The Fall and Rise of the Buffalo

The Travel South Dakota Stories

“You’re experiencing what you see on TV and the old western movies, the buffalo roaming across the prairie like that. It's that old west tradition that you don't see anywhere else in the world.” – Matt Snyder, Superintendent of Custer State Park

Feel the ground rumble and the dust fly as sixty cowboys and cowgirls saddle up to bring in a thundering herd of 1,300 buffalo at the 57th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. But we’re not just watching it, we are in the thick of it as we get thrown around on the back of a truck chasing the herd across the wide-open plains. Listen to one of the riders Molly as she cracks her whip and corrals the galloping beasts.

We also meet Lakota rider and manager of Bear Butte State Park, Jim Jandreau, who tells us what the buffalo means to the Lakota people.

At the end of the long and tiring ride we join Molly’s 87-year-old dad, who had just taken part in his 53rd roundup.

Along the way we discover that although the roundup harks back to a different time, the adventurous spirit of South Dakotans that has been a way of life for centuries still lives on. And that spirit is infectious.

- Brian Thacker, presenter

Thank you to everyone who featured on this show:

- Jim Jandreau, Bear Butte State Park

- Molly Olivier, Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup

- Bob Lantis, Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup

- Lydia Austin, Custer State Park

- Kobee Stalder, Custer State Park

- Matt Snyder, Custer State Park

Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it’s like to be there; it’s designed to let you feel what it’s like for real.

Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure.

Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com