Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup

Oct 2, 2014

The 49th annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup took place last Friday in the southern Black Hills. Photos by James Costanzo. See more of his work at facebook.com/Costanzophotos.

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Park employees and volunteers gathered about 1,200 buffalo into corrals.
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They use horses and vehicles to bring the buffalo together.
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They use horses and vehicles to bring the buffalo together.
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The Custer State Park herd is one of the largest in the state.
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Once rounded up, some buffalo are branded, vaccinated and checked for pregnancy.
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About 270 will be sold at the park's annual auction on November 15.
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Each year, the roundup draws as many as 14,000 spectators from around the world.
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Each year, the roundup draws as many as 14,000 spectators from around the world.

Comments

02:07 pm - Fri, October 3 2014

MIKE TODD said:

WHY IS THERE AN ANNUAL BUFFALO ROUND UP? WHY ARE 250 AUCTONED OFF?. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE 250?. IS THERE NOT ENOUGH OPEN RANGE TO LET THE BUFFALO HERD INCREASE NATURALLY?

02:26 pm - Fri, October 3 2014

John Andrews said:

Mike, as I understand it, between 200 and 500 buffalo are auctioned every year to keep the herd size in check with available forage. The park wouldn't be able to fully support the herd if numbers grow too large. The animals are sold to people from around the country. They are generally purchased to supplement a herd, start a new herd or simply to eat.

05:02 pm - Fri, October 3 2014

Marilyn Sour Rundberg said:

There is a herd of buffalo near our cabin on Enemy Swim Lake. They have been habitants of this area for close to 20 years. This past summer, I stopped and took a picture of them as they were clustered close to the blacktop road. What a thrill!

07:55 pm - Mon, October 6 2014

Stuart Surma said:

I must have been just to your left & above you- I have the almost identical picture!! That antelope racing through the buffalo was a thrill!! He tried 2 or 3 times to go through the gate, but didn't like the buffalo! Then he whirled through the buffalo herd & the buffalo just scattered! Then the antelope just jumped the fence- & landed in the buffalo pens! It was my second time there - was there 2 years ago. Stu Surma

03:58 pm - Tue, October 7 2014

Bob & Judy Curtis said:

We have stayed at Custer State Park three times while on vacations. Last visit there in 2013 we had three buffalo spend the night right outside the front porch at our cabin at Blue Bell Lodge. Awesome ! Sat on front porch next morning and drank coffee and watched them wake up and graze.

09:16 am - Sat, October 18 2014

Jon Graves said:

1990 drove around Custer State Park telling the family we were going to see buffalo!!! Finally I was driving on back roads (paths) and after an hour we saw one buffalo. It was a tough sale to my then teenage daughter who was sure her Father was nuts.

11:37 am - Thu, November 13 2014

Steve said:

Our family drove out to Custer to camp for a week. On the way into the park it was late at night. I told my young kids to watch for Buffalo, and they kept asking when are we going to see a Buffalo. Well , we rounded a bend in the road and there stood a huge bull next to the road. It was amazing and that was only the first of many great sights we saw that week.