Triple U Buffalo Ranch in South Dakota: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Find It
Profile updated November 2026
Triple U Buffalo Ranch is one of the largest bison ranches in the United States, covering about 50,000 acres in northern Stanley County, South Dakota. Its closed herd of about 2,000 bison made it known well beyond the state, and it has been owned by Ted Turner since 2015.
| Location | Northern Stanley County, South Dakota |
|---|---|
| Founded | Formerly Standing Butte Ranch; founding year not stated in sources reviewed |
| Sectors | Bison; trophy hunts; film location |
| Scale | About 50,000 acres and a closed herd of about 2,000 bison, per published references |
| Why it is elite | Among the largest bison ranches in the country; film location for Dances With Wolves |
| Ownership | L. Roy Houck, later Ted Turner, who bought it in 2015 |
| Official website | Wikipedia article on Triple U Buffalo Ranch (no ranch website found) |
History of Triple U Buffalo Ranch
Triple U Buffalo Ranch was formerly known as Standing Butte Ranch and was built into a major bison operation under owner L. Roy Houck, who is among the honorees listed by the National Buffalo Foundation. The ranch occupies prairie in northern Stanley County near the Missouri River.
Hollywood noticed the herd. The ranch served as a location for the 1990 film Dances With Wolves and for the 1994 TNT film Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee. In 2015 media reported that Ted Turner, a major bison owner, bought the ranch.
What Triple U Buffalo Ranch Grows and Raises
The central asset is a closed herd of about 2,000 bison on roughly 50,000 acres. A closed herd means no new animals are brought in, which helps control disease and preserve herd genetics. Bison are well suited to short-grass prairie, where they graze with less supplemental feed than most cattle.
The ranch also offers trophy hunts for bison and several other indigenous species, according to published references. The facts about day-to-day management are thin in the public sources reviewed, so this page does not describe methods beyond that.
How Triple U Buffalo Ranch Makes Money
Bison and breeding stock
Large bison ranches typically earn from selling live animals and meat. This is general industry knowledge rather than something confirmed for Triple U in the sources reviewed.
Trophy hunts
Published references say the ranch offers trophy hunts for bison and other indigenous species, a high-value use of large acreage.
Film and location work
The ranch's role in Dances With Wolves and Lakota Woman shows that scenic prairie and a herd of bison can also support location work.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Triple U Buffalo Ranch
First, scale and a unique asset can produce secondary income. A herd of bison on open prairie is both livestock and a draw for hunts and film.
Second, a closed herd is a biosecurity strategy. Operators who keep animals separate from outside stock lower the risk of bringing disease in, a lesson relevant to any livestock business.
A ranch that appeared in Dances With Wolves has probably heard every buffalo joke on earth, and farm.FM promises to add a few gentle ones. For farm satire with a bison cast, farm humor about movie extras, ranch humor from Stanley County and farm jokes with a very large audience, visit and be kind to the herd.
If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.
How to Contact Triple U Buffalo Ranch
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_U_Buffalo_Ranch
No separate ranch website was found. The website field points to the best public page about the operation, and no private contact details are listed here; confirm any visit or purchase through the operation directly.
Triple U Buffalo Ranch Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Triple U Buffalo Ranch overview - Reference article on the ranch
- Capital Journal coverage - News of the 2015 sale
- National Buffalo Foundation honoree page - Profile of former owner L. Roy Houck
- USDA Census of Agriculture - National and state farm statistics from NASS
- USDA Farmers.gov - Federal programs for farmers and ranchers
Triple U Buffalo Ranch FAQ
Where is Triple U Buffalo Ranch?
In northern Stanley County, South Dakota.
How big is it?
Published references give about 50,000 acres and about 2,000 bison.
Who owns it?
Ted Turner bought it in 2015 from the Houck family operation.
Was it in a movie?
Yes, it was a location for Dances With Wolves in 1990.
Triple U Buffalo Ranch is a rare example of bison ranching at true prairie scale. Read the South Dakota farms guide for more operations and strategy.