July 2017 – Custer State Park in South Dakota is a wonderful place to see wildlife up close, and we ended up driving the Wildlife Loop Road quite a few times during our stay.
The “wild” burros in Custer State Park are surprisingly tame!
The “wild” burros are actually feral burros that were “set free” many decades ago. Now they are known as the “begging burros,” and for good reason!
As we drove on the Wildlife Loop Road with pro wildlife photographer, Steve Perry, and his wife Rose, we were astonished when some very bold burros walked right up to our car.
Wild burros approached our car.
Steve reaches out to pet a “wild” burro in Custer State Park.
The burros here rightfully earned the nickname, “begging burros!”
The white burro pressed his nose against a closed car window and made funny faces at us…
A burro presses his big nose against the car window.
The other poked his whole head right in!
Another burro sticks his nose right inside the car!
It turns out that these begging burros are the rather lazy descendants of a very hard working group of burros who began taking Custer State Park visitors on rides from Sylvan Lake up to Harney Peak back in 1927.
The wild burros are very accustomed to people, but not all the people are accustomed to the wild burros!
After a few years of providing these fun sounding burro rides, Custer State Park officials decided to end the rides, and they simply let the burros go.
“Look what I found. Can I keep him?”
Nowadays, the burros are so accustomed to human visitors — and are so fond of the treats that many humans bring them — that they are quite fearless and are more than happy to mingle with tourists. They even let folks pet them.
The burros don’t mind being petted.
Custer State Park encourages people not to feed the burros, but while we were there loads of people got out of their cars with bags of food for them. Keeping the burros’ waistlines in mind, though, most folks showed up with something nutritious like a bag of carrots or romaine lettuce.
Although signs say not to, lots of visitors bring snacks for the burros.
On our first foray into Custer State Park, we had been amazed just to see the wild burros and their foals from a distance, period. But this time we found ourselves standing right next to them.
We saw several moms and babies.
Standing watch.
.
The burros were so darned laid back that one mom suddenly did a barrel roll in the dirt, letting a cloud of dust fly.
Mom takes a dust bath!
I was smitten by the little foals. They had such sweet and innocent faces.
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One foal was particularly mellow. It must have been nap time, and when I knelt down next to her and stroked the soft fur on her head and neck, she leaned her whole weight against my leg and closed her eyes. Naturally, I was thrilled!
I could not believe this little foal was so trusting.
“Look what I found. Can I keep her?”
Custer State Park’s herd of bison is another big draw for tourists, and the opportunities to see them are plentiful. Custer State Park’s 71,000 acres are fully enclosed by fencing, and there are roughly 1,300 buffalo in the Park’s buffalo herd. The herd is carefully culled and maintained each year.
On the day that we were out photographing prairie dogs with Steve and Rose, we suddenly noticed there was a huge group of bison approaching us from the distant hills. As the leaders drew near, we turned our cameras away from the prairie dogs and focused on the approaching buffalo.
A huge herd of bison came down out of the hills towards us.
There were both buffalo cows and bulls in the herd and lots of buffalo calves as well. They came down from the hills in a long, steady stream.
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The herd fanned out and approached us like an approaching army. It was a little unsettling, even though they were walking slowly.
The herd approaches.
Even the prairie dogs stood up on their hind legs to see what was rattling the roofs of their underground compound.
“Who’s making all that noise?
As they approached us they stirred up the dust with their hooves.
The dust flies as the herd approaches.
A few even stopped for a dust bath as their comrades marched on.
A buffalo takes a bath.
The herd easily numbered a hundred, and they moved steadily towards us, getting closer and closer. We kept taking photos, but we all began to back up towards the car.
.
All of a sudden they were within just a few feet of us, and let me tell you, these animals a huge.
It felt like a gang was surrounding us as they walked towards the road and then circled around us and the car. We could hear them breathing, and we could hear the grass rustling as they moved pass. The gravel in the road crunched under their feet. Their huge heads swayed slowly back and forth as they came right towards us.
Steve takes photos of the approaching bison.
It was an incredible opportunity to take some portraits! Each buffalo was completely different. Some had tall horns, or widely spaced horns or sharply curving horns. Some had long faces and others had broad faces.
Every buffalo portrait revealed a totally different face.
.
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The bison were big and burly and a little frightening up close, but as we studied them, we could see they lead very hardscrabble lives.
Mark got photos of one that had a big open sore on its side that was bleeding. We weren’t sure if it had been gored by another buffalo or had scraped itself on a tree branch, but it was a surprise to see a bright red oozing wound. Another had a horn that had broken off.
A buffalo’s life can be rough and tumble.
As we clicked away with our cameras, all I could think of was the scary statistic from Yellowstone National Park: Each year more people are gored by bison there than are attacked by grizzly bears! I backed up to the car and stood in front of the open door for a few last shots and then dove into the car in a panic.
Steve’s wife Rose was already in the car, and she cracked up as I fell all over myself getting in.
I sorted myself out, and then we both watched anxiously as Steve and Mark remained outside the back of the car, madly taking photos as these enormous animals closed in around us.
Watch out for those sharp horns!
Finally the two crazed photographers threw their tripods in the trunk and then jumped inside with us, slamming the doors closed and rolling the windows up.
The bison surrounded us like a big black sea, walking slowly alongside the car within a few feet. Then, like water flowing around an island, they moved on down the road, more interested in finding greener pastures than in bothering with the silly photo crew in the little car.
In the distance, we could see other members of the herd running across the meadow. It was amazing to see the huge creatures nimbly galloping, the calves dutifully scampering right behind.
Buffalo on the move…
A buffalo cow runs at full speed with her calf following close behind.
And then, as quickly as it started, the show was over.
The entire herd had easily covered a few miles of ground in a very short time, moving from the hills on one horizon to the stream, trees and meadows on the other. What a fabulous experience that was.
We’ll always treasure our memories of this unusual buffalo encounter.
Not quite as sweet as a baby burro, perhaps, but the buffalo calves were still pretty cute!
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More info about Custer State Park:
- Custer State Park Official Website
- Location of the town of Custer and the Wildlife Loop Road through Custer State Park – Interactive Google Maps
- RV campgrounds near Custer State Park – RV Park Reviews
Other blog posts from our RV trips to South Dakota:
- A Smoky Moon, Badlands & Hummingbirds on the South Dakota Prairie
- Americas Mailbox – Mail Forwarding & So Much More in South Dakota!
- An Old Time Country 4th of July – Custer, South Dakota
- Badlands National Park – Beauty & Wildlife in South Dakota
- Black Hills National Forest, SD, RV Boondocking – Camping with Cows!
- Black Hills, SD – Mt. Rushmore and More
- Custer South Dakota Highlights on an RV Trip
- Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road – Where the Animals Are!
- Fall River Balloon Festival in Hot Springs, South Dakota
- Soap Box Derby & Barrel Races – A Labor Day to Remember!
- Solar Eclipse 2017: Time-Lapse Videos from the South Dakota Badlands
- Sturgis Motorcycle Rally – Wild and Free in South Dakota’s Black Hills!
- The “Right to Vote” is a PRIVILEGE Some Nomadic RVers Might Lose
- Wall Drug – An Iconic Pit Stop on a South Dakota RV Road Trip
More info about Photography:
- Photography Gear and Resources for Learning Photography – Our cameras & lenses plus learning tools
- Secrets to Stunning Wildlife Photography – Steve Perry’s book on how to photograph wildlife — awesome!
- Photography tips from wildlife pro, Steve Perry: on YouTube and his website: on his website
- Colorado Fall Foliage Workshop – The turning point in our own photography
Other blog posts with fun animal pics:
- Wild Horses of the Salt River in Phoenix
- To Catch a Hummingbird (on camera!)
- The Day the Sheep Moved In!
- Sheep May Safely Graze (in the Mountains with Dogs!)
- Sandhill Cranes in Willcox Arizona – What a Party!
- PV: Chamela to La Cruz – Dances with Whales at Cabo Corrientes
- Phoenix on the Wing – Waterbirds of Arizona!
- Peach Faced Lovebirds in Phoenix, AZ – Parrots in Cactus!
- On San Diego’s Shores – Dolphins and more!
- Lost & Found – An Unexpected Guest Visits Us in our RV!
- Loreto: Isla Coronado & Villa del Palmar – Taming the Sea of Cortez
- Huatulco’s Marina Chahué – Landlubbing with parrots!
- Go Fish! – Some wild ways to catch dinner – It’s for the birds!!
- Fall Colors and Wildlife on the Sonoran Desert Rivers in Arizona
- Eagles and Hummingbirds in Libby, Montana
- Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road – Where the Animals Are!
- Burrowing owls in Gilbert, Arizona – They’re a Hoot!
- Black Hills National Forest, SD, RV Boondocking – Camping with Cows!
- Best Friends Animal Sanctuary & Southwest Wildlife Foundation in Utah
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – Wild Animals in Tucson AZ
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Awesome!
🙂
It was great to see photos of various sites I have also seen: Custer State Park, Wall Drug, Badlands, etc. I think there were a couple of places you missed in Wall, SD (unless I missed your posting): The Wounded Knee Museum between Wall Drug and the interstate. And the Prairie Homestead Historic Site in Philip, SD between the Badlands and Wall, SD. An old sod house, built partially built into a hill (in1909), root cellar, outhouse, chicken coop, and rare white prairie dogs.
It’s impossible to “see it all” anywhere we go, but the wonderful thing about being full-time RVers is that we can return to favorite places and see a little more and explore a little deepr with every visit. Thanks for the tips!
Custer State Park is my husband’s favorite of all parks, even more so than Yellowstone. In 2006 we were there during burro foaling season & I fell in love w/a black new born that kept drawing us back to the wildlife loop for many days. I just couldn’t get enough of him, he was so sweet. His Mom was patient w/me but kept a watchful eye. We met you folks many years ago in the Florida panhandle & have been enjoying your posts for many years. Thank you for sharing your adventures.
Custer State Park is an incredible place, Beth, and as you know, there’s a wonderfully laid back and quiet quality to it that is hard to find at the famous National Parks. What fun you must have had with that little newborn foal. Such great memories, I’m sure! Thank YOU for following our adventures all these years after meeting us in Florida. I am touched to know you have been with us for so long!!
Wow! What incredible bison photos! You’re right, each one looks entirely different. I hope the one with the injury is OK. Again, stupendous photos of the burros and bison!
Thank you, Art & Roxanne. We really enjoyed taking the photos and having a chance to mingle with the animals a bit (keeping a safe distance from the bison!). I think the buffalo with the big cut on his back will be okay in the long run, but those guys do take a beating!!
Great photos Emily and Mark. I’m not sure I would have stayed around for the arrival of the bison! They are huge for sure!
Thanks, Pete! They came so slowly it was kind of funny trying to decide just when “too close” was too close!! It was a very cool experience, though…