Custer State Park Buffalo Hunt

[huntaholic123]

I was fortunate enough to win a trophy Buffalo hunt this year in Custer State Park through the Hunt for Habitat drawing. Super excited and to top it off, taking my dad with to partake in the harvest over his birthday. I intend on getting a shoulder mount done and was hoping to get some input from the group on some ideas for the rest of the hide. Any suggestions? Was thinking of having something second to the mount to gift to my dad. Using my bow and excited to see how it turns out! Appreciate any input. Thanks

Edit:

The hunt was more than I ever imagined. What an amazing experience and memories I will remember for the rest of my life. Brought my dad along and put on a ton of miles glassing up bulls. Day one started slow due to thick fog causing visibility issues. We turned up two bulls that were over ten years old but decided to keep searching as they were both broomed off quite a bit. Saw a lot of country I haven’t before and even watched the army national guard perform some basket drops from their helicopters. Day two we tried a new area and by chance glassed up a hump just over the top of a hill. We put some jack pines between us and the bull and slipped into 30yds. There were four trophy bulls together. I hit my bull quartering away at 35 yds and he ran 100yds before bedding. What a magnificent animal and an absolute dinosaur of a bull. Aged out at 13 years old. I knew they were big but didn’t realize just how big until you have one down. This was a dream hunt and would recommend the experience to anyone. The Custer State Park buffalo herd manager, Chad Kremer, made this hunt so much more memorable. His insight, stories, and company made for a great couple days.

 

[Rogue Bay]

Congrats on such a cool opportunity. Please keep us updated on the hunt.

Is he a black powder hunter? If so, what about a custom made possibles bag? Or maybe a knife sheath if he has a favorite blade.

 

[AlphaK9]

We have vacationed to that area a bunch- you will have an awesome hunt, congrats!

As far as the leather, id have it tanned out and use it over a table as like a runner, store shed antlers, hunting pics, or display a gun or bow on a stand on it. Making a leather sheath would be cool too.

 

[Chris in TN]

Enjoy the area. I have a few CSP non-trophy points accumulated but stopped because I figured out I don't like bison meat that much. But I'd go back to the general area in a heartbeat and have a blast just sightseeing.

 

[wytx]

Flesh it, salt it and send it to Moyle Mink and Tannery. They do great tanning work.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Buddy killed a big bull. I’d do a euro and keep the hide. The euro is badass.

 

[TopherDave]

October 22, 2025
I’ll put this here for some motivation! Mine isn’t of “trophy” size. This particular herd had a rough rough winter in 2021 and experienced a rather large die off.

A bull with a bow! That was my quest as well. It was any weapon and either sex but we want what we want!

I met a guy on here who hunted my tag in 2019. He enlighten me to doing a euro and a replica of the horns for the shoulder mount. He shot a really nice trophy before the die off. Which could be an option for you as well. Could give pops one and keep the other for yourself?

I too am here for the suggestions as well! Currently cape and backskin is at local tannery in Anchorage.

I will recommend this: have a kill plan. I lined up a retired butcher who works out of his garage (the best kind). I usually process all my own animals but for this I wanted to go the extra mile. I was fortunate enough to drop him where I could back my truck up to him. I was able to do a beef/butcher cut between the 2nd and 3rd rib. Left backstraps and tenderloins in! Felt very very weird to do this, because that’s usually the first thing I cut out and eat. Aged it for a week and we made AWESOME cuts! The porterhouse, T-Bone and bone in rib-eye are phenomenal! My butcher also turned me onto Osobucco. I cannot believe I haven’t been doing this my whole life. You can find some recipes online. It’s super easy and it’s will knock your boots off!

Congrats on an amazing opportunity! Wasn’t too long ago I was trying to learn everything I could about these things too. You should really embrace it all. Every moment of it. It’s a special hunt! Truly a once in a lifetime.

Oh! 1 more thing. I’m not the biggest Steve Rinella fan. But check out his book, American Bison. Listen to it on audible if you have too, he narrates it himself. He has A LOT of history about the species. He talks about his own hunt and experiences, which I found to be “meh.” The history, as we all know, is very sad. It gave me so much more appreciation for the opportunity to be hunting these things in 2025.

Congrats again and good luck!
PS. What are you using for broadhead? Love to hear all about your bow setup!

 

[huntaholic123]

View attachment 968829
October 22, 2025
I’ll put this here for some motivation! Mine isn’t of “trophy” size. This particular herd had a rough rough winter in 2021 and experienced a rather large die off.

A bull with a bow! That was my quest as well. It was any weapon and either sex but we want what we want!

I met a guy on here who hunted my tag in 2019. He enlighten me to doing a euro and a replica of the horns for the shoulder mount. He shot a really nice trophy before the die off. Which could be an option for you as well. Could give pops one and keep the other for yourself?

I too am here for the suggestions as well! Currently cape and backskin is at local tannery in Anchorage.

I will recommend this: have a kill plan. I lined up a retired butcher who works out of his garage (the best kind). I usually process all my own animals but for this I wanted to go the extra mile. I was fortunate enough to drop him where I could back my truck up to him. I was able to do a beef/butcher cut between the 2nd and 3rd rib. Left back stand and tenderloins in! Felt very very weird to do this, because that’s usually the first thing I cut out and eat. Aged it for a week and we made AWESOME cuts! The porterhouse, T-Bone and bone in rib-eye are phenomenal! My butcher also turned me onto Osobucco. I cannot believe I haven’t been doing this my whole life. You can find some recipes online. It’s super easy and it’s will knock your boots off!

Congrats on an amazing opportunity! Wasn’t too long ago I was trying to learn everything I could about these things too. You should really embrace it all. Every moment of it. It’s a special hunt! Truly a once in a lifetime.

Oh! 1 more thing. I’m not the biggest Steve Rinella fan. But check out his book, American Bison. Listen to it on audible if you have too, he narrates it himself. He has A LOT of history about the species. He talks about his own hunt and experiences, which I found to be “meh.” The history, as we all know, is very sad. It gave me so much more appreciation for the opportunity to be hunting these things in 2025.

Congrats again and good luck!
PS. What are you using for broadhead? Love to hear all about your bow setup!

TopherDave, thanks for sharing your story. Reading it has gotten me even more excited. I was originally debating on using my old lever action 30-30 but I felt archery was more appropriate for what I want out of this experience. I have some iron wills left over from my Wyoming archery elk hunt. Running 480grs total. Hopefully I have a story for you all by the end of the week.

 

[TopherDave]

I didn’t even think of my grandpa’s 30-30! Dang it. I shoulda packed that as back up. If I ever draw again, I told myself I’m ordering a Shiloh Sharp rifle just for the hunt. Basically the rifle that dang near extinct the species.

I shot about 100 arrows a day all August and first 1/2 of September. I had narrowed it down to a Magnus Stinger, but I found a guy, on here, selling Ironwill SB Buffs, and I wanted to see how they flew. So I bought them. And days before departing, I tested them at 75 yards, and they were flying even better then the Magnus. So I changed my game plan, buff on buff is what I went with. Ironically, I shot him at 75yards. Well, probably 72/73. I ranged him at 75 and he took 2 more steps as was setting my sights. Full pass through. Perfect double lung shot.

Mathews Phase 4, 33. 75 lbs. 485 grain.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

I don't have any input other than to say congratulations and good luck!!!

 

[TXCO]

Good luck!


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[Couester]

Do a shoulder mount with replica horns, a euro with the original horns and a back hide rug.

 

[yfarm]

I have used Uber Leather(now Century Leather Products) in Owatonna Mn to do hair on tanning of Elk and Nilgai hides, their work has been fine just takes a year versus hair off which is 6 months.

 

[Doublefork]

A friend of mine drew the trophy bison tag a couple years ago and I went with him, he did replica horns and a euro.
If you have any questions message me

 

[lak2004]

Such a sweet opportunity, how long did it take to draw? I've got some points for the non trophy hunt, hoping I get to actually hunt it some day!

 

[johnnycake]

Congrats! I'm personally not a fan of bison shoulder mounts. It is hard to overestimate how much space that will take up in the house. I love my euros and full hides soft tanned (face to tail, everything but the hooves) from my two bison.

 

[huntaholic123]

Such a sweet opportunity, how long did it take to draw? I've got some points for the non trophy hunt, hoping I get to actually hunt it some day!

I have 10+ points but actually won the Hunt for Habitat drawing for the trophy Buffalo hunt. It’s like a super tag drawing in South Dakota.

 

[arwhntr]

Congrats on the tag— that’s going to be an incredible hunt. I’ve hunted the non-trophy tag, also with a bow and with my father along, and it was a truly memorable experience. You’re going to love it.

A shoulder mount on one of those old Custer bulls will be a lifelong keepsake. Just be aware that with a shoulder mount, there isn’t much of the thick, wooly hide left. You can have the remainder of the hide tanned, but it won’t have as much of the long, heavy coat you’d get from a full hide. For mine, I’m doing a shoulder mount, and the taxidermist is also doing a euro of the skull (no horns), which I think is a great combo.

There are some seriously old bulls in that park— I saw several that were 15–17 years old— so there’s no shortage of true trophy-class animals and with the trophy tag you get a couple of days and the entire park to find the one you want.

 

[wildwilderness]

TopherDave, thanks for sharing your story. Reading it has gotten me even more excited. I was originally debating on using my old lever action 30-30 but I felt archery was more appropriate for what I want out of this experience. I have some iron wills left over from my Wyoming archery elk hunt. Running 480grs total. Hopefully I have a story for you all by the end of the week.

It was my understanding that, at leaast in the past that Custer State Park did NOT allow archery equipment for the trophy bison hunts.

Can you check if that is still the case?

I know they did for meat bulls and cows. That was the reason P&Y did not take bison from Custer State Park but B&C does

 

[huntaholic123]

It was my understanding that, at leaast in the past that Custer State Park did NOT allow archery equipment for the trophy bison hunts.

Can you check if that is still the case?

I know they did for meat bulls and cows. That was the reason P&Y did not take bison from Custer State Park but B&C does

Not sure if they will allow it for everyone or not but I communicated my desire to use my bow from the beginning and was fortunate enough to harvest my bull with my bow.