in the 2016 Western Producer article.
Custom feeding and hosting
The family feeds other producers' animals and hosts the bull draft. A Harvest Hosts listing adds an RV overnight option.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Beldon Bison Ranch
Lesson one: stay in a niche through the cycles. The Scotts survived price swings, drought and the BSE border closure with a small, focused herd. Lesson two: share ownership clearly. Each couple owns its own cows and the partnership owns feeder animals.
Lesson three: use low-cost feed. Pasture year round, local straw and home-grown hay keep winter feeding costs down for a hardy species.
Bison do not care about your fence spec, your plan or your feelings, which is why anyone who has raised them for 35-plus years deserves a medal. At farm.FM we publish farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, and the Nipawin ranch that grew from 10 cows into a bull draft host has our admiration. We keep a respectful distance and a very long stick for the punchlines.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
How to Contact Beldon Bison Ranch
Website: https://www.producer.com/2016/02/bison-breeders-see-future-in-big-beasts/
The article says the ranch has a website for breeding stock sales but gives no address, and no phone or email was found. The Western Producer article is the best verified public page. Contact the Saskatchewan Bison Association for introductions and confirm visits first.
Beldon Bison Ranch Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Western Producer: Bison breeders see future in big beasts - 2016 profile of the ranch
- Harvest Hosts: Beldon Bison Bonanza - Listing with ranch size and family
- Saskatchewan Bison Association - Provincial bison producer group
- Government of Saskatchewan: Bison - Provincial ministry resources
- Statistics Canada: Canadian Agriculture at a Glance - 2021 Census of Agriculture context
Beldon Bison Ranch FAQ
Where is Beldon Bison Ranch?
Southwest of Nipawin, Saskatchewan.
When did it start?
In 1987, when Don and Paulette Scott bought 10 bred cows.
What does it sell?
Breeding stock, mainly bulls, and slaughter bison.
What is the Canadian Bull Bison Draft?
A sale of yearling bulls that the ranch hosts.
Beldon Bison Ranch is a durable family operation in a niche livestock sector. For more Saskatchewan operations and provincial context, see the Saskatchewan farms guide on this site.