I still remember it well. Last September, I was going over numbers in my coworker’s office when my email app chimed. I looked down at my phone and saw a message from South Dakota Fish and Game, saying, “Congratulations!” I had just drawn a Custer State Park bison tag.
All of us have bucket list hunts that we want to go on, usually starting with a sheep of some sort, and a close second for me was hunting bison. Ever since I saw Dances with Wolves as a kid, I had wanted to hunt bison, but it had to be on their native range. To me, hunting bison is one of the great connections to America’s past and is an absolute privilege. Just to be in the 21st century and have huntable herds is a true testament to conservation and the forward thinking of sportsmen well over 100 years ago.
The crazy thing is, until a few years ago, I didn’t even know this Custer hunt existed. After reading an issue of the Huntin’ Fool magazine, I started buying points in South Dakota. Once you get to 2 points, you have the same draw odds as everyone else. My first year applying with 2 points, I pulled the non-trophy tag. South Dakota also offers a trophy bull hunt that you can build points towards separately and the bison qualify towards the record books.
The Custer hunt is easy. It’s only one day, and you are taken into the field by their herd manager, Chad Kremer, and a Park Ranger. Knowing this, I decided to turn this into a family vacation to the Black Hills, which worked out perfectly. My wife, son, daughter, and I drove all the way out from California, seeing whatever sights we could along the way. I set up the hunt for a Thursday afternoon and made sure it was okay to bring along my seven-year-old son, Arthur. Chad mentioned that this hunt was a great opportunity to bring a kid along and a nice way to introduce them to hunting.
We met up at Chad’s office and jumped into his truck, driving the park road through beautiful rolling hills and wooded creek bottoms, passing groups of antelope and prairie dog towns. About 15 minutes in, Chad spotted a small group of 12-15 bison across the valley. We turned off the main road and forded a creek before parking in the tall yellow grass. After moving away from the truck, we surveyed what we were looking at. With the non-trophy tag, we were targeting 2 1/2-year-old bulls. Chad showed me through the binoculars which ones in the group we could harvest, and it just so happened that a nice-looking bull that fit the criteria stepped away by himself about 150 yards away. I made sure Arthur was safely in position behind me and had his hearing protection in. I then dropped prone and lined up the crosshairs right on the line where the bull’s thick mane met the thin hair in my scope. One shot with my .300 Winchester Magnum did the trick, and shortly after, he dropped and expired.
Arthur was super excited, especially as we walked up on this giant 1,200-pound animal. I always knew taking a bison was going to be an awesome feeling, but to be able to share that moment with my little guy made it so much better. I’ll never forget his smiles from that moment.
You won’t find a guy more knowledgeable about bison and the Black Hills wildlife than Chad, and he took the time while gutting the bison to explain to my son about the animals and their biology. Later, he hoisted the bison into my truck and we drove it 40 miles to the nearest butcher.
If hunting bison and taking home over 300 pounds of delicious meat is on your wish list, start applying for South Dakota. This is an easy hunt with guaranteed success, and it is a great way to introduce a young child to hunting big game. The Black Hills are an extraordinary area and very family friendly. While waiting for the meat to process, the four of us spent the next three days seeing the area’s National Parks, hiking, and fishing. This was far and away the greatest family vacation of all time!
South Dakota Bison
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