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Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup

September 29, 2008, Custer State Park, South Dakota


FACT SHEET

Buffalo Roundup and Auction  |  Custer State Park  |  Bison Facts
 

The ground rumbles and the dust flies as nearly 1,500 bison stampede across the South Dakota prairie. Each fall, Custer State Park in the Black Hills hosts an old-fashioned Buffalo Roundup. It's a once-in-a-lifetime sight for travelers who enjoy a front-row seat as wranglers on horseback and park rangers in pickups urge the herd forward.
 

Buffalo Roundup and Auction

The annual Buffalo Roundup takes place near the Custer State Park buffalo corrals on Wildlife Loop Road. Rounding up the herd of approximately 1,500 bison is a daunting task. It falls to volunteer wranglers (picked for their riding prowess) and park personnel to gather the bison into one herd and steer the animals to the corrals. They use horses and pickups to complete this task. While it actually takes several days to round up the herd, the only opportunity for public viewing is the Monday of the Buffalo Roundup.

Visitors watch the action from designated viewing areas near the corrals. The excitement builds as the herd crests a prairie hill and pours into a valley. Visitors are close enough to feel the earth shake and to get a coating of dust as the herd thunders by.

After the roundup, the animals are sorted, branded and vaccinated. Surplus bison are sold at an auction in November, while breeding bulls are selected to remain with the herd. Visitors can watch all of this activity and enjoy a chuckwagon cookout with traditional Western fare, including barbeque buffalo, cowboy beans and potato salad. Custer State Park uses the annual roundup and auction to reduce its herd, to prevent overgrazing.

Two days of activities lead up to the roundup and include a Western-themed art festival held near the park's State Game Lodge and an annual buffalo chili cookoff.

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Custer State Park

Encompassing 71,000 acres of rugged granite peaks, mountain meadows and rolling prairies, Custer State Park presents a cross-section of Black Hills topography. The largest of South Dakota's state parks, it was established in 1919 as a wildlife preserve.

Today, the park is home to a herd of approximately 1,500 bison – one of the world's largest publicly-owned herds – that roam freely throughout the park. In addition to bison, the park provides habitat for pronghorn, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, coyotes, elk, white-tailed and mule deer, and many other species of animals.

Recreational opportunities abound within Custer State Park. Popular activities include hiking, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding, camping, rock climbing and wildlife watching. Park personnel lead activities such as guided nature walks, Junior Naturalist programs and evening campfire programs. The Black Hills Playhouse presents a summer season of theatrical performances.

Three scenic drives meander through the park. Needles Highway slices through towering granite formations and around hairpin curves. Iron Mountain Road offers spectacular views of Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the surrounding forest. The Wildlife Loop Road runs through prime wildlife-viewing country.

Visitors can stay in four unique resorts located within the park, or they can set up camp in one of seven campgrounds.

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Bison Facts

  • Bison are the largest wild land mammals in North America. Bulls can stand up to 6 feet tall at the shoulders and weigh more than 2,000 pounds. Cows average approximately 1,200 pounds.
  • South Dakota is the nation's leading producer of bison.
  • A member of the cattle family, bison have cloven hooves and chew cud.
  • Early French explorers called the animals "les boeufs" or "oxen." The name underwent several modifications until it became the present "buffalo." Buffalo is now a common nickname for the American Plains bison.
  • "Tatanka" is the name the Lakota use for bison. Historically, the Lakota people relied on the tatanka for food, clothing and shelter. They used hides to make footwear, clothing and tipis. Sinew was used as thread for sewing, and bones were made into tools.
  • Bison are plant eaters and feed primarily on grasses. They prefer to move, commonly traveling six miles a day.
  • Bison bulls reach their prime at about six years old. The normal life expectancy for a bison is 20 years, with some living up to 40 years.
  • The bison's most distinguishing characteristic is its hump, a bony ridge caused by an elongated backbone vertebrae. Both bulls and cows have horns.
  • Although they may seem slow and lethargic, bison can move very fast. They can run at speeds in excess of 45 mph and can turn very quickly.
  • Bulls, which are usually solitary or found in small groups, join the rest of the herd during mating season.
  • At their peak, an estimated 60 million bison roamed the plains of North America. That number was reduced to an estimated 600 at one time. Today, more than 100,000 bison exist in North America.

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