How To Legally Own A Bison In Utah

You Can Own a Bison in Utah?

Dave and I spend half the summer warning tourists not to pet, approach, or selfie with bison — because bison toss people like decorative throw pillows. And yet, tucked inside Utah’s wildlife rules is a curveball: you can legally own a bison.

How Utah Allows Private Bison Ownership

Utah’s wildlife regulations divide animals into three buckets or corrals: noncontrolled, controlled, and prohibited species. Most big game — elk, moose, mountain goats — fall into the prohibited category for personal possession. But the American bison is a notable exception. In Utah’s official Birds and Mammals Classification Table, bison appear under Domestic mammals and mammalian livestock not covered under this rule. In other words, the state treats privately owned bison more like livestock than wildlife.

This classification is why ranches across Utah legally raise bison for meat, conservation, or novelty — even while wild bison remain strictly protected and famously dangerous.

What You Must Do to Legally Own a Bison

Owning a bison isn’t a casual hobby. Utah’s rules require owners to meet strict standards for public safety, humane care, containment, and facility suitability. The state can impose requirements for fencing, veterinary care, feeding, and handling to ensure the animal is managed safely and responsibly.

There are some other considerations you should be aware of if you are thinking of getting a pet bison:

• You would need a very big chair to make them a lap pet.
• They might show you their undying love by launching you high enough to count your roof tiles.
• Those horns are attached to a strong, stubborn head
• Just because you own it, the bison might not consider your feelings first.

So yeah, don’t confuse “privately owned” with “safe.” and don't be surprised when Dave and I continue to warn you to keep your distance from them.