Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight
Custer State Park sold 482 bison during its 59th annual auction in November for a total of more than $885,000.
That was an increase over last year’s total of $633,700 from 498 bison. The year before that brought in $391,900 from 399 bison.
The Game, Fish and Parks Commission reviewed the numbers during its meeting Thursday in Pierre.
The Custer State Park Fall Classic Bison Auction follows the annual Buffalo Roundup, which has become a tourist draw. The roundup involves herding and health checks on the bison, and separating part of the herd for the auction.
The auction aims to balance the size of the park’s bison herd with the grass available for grazing. The funds go back into Custer State Park’s annual operating budget.
Regional Park Supervisor Matt Snyder told commissioners prices were strong this year.
“What staff were telling me is that it’s supply and demand,” Snyder said.
He said a lot of the private herds in South Dakota experienced drought in recent years, resulting in a sell-off of animals. There are now fewer bison on the market to meet demand.
Snyder said the auction brought the herd down to 975. Last year, he said ideal habitat conditions can result in a herd up to about 1,050.
The average price of a buffalo at the auction was $1,836.98, compared to $1,272.49 in 2023 and $982.21 in 2022.
There were eight bison buyers from South Dakota, three from Nebraska, three from Wyoming, two from Iowa, two from North Dakota, and others from Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas.