Eat Bison to Save Bison
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How did the hosts first encounter wild bison in Custer State Park?
Oh, there they are. Oh, there are some babies, or little ones anyway. Nikki and I were in the backseat of a truck in Custer State Park in South Dakota, and this was the moment we spotted our very first bison.
I'll see if I can get in front of them here since they're kind of on the
move. Previously, my only acquaintance with bison was in the form of bison burgers and bison bolognese and other such tasty meals. But we had come to South Dakota to see real live bison in this place that has been so central to our relationship with them over time, all because we wanted to tell a particular story.
The story we want to tell, it's how an animal that practically defined the North American landscape and was absolutely critical to indigenous communities, how the bison nearly disappeared, how they were brought back. and whether they can play the same role for the people in the land that once depended on them ever again. By the end, we
promise you two will be swapping your beef burger for a bison burger. Although black bean burgers are also fine with us. This episode is supported in part by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for the Public Understanding of Science, Technology, and Economics. Gastropod is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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She's coming right up.
Oh my gosh, she's right here. Is that bad? Is that okay? A youngish bison, maybe the size of a large pony, it had come right up to the back of the truck and was licking the wheels. If we'd have reached our hands out of the window, we'd have been able to touch it.
Jeff Martin is assistant professor of bison biology and management at South Dakota State University Extension, and he explained one of the reasons the bison were so into the truck tires.
The dust that's on the truck from the road has got minerals in it, so they're going to try and seek that out. And so they'll actually be licking the salt off of the vehicle as well because they're also seeking salt.
But apparently these young bison were after more than just nutrients.
That's a yearling. She's just curious. Your yearlings and two-year-olds get, they're curious. They're young, wondering what we're doing. So lots of times they'll come up. They'll be the first ones to come up just out of curiosity.
Chad Kramer is the bison herd manager at Custer State Park, as well as a private producer of bison under the name Kramer Buffalo. And although Chad and Jeff were totally cool, we were kind of freaking out about how close we were to the bison. We were right in the middle of a herd of about a couple of dozen, mostly mothers and their calves. I love watching it nurse. There's a little baby nursing as
we're sitting
here. Yeah, there's the far one out there is actually a pretty young calf. That looks like it's probably just a couple of weeks old.
So they're not threatened by us right now with all the calves? Aren't they usually dangerous?
The one young calf is furthest away. Mom has done that on purpose.
I know I sounded really anxious, but you see signs everywhere in Custer that bison are dangerous wild animals and you should keep your distance.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How did the hosts first encounter wild bison in Custer State Park?
0:02–6:31
2
Why did the bison population collapse in the 1800s and what role did railroads play?
6:31–12:23
3
How did taxidermist‑turned‑conservationist William Hornaday help save the bison?
12:23–18:39
4
What are Indigenous communities doing today to restore bison to tribal lands and diets?
18:39–26:19
5
How do bison shape prairie ecosystems compared to cattle?
26:19–33:39
6
What are the practical challenges of replacing cattle with bison on modern farms?
33:39–39:20
7
Why does eating bison meat help support bison conservation and Native producers?
39:20–44:38
8
Can bison ever fully replace cattle in the U.S., and what does the future look like?
44:38–52:36