Bison in Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.
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After visiting Mount Rushmore, Betsy and I drove to South Dakota’s Custer State Park. One area of the park that was highly recommended was the Wildlife Loop, where we were assured that we would see plenty of wildlife.
Our friends were correct — we saw a wide variety of wildlife: big horn sheep, burros, pronghorns and bison. I’ve seen bison before, but never so many at one time.
Bison on the prairie in Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.
Seeing them on the prairie reminded me of descriptions of the huge buffalo herds encountered during the westward expansion of the United States. At one time there were millions of bison in North America, but by 1900 it is estimated that fewer than 1,00 bison remained on the entire continent.
Bison at Custer State Park, South Dakota. September 25, 2012.
There are now as many as 1,300 head of bison in Custer State Park. Bison can grow to 6 feet tall and weigh more than 2,000 pounds. They are the largest native terrestrial mammal of North America.
The park holds a roundup each year to adjust the size of the herd according to the predicted availability of grassland forage. The spring birthing season rejuvenates the herd to approximately 1,300 head each year.
Senior Moments 