The largest gathering of the bison community in the past five years will be held July 4-8 in Big Sky, Mont.

The fifth International Bison Conference is being slated as one part celebration of the growth of the bison business, one part planning for future expansion and one part rest and relaxation for the estimated 500 participants from the United States, Canada, Mexico and around the world.

The conference will bring ranchers, researchers, tribal leaders, policymakers, culinary professionals and buffalo enthusiasts to Big Sky for workshops, planning sessions, tours, recreational activities, musical entertainment and more, according to Aaron Paulson, the Montana bison rancher who is heading the conference planning committee.

"We are excited to host this gathering of the international bison community," Paulson says. "The theme, Big Skies, Bright Horizons, really sums up the state of the bison community as we prepare to gather this summer."

The conference is scheduled to kick off July 4 with an all-American get-together at the historic 320 Guest Ranch near Big Sky. Attendees will enjoy an old-fashioned chuck wagon, musical entertainment and recreational activities during the day, before returning to Big Sky for fireworks.

Educational and informational sessions will dominate the morning schedules on July 5-7. Keynote speakers each day include David Hughes of Imperial College in London, James Hurrell, director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and Laurie Demeritt, CEO of the Hartman Group research firm. Breakout sessions will cover the spectrum of herd health issues, bison meat marketing and business expansion.

The Wednesday and Thursday sessions will be held at the Big Sky Resort, and attendees will head to Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch nearby for the Friday events. On Saturday, July 8, an optional tour of Yellowstone National Park is available.

Full conference details, including online registration, are available at ibc2017.com. Early-bird registration rates apply through May 15.

"The area around Big Sky is steeped in the history of bison, so it's a fitting location for the International Bison Conference," says Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison Association. "Great herds of bison shaped the landscape of this region and sustained the Native Americans for centuries. When bison perched on the brink of extinction in the late 1800s, Yellowstone Park housed about 25 surviving animals, while a handful of Montana ranchers gathered up remnants of the decimated herds to create the basis for the nearly 400,000 bison that now thrive in North America."

"We have a lot to celebrate, and even brighter horizons ahead," Carter says.

Source: National Bison Association