The cattle industry is not as profitable as it once was. Less lose occurs in raising elk and bison. They are able to survive the cold better than cattle are. Cattle are more dependent on human intervention. For example elk are able to give birth without our help.
Bison is much leaner than beef.
Ranchers sometimes offer hunting. Movie productions will pay for the use of these wild animals. Elk breeding is an industry similar to that of race horse breeding. Each elk bull can produce about 10 to 40 pounds of velvet a year. As the animal matures, the amount of velvet he produces generally increases.