Ron Brownotter built Brownotter Buffalo Ranch through a series of hard choices about risk, land, and financing. A 2025 Successful Farming profile described the operation on the Standing Rock reservation in northwest South Dakota as having around 600 buffalo grazing on 20,000 acres, and called it North America’s largest herd solely owned by an American Indian. That is the profile’s description at publication, not a verified current ranking or live count.
How Brownotter went from cattle to buffalo
Brownotter grew up at Standing Rock, served ten years in the Marines, received treatment for alcoholism, and later earned a degree in agronomy and crop production at California Polytechnic State University. While in college, he started a cattle herd at home.
In 1997, a four-day South Dakota blizzard killed about half of his roughly 100 cattle, he told Successful Farming. The profile attributed a statewide loss of about 100,000 cattle—roughly 10% of South Dakota’s herd—to the National Weather Service. Brownotter said the experience helped lead him to choose buffalo, which he viewed as hardier animals.
His attempt to finance the transition through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency did not go as planned: the profile says a loan application was rejected after local preapproval. Brownotter later became a plaintiff in Keepseagle v. Vilsack. He told the magazine the settlement included having the FSA loan written off and receiving a cash payment; this is his reported account of his case.
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How the herd and land grew
Six buffalo started the operation
In 2000, the Brownotters bought their first six buffalo at the annual Custer State Park auction. They sold cattle and added buffalo over time. A 2003 effort transferred 251 buffalo from Catalina Island to Great Plains reservations, including Brownotter’s operation, at no cost to him, according to the profile. The article says the island’s bison had been introduced by a film crew in the 1920s and that the National Park Service reported nearly 400 there by 1969.
Leases, investors, and grants helped pay for expansion
Land access and fencing were major parts of the expansion. The profile recounts that an investor offered Brownotter a $500,000 check to help expand a lease from 2,000 to 20,000 acres. After the tribe approved the leases, Brownotter returned the check. He also said the Indian Land Tenure Foundation provided two $100,000 grants for fencing.
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The land includes the allotment associated with Brownotter’s grandmother, Annie Leaf. The profile places that family connection in the history of the Dawes Act, attributing to the National Park Service the estimate that the act cost tribes 65% of their land nationwide. That statistic is presented here as the magazine’s attribution, not as a separate examination of the underlying historical record.
Why fencing and grass restoration mattered
Buffalo pasture required substantial fencing. Brownotter described using railroad ties, seven-foot steel posts, clips, wire, fuel, gloves, and water during the work. His account illustrates why expanding a herd involved more than buying animals: the ranch also needed land, containment infrastructure, and ongoing labor.
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Restoring native grass was another stated goal. At the time of the 2025 profile, Brownotter reported that 2,000 acres had been restored and another 1,500 acres were in progress. The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund were among the organizations the article said helped with seed and other needs. Those acreage figures describe progress reported then, not a current status update.
What the ranch does with the buffalo
The profile described several ways the herd supported the operation and community:
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- Livestock sales: Brownotter sold calves and bulls at an annual live online auction in November.
- Guided hunts: He guided hunts for wild buffalo.
- Tribal food access: He was one of four producers in a USDA pilot program supplying ground bison to Tribal communities.
At publication, Brownotter used a butcher in Mobridge. The tribe was building a packing plant in McLaughlin, which the profile said was expected to create jobs and could open the door to Standing Rock-branded meat. The article does not establish whether the plant is now operating or whether that meat is currently available to consumers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A ranch with cultural and community aims
Brownotter’s goals, as presented in the profile, extended beyond herd growth: restore native grass, return buffalo to Native lands, and support local families and the community. The article also describes him praying and placing sage in a harvested buffalo’s mouth, a practice he said he learned from an elder. The ranch’s story therefore links land management and livestock production with cultural continuity and local opportunity.
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What the reported numbers do—and do not—show
Lisa Foust Prater’s March 27, 2025 Successful Farming profile is the basis for the herd, acreage, expansion, and program details here. Sitting Bull College’s March 31, 2025 post confirms Brownotter is a college board member and links to the profile; Tanka Fund’s news listing also records the story. Together, these sources support a reported account of how the ranch developed, not a current operating report. The herd size, acreage, auction schedule, restoration progress, and packing-plant plans should be treated as conditions reported in 2025 unless independently updated.
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