Bison Safari

 On our last day at Custer State Park we decided to go on a Bison Safari.  The American Bison herd here is about 1,400 at this time of year.  In another week they will have a roundup and sell off until there are 1,000 to keep over the winter.  Then, with the spring calving season, the summer number will go back up by four to five hundred.

Since the big Sturgis Motorcycle Gathering brought 30,000 noisy motorcycles to the park just over a week ago, all the bison left the lowlands near the roads and retreated to the backwoods and the hills.  Because of this, there were none to be seen anywhere on the wildlife loop road.  So…the Safari!

Our wonderful guide, Jim, took us out in one of these Jeeps.  He knew exactly where the bison were hiding.  He was careful not to make turns when any cars were present so they could not follow.  We finally took a totally off-road route back to a valley called Robbers’ Roost.  There they were!  Maybe four to five hundred in this location.

In the Jeep we were right in the middle of the herd.  The dominant cows keep their families together and join with other families to make this herd.  Maybe a dozen to twenty families.  Adult males do not stay with the herd.  They are loners.  All the ones we saw were either female or males under the age of three.  We watched and watched as they paid no attention to us. After they reach age three, the males are run off by the cows and they become lone bulls (except for mating season!).

What a great way to finish our stay in the Park.