Gunnison-area rancher Tad Puckett thinks he's got a winner with yaks. The meat is leaner than beef and juicier than bison, he says. The yak is tough, smart and can be trained like a dog. They're all for the novelty, breeding stock, the occasional Christmas pageant, show biz opportunity, maybe zoos. But yak burgers have a future, Puckett says.
Yaks eat as third as much as cattle and are kinder to the range.
People can make pets of yaks. The animals even produce very warm wool. A yak can pack, too.