in 1875 general philipp sheridan, send them powder and lead, for the sake of lasting peace, let themill and skin until the buffaloes are exterminated. >> the army did more than the indians could have done, causing them to go on to reservations by cimg off their food source. >> by the 1880s only a few hundred survived. these vast plains once home to thundering herds, fell silent. a death wind for the sioux. >> you can read the accounts and see pictures of thousands and thousands of buffalo skulls stacked high at the skinning yards. slaughtered for their tongues or their hides, or simply for pleasure. it makes me ashamed. >> we should be ashamed that human beings did this to the buffalo. >> but slowly and surely thanks to careful management the buffalo are coming back. at custer state park, the herd has grown so it must be culled every year. the buffalo inspected and innoculated against infectious diseases. then branded. so the animals can be tracked over time. craig pugsley helps coordinate the annual roundup now in its 48th year. >> for us it's a management tool. we would do the roun