Home on the Range in Kansas, at Plumlee Buffalo Ranch

9 miles south of Wamego Kansas, just off of I-70, is the Plumlee Buffalo Ranch. Plumlee Ranch is a 400 acre working ranch, owned and operated by Larry and Shirley Plumlee.

In addition to being a working ranch, they offer private tours...a chance to get up close and personal with animals that have been roaming the Kansas prairie for centuries. Come on out, and let Shirley Plumlee show you around their place!

It was evident to me, during the tour, that the Plumlees take a lot of pride in their buffalo herd. As you come down their road, you are greeted with these beautiful statues.

Our ride! Shirley drove us around in their Kawasaki Mule. They also have a prairie tram, that can accommodate larger groups.

Here's what we came for, the buffalo!

What a great way to spend a few hours! I arrived home a little sun bunt, and my allergies went a little haywire. Sunblock and your favorite allergy pill may be in order.

Visit my Plumlee Buffalo Ranch Tour Playlist on my Youtube Channel for more video of the buffalo.

In their brochure, the Plumlees explain why they believe buffalo are "easier than Cattle"

• efficient Grassland Grazers (they don't over graze!)

• low protein requirements

• low maintenance

• no shots required

• natural "spring time" calving

• no calf pulling required

• low mortality rate

You'll also get the opportunity to feed the catfish in their pond, something that the kids will enjoy.

At the end of the tour, you have a chance to purchase some items from their freezer. We chose meat sticks, summer sausage, and stew meat. The meat sticks and stew were great! Make sure you cook the stew meat a good long time in the slow cooker. I used this recipe for Buffalo Stew (subbed in regular potatoes, and added a little beer and ketchup.)

Buffalo meat is lower fat and calories than beef. It is high in protein, iron, Omega 3's and Omega 6's.

Tours are by appointment only, see the Plumlee Ranch website for more information.

When to go: Tours are given any time that it is nice enough to get out in their open air vehicles. Shirley says that June is a great time to visit. They have dozens of different of wildflowers that bloom on their ranch, and it is a good time to see new calves.

We really enjoyed our tour, and learned a lot about the majestic bison. By the time we left, our tour guide had my husband and I both ready to start up a buffalo ranch of our own!

Looking for more things to do in this area? Check out these pages too:

I'm off to see the Wizard, in Wamego Kansas, because sometimes, there really is no place like home!

All things Oz...The Oz Museum, Wamego Kansas

Wamego City Park, Wamego Kansas

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