6 ms·

Ted Turner owned the largest American Bison herd (~45k animals), supplying meat for his "Ted's Montana Grill" restaurants. I don't know much else about the man

Ted Turner owned the largest American Bison herd (~45k animals), supplying meat for his "Ted's Montana Grill" restaurants. I don't know much else about the man, but as a supporter of Bison I can commend that part of his legacy. An impressive vision and execution.

foolfoolz 6mo ago
how do you own a herd
- DANmode 6mo ago
  …
  - TheGrassyKnoll 6mo ago
    Our illustrious president doesn't want any bison. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/us/politics/trump-buffalos-montana.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/us/politics/trump-buffalo...
    - DANmode 6mo ago
      That’s not why the person I’m replying to doesn’t understand the relationship between humans and herds of animals.
- cman1444 6mo ago
  The same way you own anything. You buy it or make (breed) it.
- Fordec 6mo ago
  The same way every beef farmer does.
- jihadjihad 6mo ago
  One head of bison at a time.
- geodel 6mo ago
  First thing one need is herd mentality.
- MyHonestOpinon 6mo ago
  By owning (or renting) the land where it is kept ?
- mekdoonggi 6mo ago
  This comment is low-effort, but in the case you are genuinely confused, the herd refers to the animals on a given ranch. As in, you have a ranch of 100 acres and 100 bison on it. The owner of the ranch owns a herd of 100. The bison aren't roaming free on the land. It would be nice if they were, and there are efforts to restore wild bison herds, but these are commercial herds. Far better than cows and CAFOs.
  - andyjohnson0 6mo ago
    I don't know, but I wonder if your parent commenter is making a philosophical point about the potentially illusory nature of owning a group of semi-wild animals. Like, if the only way you have of asserting your ownership is to use them as a food source, then do you really "own" them? Or do they exist outside and apart from human ideas of property? Or like owning a mountain or a centuries-old tree. Does that even mean anything?
    - maxerickson 6mo ago
      Owning is, like, a human construct man. If you can slaughter a herd of animals without facing any human imposed consequences, it's probably fair within the bounds of language and meaning to say that you own them.
      - andyjohnson0 6mo ago
        Owning might be a human construct; but, arguably, a herd or a mountain or a tree is not. Which I guess was the point I was trying to suggest. See also: Is it possible to own a cat?
        maxerickson 6mo ago
        I'm very open to the possibility that I am missing your point, but my point was that you are playing word games. Do I own this T-shirt if it can burn? Do I own this stick or am I just carrying it for a while? Is this my banana, or does everything belong to the universe?
- Biganon 6mo ago
  In order to own your herd, you need to herd your own
- Lammy 6mo ago
  Here's some good slice of life for you: https://www.youtube.com/@CrossTimbersBison https://www.youtube.com/@CrossTimbersBison
PretzelPirate 6mo ago
> but as a supporter of Bison If you support Bison, why commend someone who killed them for a profit?
- mekdoonggi 6mo ago
  I support them as wildlife, a food source, and ecological resource. If people in the US ate bison instead of cows, it would be a huge benefit for the climate, ecosystem, and our health. If he had not created a profitable enterprise, there would not be 45k wild bison roaming free with the same amount of dollars. It's not like I want bison to die, but if an American is going to eat a bovid, it's much better for it to be a bison. The American great plains are big enough to support vast wild herds and sustainable, profitable enterprises, but in order for that to happen, Americans need to eat bison, not cows.
- ramesh31 6mo ago
  >If you support Bison, why commend someone who killed them for a profit? Because they wouldn't exist otherwise.
- fragmede 6mo ago
  Because the person who killed then for a profit also paid to have them exist, gave them a home and food. In wanting to eat bison meat, he paid to have more bison exist, so there are more bison than if he hadn't killed some of them for eating.
  - thinkingtoilet 6mo ago
    I 100% agree. However, I do think there is room for discussion for someone to ask is that a good thing? It is good if there is more of them if they only exist to be killed? I don't think things like this are black and white. If they only existed in the worst conditions in factory farms my answer would be no. If they can live a good life and be slaughtered humanely my answer would be yes. I think it's easy to dismiss comments like the one you responded to, but I would argue it's always good to think about these things.
idiotsecant 6mo ago
>as a supporter of Bison... I'm not sure I've run into a 'supporter' of a particular type of bovine before. Why? Bison are surely pretty comparable on a lbs mass to methane released ratio when fed with the same diets that cattle are.
- serf 6mo ago
  other bovines didn't get to near-extinction and spring back after years of remediation and lobbying efforts, the American bison did.
  - giglamesh 6mo ago
    [dead]
  - lo_zamoyski 6mo ago
    You might find the European bison interesting [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_bison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_bison
- ethbr1 6mo ago
  One of the last existent species of North American megafauna!
- sfdlkj3jk342a 6mo ago
  Bison are less selective eaters and tend to spread out more, so they're less damaging to grasslands than cattle. They also require less water, antibiotics, and general attention than cattle.
gosub100 6mo ago
I asked a farmer once about if it was possible to switch from cows to bison. he said they need a special fence, because they are so massive (and temperamental) that they will just bust through a normal barbed wire fence. Not sure how true it is but seems plausible. I think he said they need a pen that is dug down, so the bison would have to climb up an incline to reach the fence.
- mekdoonggi 6mo ago
  That is absolutely true. They are also much more resistant to being handled for tagging or vaccinations. Cattle are docile and compliant, and bison are absolutely not.
echelon 6mo ago
He's why Atlanta got the 1996 Olympics. He's responsible for rejuvenating Atlanta. It grew into a reasonable city after he built the TBS, CNN, and Turner Broadcasting empire. Without him, Atlanta may have been closer to a Charlotte in size, and definitely could not have pulled the Olympic games. He gave Atlanta a media presence and those that came after him turned it into a media production hub. He also created Captain Planet, which raised millennials on environmental causes. We wouldn't have had Cartoon Network, Toonami, or Adult Swim without his William Street studios. He briefly owned the Atlanta Braves and was their owner during their 90's World Series win. He funded their stadium, which doubled as the Olympic Stadium during the games (and which is now a part of Georgia State University). He may have created the Georgia Guidestones (sadly they were bombed) and reportedly recorded a secret message not to be played until WWIII / nuclear annihilation. He did a lot of good.
- DANmode 6mo ago
  > He may have created the Georgia Guidestones Go on.
  - echelon 6mo ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones It's an unsubstantiated local rumor: https://rondougherty.com/photoalbum/2010/20101118EasternTripIndex/20101127/20101127.htm https://rondougherty.com/photoalbum/2010/20101118EasternTrip... https://people.howstuffworks.com/georgia-guidestones-monumental-mystery.htm https://people.howstuffworks.com/georgia-guidestones-monumen... https://www.reddit.com/r/Georgia/comments/133x11v/the_fate_of_the_georgia_guidestones/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Georgia/comments/133x11v/the_fate_o...
- DANmode 6mo ago
  > reportedly recorded a secret message https://www.theguardian.com/media/video/2015/jan/06/cnn-end-of-the-world-doomsday-video https://www.theguardian.com/media/video/2015/jan/06/cnn-end-... https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/06/cnn-apocalypse-video-nearer-my-god-to-thee https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/06/cnn-apocalypse...

foolfoolz 6mo ago

how do you own a herd

DANmode 6mo ago
…
- TheGrassyKnoll 6mo ago
  Our illustrious president doesn't want any bison. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/us/politics/trump-buffalos-montana.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/us/politics/trump-buffalo...
  - DANmode 6mo ago
    That’s not why the person I’m replying to doesn’t understand the relationship between humans and herds of animals.
cman1444 6mo ago
The same way you own anything. You buy it or make (breed) it.
Fordec 6mo ago
The same way every beef farmer does.
jihadjihad 6mo ago
One head of bison at a time.
geodel 6mo ago
First thing one need is herd mentality.
MyHonestOpinon 6mo ago
By owning (or renting) the land where it is kept ?
mekdoonggi 6mo ago
This comment is low-effort, but in the case you are genuinely confused, the herd refers to the animals on a given ranch. As in, you have a ranch of 100 acres and 100 bison on it. The owner of the ranch owns a herd of 100. The bison aren't roaming free on the land. It would be nice if they were, and there are efforts to restore wild bison herds, but these are commercial herds. Far better than cows and CAFOs.
- andyjohnson0 6mo ago
  I don't know, but I wonder if your parent commenter is making a philosophical point about the potentially illusory nature of owning a group of semi-wild animals. Like, if the only way you have of asserting your ownership is to use them as a food source, then do you really "own" them? Or do they exist outside and apart from human ideas of property? Or like owning a mountain or a centuries-old tree. Does that even mean anything?
  - maxerickson 6mo ago
    Owning is, like, a human construct man. If you can slaughter a herd of animals without facing any human imposed consequences, it's probably fair within the bounds of language and meaning to say that you own them.
    - andyjohnson0 6mo ago
      Owning might be a human construct; but, arguably, a herd or a mountain or a tree is not. Which I guess was the point I was trying to suggest. See also: Is it possible to own a cat?
      - maxerickson 6mo ago
        I'm very open to the possibility that I am missing your point, but my point was that you are playing word games. Do I own this T-shirt if it can burn? Do I own this stick or am I just carrying it for a while? Is this my banana, or does everything belong to the universe?
Biganon 6mo ago
In order to own your herd, you need to herd your own
Lammy 6mo ago
Here's some good slice of life for you: https://www.youtube.com/@CrossTimbersBison https://www.youtube.com/@CrossTimbersBison

PretzelPirate 6mo ago

> but as a supporter of Bison If you support Bison, why commend someone who killed them for a profit?

mekdoonggi 6mo ago
I support them as wildlife, a food source, and ecological resource. If people in the US ate bison instead of cows, it would be a huge benefit for the climate, ecosystem, and our health. If he had not created a profitable enterprise, there would not be 45k wild bison roaming free with the same amount of dollars. It's not like I want bison to die, but if an American is going to eat a bovid, it's much better for it to be a bison. The American great plains are big enough to support vast wild herds and sustainable, profitable enterprises, but in order for that to happen, Americans need to eat bison, not cows.
ramesh31 6mo ago
>If you support Bison, why commend someone who killed them for a profit? Because they wouldn't exist otherwise.
fragmede 6mo ago
Because the person who killed then for a profit also paid to have them exist, gave them a home and food. In wanting to eat bison meat, he paid to have more bison exist, so there are more bison than if he hadn't killed some of them for eating.
- thinkingtoilet 6mo ago
  I 100% agree. However, I do think there is room for discussion for someone to ask is that a good thing? It is good if there is more of them if they only exist to be killed? I don't think things like this are black and white. If they only existed in the worst conditions in factory farms my answer would be no. If they can live a good life and be slaughtered humanely my answer would be yes. I think it's easy to dismiss comments like the one you responded to, but I would argue it's always good to think about these things.

idiotsecant 6mo ago

>as a supporter of Bison... I'm not sure I've run into a 'supporter' of a particular type of bovine before. Why? Bison are surely pretty comparable on a lbs mass to methane released ratio when fed with the same diets that cattle are.

serf 6mo ago
other bovines didn't get to near-extinction and spring back after years of remediation and lobbying efforts, the American bison did.
- giglamesh 6mo ago
  [dead]
- lo_zamoyski 6mo ago
  You might find the European bison interesting [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_bison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_bison
ethbr1 6mo ago
One of the last existent species of North American megafauna!
sfdlkj3jk342a 6mo ago
Bison are less selective eaters and tend to spread out more, so they're less damaging to grasslands than cattle. They also require less water, antibiotics, and general attention than cattle.

gosub100 6mo ago

I asked a farmer once about if it was possible to switch from cows to bison. he said they need a special fence, because they are so massive (and temperamental) that they will just bust through a normal barbed wire fence. Not sure how true it is but seems plausible. I think he said they need a pen that is dug down, so the bison would have to climb up an incline to reach the fence.

mekdoonggi 6mo ago
That is absolutely true. They are also much more resistant to being handled for tagging or vaccinations. Cattle are docile and compliant, and bison are absolutely not.

echelon 6mo ago

He's why Atlanta got the 1996 Olympics. He's responsible for rejuvenating Atlanta. It grew into a reasonable city after he built the TBS, CNN, and Turner Broadcasting empire. Without him, Atlanta may have been closer to a Charlotte in size, and definitely could not have pulled the Olympic games. He gave Atlanta a media presence and those that came after him turned it into a media production hub. He also created Captain Planet, which raised millennials on environmental causes. We wouldn't have had Cartoon Network, Toonami, or Adult Swim without his William Street studios. He briefly owned the Atlanta Braves and was their owner during their 90's World Series win. He funded their stadium, which doubled as the Olympic Stadium during the games (and which is now a part of Georgia State University). He may have created the Georgia Guidestones (sadly they were bombed) and reportedly recorded a secret message not to be played until WWIII / nuclear annihilation. He did a lot of good.

DANmode 6mo ago
> He may have created the Georgia Guidestones Go on.
- echelon 6mo ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones It's an unsubstantiated local rumor: https://rondougherty.com/photoalbum/2010/20101118EasternTripIndex/20101127/20101127.htm https://rondougherty.com/photoalbum/2010/20101118EasternTrip... https://people.howstuffworks.com/georgia-guidestones-monumental-mystery.htm https://people.howstuffworks.com/georgia-guidestones-monumen... https://www.reddit.com/r/Georgia/comments/133x11v/the_fate_of_the_georgia_guidestones/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Georgia/comments/133x11v/the_fate_o...
DANmode 6mo ago
> reportedly recorded a secret message https://www.theguardian.com/media/video/2015/jan/06/cnn-end-of-the-world-doomsday-video https://www.theguardian.com/media/video/2015/jan/06/cnn-end-... https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/06/cnn-apocalypse-video-nearer-my-god-to-thee https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/06/cnn-apocalypse...