Custer Bison Draw

[nontyp]

Trophy bison-$6506

Season Dates​

Hunters have a maximum of three consecutive days to hunt. Hunts are scheduled Monday through Friday excluding holidays. 3 days as scheduled beginning Nov. 21 to Dec. 30, 2022 excluding holidays and weekends. Hunts are scheduled with Custer State Park staff after the drawing, based on draw order. South Dakota Administrative Rule requires the hunter to be accompanied by a park representative during this three-day hunt. Your park representative will provide transportation in the field and locate this class animal for your selection. Field handling and transportation back to the buffalo corrals is included in your hunt. The carcass will be transferred to your vehicle.

South Dakota Administrative Rule requires the hunter to be guided during this three-day hunt. The park provides a guide, field transportation for the hunt, and field handling of the animal. The guide indicates which bulls are eligible, and approve the location that they may be shot. The area within the boundary of Custer State Park as designated by park staff is the hunting unit.

Non trophy bison- $3256

Season Dates​

Half-day as scheduled beginning October 26 - November 18, 2022 excluding holidays and weekends. Hunts are scheduled after the lottery drawing with Custer State Park staff based on draw order. South Dakota Administrative Rule requires the hunter to be accompanied by a park representative during this hunt. Your park representative will locate this class animal for your selection. Field handling and transportation back to the buffalo corrals is included in your hunt. The carcass will be transferred to your vehicle.

How those critters are eligible for B&C is beyond me. They’re pretty well contained to the park. Custer State park is a cool place, but I’ve always kind of thought of it more as a huge bear country than anything. I am curious if that money goes to the park or to game and fish. 6500 probably stocks a shitload of pheasants.

Edit: Bear country is a zoo like deal outside of rapid for those that don’t know.

Where’d you find this info? just curious, i’ve looked all over trying to find it.

 

[ClearCreek]

Trophy bison-$6506

How those critters are eligible for B&C is beyond me. They’re pretty well contained to the park.​

ZBB:
I agree, I have asked how this "hunt" is different than going out to a private ranch and shooting a bison.

This herd is managed very similar to a ranch bison herd, they are rounded up annually and certain animals culled for selling. I am pretty sure they are fed in the winter like cattle.

It would be interesting to hear the justification from the Boone and Crockett Club.

ClearCreek

 

[ZBB]

Where’d you find this info? just curious, i’ve looked all over trying to find it.

Trophy Buffalo

gfp.sd.gov

It’s under that tab. This is how it looks from my iPhone. I haven’t been on the website from a computer for a while so not sure how much different the screen looks. Then if you scroll down they have the non trophy bison page to click on and it’s under the same tab there.

 

[Labman]

Last year results were out by 1 Sept, I wonder what the hold up is this year.

 

[HONEYBADGER]

Last year results were out by 1 Sept, I wonder what the hold up is this year.

Was just wondering the same thing

 

[redwoood]

Last year results were out by 1 Sept, I wonder what the hold up is this year.

Application was open til the 6th...at least on trophy bison.

 

[Labman]

Application was open til the 6th...at least on trophy bison.

Last year I think the application window closed 31 Aug, results were the next day.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Can I attempt to draw a Custer non-trophy bison tag and then donate the tag to a local Wounded Warrior organization?

I have several points and would like to donate the tag so a veteran can hunt in the event I ever draw. I appreciate the people that manage and work with these programs. Best of luck, TheGrayRider.

 

[Labman]

Card hit for $10. Looks like it’s over.

 

[HONEYBADGER]

Got my unsuccessful email on trophy nothing on non trophy yet

 

[grizzly63]

I applied this year for the non-trophy buffalo hunt but then checked the previous draw results and realized I have a pretty good chance of drawing the tag. I started doing the research and the $3250 tag price wasn't good but not a deal breaker but then started adding up all the other good things to go along with it and figured 5K at least. Dang, I could get a ranch elk tag for that and it would be more sporting. Probably higher on my priority list so I cancelled the application. Will buy a preference point for next year. Have too much going on this november to tackle skinning,tanning and cutting up a critter that large in a timely fashion. This would save a boatload of money but require a lot more elbow grease. One of the things that put me off was the local hide seller in Custer indicated that the December hides are the best. He wouldn't suggest shooting one in Oct. Maybe why the expensive trophy tags are in late Nov-Dec. Have to find other uses for the 45-70. Maybe the Hills deer?

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I applied this year for the non-trophy buffalo hunt but then checked the previous draw results and realized I have a pretty good chance of drawing the tag. I started doing the research and the $3250 tag price wasn't good but not a deal breaker but then started adding up all the other good things to go along with it and figured 5K at least. Dang, I could get a ranch elk tag for that and it would be more sporting. Probably higher on my priority list so I cancelled the application. Will buy a preference point for next year. Have too much going on this november to tackle skinning,tanning and cutting up a critter that large in a timely fashion. This would save a boatload of money but require a lot more elbow grease. One of the things that put me off was the local hide seller in Custer indicated that the December hides are the best. He wouldn't suggest shooting one in Oct. Maybe why the expensive trophy tags are in late Nov-Dec. Have to find other uses for the 45-70. Maybe the Hills deer?

Been through that exact exercise before myself.

I was too fresh out of college to afford it, but back when cow tags were for sale for around $1750 I should have done it.


I could go on and on about the gross abuse of our resource by the state but I'll leave it at that I feel your pain and it saddens me when hunting turns into a rich man sport for a public resource

 

[Kentucky Jack]

Has anyone on this forum actually done this? Would really like to talk to someone who has done it. I have been to the park before and would love to do this in future years but have several questions I can't find on the website.

 

[HONEYBADGER]

Has anyone on this forum actually done this? Would really like to talk to someone who has done it. I have been to the park before and would love to do this in future years but have several questions I can't find on the website.

I will be there in October

 

[Lota lota]

I have been avoiding the hunt for years, for no other reason than it is freaking expensive

It is a dream hunt for me, so I just keep on picking up point for when I can justify spending $10k+ on an in state hunt


Pretty sure the hunt is super easy though. GFP figures you'll only need three days with them guiding you to a big bull. Seems like a sure thing so long as you can hit a bull at 100 yards...

Yeah $6500 for a buffalo hunt is a little out there imo

 

[WildWill]

Yeah $6500 for a buffalo hunt is a little out there imo

Once you subtract the $3000 worth of meat makes it a little more palatable. And that's beef prices not bison and bison is some of the finest table fare on the planet.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Once you subtract the $3000 worth of meat makes it a little more palatable. And that's beef prices not bison and bison is some of the finest table fare on the planet.

Still hard for me to swallow with a public resource, not a private farm hunt...

 

[Lota lota]

Once you subtract the $3000 worth of meat makes it a little more palatable. And that's beef prices not bison and bison is some of the finest table fare on the planet.

I've eaten a lot of it...just seems steep to me. Not much of a "hunt" as well.

 

[WildWill]

Still hard for me to swallow with a public resource, not a private farm hunt...

That public resource still has a market value and supply and demand still applies. Hunter's aren't the only public who has a stake in said resource. If paying for a disproportionate amount of bison management is what ot takes to keep hunters in the loop I'm Okay with it. Is it perfect no but what is? The state could very easily just round up what they want removed for the year and run them across a scale and sell them for meat like they do here in Oklahoma on the Wichita NWR.

I've eaten a lot of it...just seems steep to me. Not much of a "hunt" as well.

I respect your opinion but the fact is there's no shortage of people willing to pay for that tag. And it might not be much of a hunt but there's not exactly a ton of options for a free range bison hunts and those that do exist become harder to draw every year. I'd love to hunt a bison in the Henry mountains in Utah but sense I didn't start buying points when I was 7 probably never gonna happen.

 

[mtmuley]

The state could very easily just round up what they want removed for the year and run them across a scale and sell them for meat like they do here in Oklahoma on the Wichita NWR.

Be just as sporting sounds like. mtmuley