Custer, S.D. (KELO) — For over 60 years, the annual Governors Buffalo Roundup has been a must-see spectacle. It has people from all over the world stopping by to see.
What started out as a regular day of work has now turned into an event people are coming out to see as soon as the sun starts to rise.
“So the roundup would have happened regardless if people came or not. It started in the early 60s. It was the riders, families for a potluck and over time those friends brought friends and all of a sudden started becoming a thing and now it is an economic driver out here in the fall,” Visitors Center Supervisor Lydia Austin said.
Chad Kremer has been working these herds for over 25 years on horseback.
“Overall, I’m just watching the whole herd dynamic with the riders and everything, and making sure that we can get those lead cows going the direction we’d like them to. So that’s what I’m watching and making sure there’s no big gap where they try to sneak away,” Bison Heard Manager Chad Kremer said.
Each year, over a thousand bison are corralled for health inspections, with new calves getting extra treatment.
“They are going to get their branding. They get an S for the state of South Dakota and then the number for the year they’re born. They get their vaccinations, and then they will also get a blood test so we can do genetic testing on them. Then we’ll auction off more calves than the other animals because we do have such a big crop this year. The vaccinations allow us to be brucellosis and tuberculosis-free. So having vaccinations is very important for the health of our entire herd,” Austin said.
The one-of-a-kind event draws people from all walks of life… whether it’s their first time or they’re coming back for more.
“You hear the whip snapping and the cloud of dust that comes up like, oh, here they come, it’s really interesting. And how they can keep them all together. It’s a great American thing, it’s a great experience to come on out here,” Returning Viewer Larry Poss said.
First-time viewers are asked to have patience while the wild bison start to move; however, once they do get going, the crowds are filled with excitement.
“When we were riding beside them and driving beside them, is how, as a unit, they’re all just focused on, keep moving in the same direction. And they’re big, we all know that, but when you get all of those together, the mass of buffalo was impressive, and it was fun to be that close to them,” First-time viewer Bob Pottratz said.
The 60th celebration saw over 1,400 bison, up from the average by a few hundred.
An average of 20,000 people show up each year, watching from both the South and North viewing areas, with even internationals making the trip.
“Europe, Asia, Australia, all over that have come specifically for the roundup event, or they’ve been on a vacation or holiday in the American west, and they heard about it, and they ended up coming too. It’s a big value to the state of South Dakota in tourism,” Kremer said.
“To me, I always feel like it’s a South Dakota tradition. Even though everyone is out there, and they are hot and tired, you still see the smiles. You still see people helping each other out, the stories are being told, memories are being made. We have that, and it keeps the tradition of the roundup for next year,” Austin said.
After all of the shots and checkups are complete, a little over 400 bison will be sold at auction. The rest will roam Custer State Park.
