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# South Dakota Roundup Moves 1,300 Bison Into Fall Management Cycle
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-south-dakota-2026-09-26-b/
- Published: 2026-09-26T11:49:04.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-26T11:49:04.000Z
- Description: South Dakota’s 61st Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup moved roughly 1,300 bison into a fall management cycle that continues through sorting, controlled hunts and the annual auction.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: Travel, South Dakota

South Dakota brought roughly 1,300 bison into the corrals at Custer State Park on Friday, using the state’s 61st annual Buffalo Roundup as both a public event and a practical step in managing one of the nation’s best-known public herds.

The [state event page](https://gfp.sd.gov/buffalo-roundup/?ref=theamericanquorum.com) describes the roundup as a critical tool for maintaining a strong, healthy herd. Riders moved the animals across the park’s open range before staff began sorting work in the afternoon. The 2026 schedule placed the roundup on Sept. 25, with the associated arts festival continuing through Saturday.

That distinction matters: the spectacle draws visitors, but the operation is not staged solely for tourism. Bringing the herd together gives park managers a controlled opportunity to assess animals and make decisions about herd size. Custer State Park spans about 71,000 acres, while the state’s [visitor guide](https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/custer-state-park-buffalo-roundup?ref=theamericanquorum.com) says the roundup relies on about 60 riders and begins a day of sorting after the morning drive.

## Management continues after roundup day

The annual drive is one piece of a longer fall management cycle. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks says hunting is used to prevent wildlife populations from exceeding available food and damaging habitat. Its [management overview](https://gfp.sd.gov/csp-hunting/?ref=theamericanquorum.com) lists bison among the species managed through tightly controlled park hunts and says license revenue supports wildlife programs.

For 2026 and 2027, the Game, Fish and Parks Commission set 12 trophy-bison licenses and 25 non-trophy licenses, according to the commission’s [November action](https://gfp.sd.gov/news/detail/1646/?ref=theamericanquorum.com). The agency’s separate [hunt guidance](https://gfp.sd.gov/nontrophy-buffalo/?ref=theamericanquorum.com) says non-trophy hunts remove excess cows and younger bulls in addition to animals removed through the annual auction. Those programs allow managers to adjust numbers by age and sex rather than relying on a single method.

The roundup also anchors a three-day economic and cultural event. South Dakota Tourism says more than 100 vendors were scheduled for the Sept. 24-26 arts festival, with South Dakota-made goods featured alongside regional work. The [official listing](https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/events/custer-state-park-buffalo-roundup-arts-festival?ref=theamericanquorum.com) identifies the gathering as the 61st annual event and directs visitors to the state park’s traffic and viewing arrangements.

The state kept admission free, while opening parking at 6:15 a.m. and scheduling the herd drive for 9:30 a.m. Those logistics reflect the scale of moving spectators and animals through the same park without treating the working landscape as an ordinary festival venue.

For residents, the immediate practical point is that the public-facing event and the wildlife work are inseparable. The herd is not simply assembled for a one-day display. The roundup starts a sequence of sorting, health evaluation and population-control decisions that carry into the fall hunting and auction periods.

Saturday’s remaining arts-festival hours close the public program, but the management work continues. The state’s published calendar lists the non-trophy bison season beginning Oct. 5 and the trophy season beginning Nov. 16, extending the 2026 herd-management cycle well beyond roundup weekend.