Add the bacon to a cold skillet over medium heat. Fully cook the bacon before transferring to a paper towel and adding the onion, salt, and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until the onions are soft and begin to pick up some color. Stir in the chipotle peppers and cook until fragrant, about 60-90 seconds. Transfer to a separate dish and place in the freezer while you preheat the grill.

Preheat your smoker to 225ºF with the lid closed.

Once the onion mixture has cooled to at least room temperature, chop or crumble the bacon into small pieces and add to the onions along with the shredded cheddar. Pat the ground bison dry with paper towels before adding to the mixture. Use your hands to break the bison apart and mix everything together evenly.

Divide the mixture into seven 6-ounce patties with rounded edges, doing your best to avoid over handling. Make the patties slightly larger than your buns. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt and pepper or your choice of seasoning over the patties. (For evenly sized burgers, I recommend weighing the entire burger mixture and dividing by the number of burgers you want. Smaller/larger sized burgers will have slightly different cook times.)

Smoke the burgers at 225ºF for 1 hour or until the centers reach an internal temperature of 140ºF. Once the burgers hit 140ºF in the center, continue cooking an additional 12 minutes* before adding a slice of cheese to each and cooking an additional 5 minutes with the lid closed to melt.

Serve the burgers on toasted buns with guacamole and pickled onions or your choice of burger toppings.