Dates Sep 28–Oct 4, 2008
Leader Michael Francis
Fee $2,295 from Rapid City, South Dakota
Deposit $300
Limit 8
Terms and Conditions

You feel the growing intensity of the rumbling beneath your feet. In the distance a cloud of backlit dust rises above the shimmering golden prairie. Anticipation builds to a crescendo as more than 1,500 stampeding bison suddenly burst forth, hurtling towards your camera in a one-time make-it-or-break-it chance to capture this dramatic imagery. And that’s just the highlight for our first day of shooting in South Dakota’s remarkable Black Hills!

The annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup is the starting point for an exciting weeklong wildlife photo shoot focusing on the bison, prairie wildlife and fall colors of “The Coyote State.” We shoot this awesome bison stampede spectacle from the
vantage point of a specially-designated media area where we have acquired special press passes for our group. This restricted location should have the bison passing within a few hundred heart-pounding feet of our enthusiastic photographers! The buffalo roundup serves as a necessary method for calf vaccination and cull for the herd to stay within the carrying capacity of the park’s winter forage. Those animals selected will be sold at auction, where some become seed for new herds on private rangeland, with the proceeds going to the park’s annual budget. In an ironic twist, this 73,000-acre state park—which today provides habitat that protects one of the world’s largest free roaming bison herds—is named after General George Armstrong Custer, noted Indian fighter and inexhaustible buffalo hunter.

In addition to bison, Custer State Park is home to a wide variety of other photographically accessible wildlife including pronghorn antelope, black-tailed and white-tailed deer, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep and, of course, South Dakota’s state animal—the coyote. The park’s diverse habitats provide a wonderful variety of birds from red crossbills and mountain bluebirds, to prairie falcons and golden eagles. Wild turkeys are a common sight, providing great photographic opportunities.

We also spend time shooting at nearby Mount Rushmore National Memorial. A monumental icon of the United States, this towering carving of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln can be photographed from numerous interesting angles. We drive the famous Iron Mountain Road, a route meticulously planned to perfectly frame Mount Rushmore in three different granite tunnels. The road loops, twists and climbs, bringing us ever closer to these impressive portraits in stone.



Day 1 (Sep 28)
Participants arrive midday at the Rapid City, South Dakota, airport. We offer round-trip transportation to our hotel accommodations in Custer. (D)

Day 2
In the few days leading up to the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup, the park’s entire herd of bison is funneled into ever smaller sections in preparation for today’s final thundering run to the holding corrals. We’ll be in a prime, specially-arranged location to capture the dramatic action with our cameras. (BLD)

Days 3–5
Each day we head in a new direction for photography. We explore the granite spires of the Needles Highway and drive the Iron Mountain Road. In the highlands we see mountain goats and bighorn sheep. On the grasslands of the Wildlife Loop Road are bison, pronghorn antelope (this is one of the best locations in the country to photograph pronghorn), deer, coyote and an active prairie dog town. (BLD)

Day 6
We spend the day shooting wildlife in the Wind Cave area. (BLD)

Day 7 (Oct 4)
We drive to Rapid City airport this morning. Please schedule your return flight for no earlier than noon. (B)





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