Day 20 – On Safari

The southern portion of Custer State Park is known for the wildlife that visitors can see. You can take a number of different roads in the park, but the “wildlife loop” road circuits the rangeland of the park and offers the highest likelihood of some sightings.

We spent an afternoon slowly driving the road. Although we had already seen many white-tail deer in other parts of the park, we did see some other animals too.  While still on the main road, Hwy 16, there was a large herd of mountain goats. They had been drinking from a stream that runs through the Grace Coolidge campground. The goats were wandering around campsites and across the road. Of course, this caused quite a traffic jam as windows rolled down and cameras came out. 

Before too long we were back on our slow meander through the grasslands. The road wound through some gently rolling hills and vales. Being mid-September some of the foliage was changing to its fall color.  So I had to stop for those photos too. Several other visitors were on their wildlife safari too, but the road wasn’t too busy.

About a quarter way through the loop we did spot some pronghorn in the fields. These animals are frequently called “antelope”, but that is a misnomer. Pronghorn are a species related to cows, giraffes, and goats, but they are unique to North America. They are the fastest land animal on North America with short bursts of 55 mph and 45 mph sustained speed for long distances. 

Towards the south end of the loop the traffic came to a screeching halt again. What was there? I craned my neck to see what amazing animal it was… huh? Donkeys? Yep, a herd of wild donkeys had learned the skill of begging tourists for food. And yes, the tourists fed them. We don’t know what they fed them, but you really aren’t supposed to feed any wild animal, even if they look cute and domesticated.

Once past the donkey herd, we stopped into the Buffalo Center run by the park. Buffalo or Bison? Although they have traditionally been called buffalo in America, their scientific genus and species is Bison Bison. Thus, Bison is more scientifically accurate. The species at Custer is related to the Woods Bison of Canada and a Euopean Bison that now is only found in zoos. It was interesting to learn how they manage the bison herd in Custer State Park. You can buy your own buffalo at their auction each September (shipping not included).

Another event that looked pretty cool is the buffalo roundup they have at the end of September. Actual cowboys/cowgirls herd the bison from throughout the park and chase them into the holding pens near the Buffalo Center. After that, the park's personnel evaluate each animal for health, determine which animals to cull via auction, and give them vaccines before releasing them back into the park. There was a video that showed last year’s round up (evidently you can find the video on youtube – Custer buffalo roundup). 

The video showed a thundering herd of buffalo running over the grassy hills followed by horseback riders cracking their whips, whistling, and hollering. Then as they came over the final rise to the corral, you could see a crowd of thousands of people watching the roundup! A roar of cheering rose up from the crowd. It turns out they usually have 20,000 people attend the event. It would be a cool thing to see, but wow, a lot of people. We’ll have to think about it. 

After leaving the Buffalo Center, we continued our ramble through the park. Rounding one corner, the traffic again came to a halt. This time it was for Bison, not just one or two Bison, but a herd of probably300 to 400 spread in the valley along the road, up the draws and onto the far hills. That was a pretty cool sight. There were lots of bulls, cows, and their calves. Of course, there were many many pictures taken. Oh yeah, and also other tourists took some photos too.  We, and the other tourists, did eventually move on, but we’ll take the sight of that grazing herd with us for a long time. 

Imagine a time long past when herds of thousands would have traversed these hills and plains. It is good that the species has been preserved and is once again thriving in this area, along with the other managed herds across the plains of America. How sad it would have been to have lost these magnificent animals.