CUSTER, S.D. – The 2020 Custer State Park Fall Classic Bison Auction will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the park’s visitor center where 436 head will be available for sale.
This year’s offerings include 10 mature bred cows, 69 mature open cows, 5 two-year-old bred heifers, 12 open two-year-old heifers, 41 yearling heifers, 66 heifer calves, 138 bull calves, 81 yearling bulls, 6 two-year-old breeding bulls and 8 two-year-old grade bulls.
The video and online auction will begin at 10 a.m. MDT at the Custer State Park visitor center, located 15 miles east of Custer on Highway 16A, near the junction of the Wildlife Loop Road and Highway 16A.
The internet auction, going on its ninth year, has helped reach buyers who wouldn’t have been reached in the past.
“An online auction allows people from all over the country to participate,” noted Chad Kremer, bison herd manager. “Having a video auction rather than a live auction also reduces the stress on the buffalo and expedites the entire process.”
For the past 55 years, Custer State Park has made its surplus bison available for sale to the private sector. Last year, the bison auction raised over $600,000. The money raised from the sale supports continued operations of the park, which includes ongoing fencing needs, range management and noxious weed control, timber thinning and facility maintenance.
