Pride of the Prairie

Strutting his stuff...

While this is primarily a fishing blog, I like to talk a lot about conservation and things we can do to educate the public about our wildlife resources.  Recently, my girls and I reserved a blind on the Ft. Pierre National Grasslands.  When telling people about it, they seemed to have no idea this opportunity existed.  Whether their perceived interest was genuine or not, I feel it is necessary to provide some information about an opportunity to view the Pride of the South Dakota Prairie on its home booming grounds.  

The Ft. Pierre National Grasslands can be an eerie and unusual place, especially before sunrise.  Typically the excitement begins before exiting the vehicle.  The intensity of the sounds will reverberate from the vast expanses all around. Today was different.  

It was 4:45 a.m. (yeah, I know, that's early but stick with me here...)  The girls and I walked into the darkness with the sounds of the prairie coming to life.  "I'm scared daddy!" said Mya after we took our first few steps.  It is very daunting at first, especially for a little one, but we marched on. 

We entered the plywood blind relatively unnoticed.  If the birds had realized that we were in the area, they obviously didn’t care.  The wind rushed through the open windows as I quickly covered the girls in blankets.  With last year being Lillian's first experience, I was prepared to keep both little ones as comfortable as possible before the sun peaked over the grassland prairie on this 2015 outing.  We waited.  The anticipation that mounted for me was intense.  "Will the birds be here today?" I wondered to myself.  I was anxious for it to begin, despite the inability to see through the darkness.  We continued to wait while Mya fell asleep.  

Not long after first light (about 45 min after entering the blind), a familiar sound penetrated its walls.  "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... WOOP!  WOOP!"  Lillian perked up, "They're heaaaaarr!" she exclaimed in a whisper.  I was pumped.  

When the sun began to rise over the stretch of prairie to the east, the birds slowly came into focus.  The eight males were displaying their colors, and strutting their stuff while the one female wandered relatively uninterested.   An occasional confrontation between two males would result in acrobatics and scrapping to establish dominance.  A display that is too amazing not to experience in person.

face off - Courtesy South Dakota Tourism

Each year seems to bring new surprises as well.  In 2014, sharptails and chickens shared the Lek when a raptor swooped in and spoiled the party.   This year, another first for the girls and I.  One particular bird stole the show as he repeatedly jumped to the top of the blind to tapdance and strut.  "He's dancing on our heads!" Mya exclaimed after multiple routines.

I know I’ve done little to describe the beauty of this annual ritual, but no words I could write would do it justice.   This extraordinary bird is part of a delicate ecosystem in the prairie of South Dakota.  Each spring brings new opportunities to experience and view wildlife in all its splender.  I will continue to make this a ritual of mine for years and years to come.  And the girls are in as well.  

The Ft. Pierre National Grasslands encompases 116,000 acres and is located 15 miles south of Ft. Pierre, S.D.  The blinds are available from April through mid-May and  may be reserved through the forest service by calling the Ft. Pierre national Grassland, USDA Forest Service at 605-224-5517.

Hooked on wildlife