Tag Archives: Prairie Dogs

Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

Theodore Roosevelt National Park – North Dakota, The Wildlife #TRNP

Image October 14, 2018 Dan Traun 2 Comments

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) – The Wildlife

Wildlife – South Unit

Locating wildlife in TRNP – South Unit was challenging the first few days. All the critters hunkered down in the cool and windy weather. As the weather improved, so did the wildlife viewing. We saw a Coyote hunting prairie dogs in the early a.m.; must to dark for a photograph. We also met a porcupine in the early morning hours crossing the road. Plenty of Cottontail Rabbits in the early a.m. too.

Bison

Bison roam around all over the place; there are plenty to see throughout the park. Large herds congregated by the campground by the river on the West side of the park.

Prairie Dogs

Prairie Dogs were plentiful as well. There are three really large towns right along side the road. They are fun to watch.

Pronghorns

Pronghorns in park were sparse. We happened upon two bucks that had just finished a battle. They were noticeably fatigued and bloody.

Mule Deer

Mule Deer are plentiful. They were everywhere and ran around like squirrels in the park. We saw mostly does, but did manage to locate two nice bucks and one spike buck.

Whitetail Deer

The Whitetail Deer were very elusive. Most of the sightings were along the river by the campground. We did spot a nice buck by the Jones Creek Trail Head. I was shooting out the passenger window and the temp different between the vehicle and the outside was significant which softens the image considerably.

ELK

We saw two different bull Elk just outside of Medora the first afternoon when we arrived, but did not stop to photograph. I was surprised to see them so close to the road, but thought photographing them would be a snap – WRONG. ELK in the park are very elusive. We didn’t see a single Elk – cow or bull – until the last morning we were there. Two full days of exploring the park and not even a glimpse. When we did manage to find them, they were a good 1/2 mile off on top of a butte. The light was low and the photos grainy. I was just happy to see them and hear them. There were three different bulls bugling at one point; it was pretty fantastic.

Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

CUSTER STATE PARK – Custer #South Dakota

Image March 20, 2018 Dan Traun 7 Comments

CUSTER STATE PARK

Custer State Park is a South Dakota State Park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills. The park is South Dakota’s largest and first state park, named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. The area originally started out as sixteen sections, but was later changed into one block of land because of the challenges of the terrain. The park began to grow rapidly in the 1920s and gained new land. During the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps built miles of roads, laid out parks and campgrounds, and built three dams that set up a future of water recreation at the park. In 1964 an additional 22,900 acres were added to the park. The park covers an area of over 71,000 acres of hilly terrain and is home to many wild animals.

The park is home to a famous herd of 1500 free roaming bison. Elk, coyotes, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, river otters, pronghorn, cougars, and feral burros also inhabit the park. The park is famous for its scenery, its scenic drives (Needles Highway and the wildlife loop), with views of the bison herd and prairie dog towns. This park is easily accessible by road from Rapid City.

The popularity of the park grew in 1927, when U.S. President Calvin Coolidge made it his “summer White House” and announced from the Black Hills that he would not seek a second full term in office in the election of 1928.
~wikipedia

Wild Life Loop Road

South Dakota is a ruggedly beautiful land to explore. High on our list of favorites is Custer State Park. The whole park is absolutely beautiful. The Wildlife Loop road is so convenient. It is very easy to drive and the wildlife sighting are frequently and plentiful most of the time.

Wildlife Loop Road travels through 18 miles of open grasslands and pine-speckled hills. This beautiful land is what the park’s wildlife calls home. Depending on the day, you might see bison, pronghorn, whitetail and mule deer, elk, coyotes, burros, prairie dogs, eagles, hawks, and a variety of other birds. A medley of colorful wildflowers and prairie grasses surround the road, making for a picturesque drive.

Our trip in late July 2017 was another memorable one filled with wildlife, scenery and of course, the burros.

The Bison

We had a bit of a rain shower when we found the bison.

Pronghorn Antelope

Burros

Prairie Dogs

Other wildlife and scenery

EXTRA

Destination, Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife

South Dakota – Black Hills – Day 3

October 24, 2014 Dan Traun 7 Comments

A continuation from the Badlands Series | Day 1 | Day 2 | Scenery | Wildlife

SD – Black Hills / Custer State Park | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Day 3 we opted to sleep in a bit, pick up camp and ready ourselves for the next leg of our vacation, The Black Hills & Custer State Park. From Interior, SD we head West on 44 to Rapid City. We really didn’t need to go to Rapid City, but Caribou was calling our name. After obtaining two vessels of turbo-charged caffeinated awesomeness we continued on South on 79 towards Hot Springs; heading West again at the Flying J truck stop. We opted to stay at Custer KOA campground as we were unable to find a tent camping option within Custer State Park that allow pets. The KOA is just West of Custer; it was plenty close to town. This became our home base for the next few days. The campground was sparsely populated with motor-homes. There were no other tent campers in sight. Clean bathrooms and showers just like our previous experience at the White River KOA.

After setting up camp we headed South to see what Hot Springs, SD was all about. We didn’t really find much there in town other than the Dew Drop Inn. I was in the mood for some ice cream, but no luck here as it was closed and for sale. A few minutes East of Hot Springs we located a cold spring. It was a nice little pit stop in the middle of the warm day; a refreshing place to dip your wiener in the cold water to cool her off.

We headed back to Custer State Park in search of wildlife . It didn’t take long to find some. We had a great day 3. Here are a few shots from our first day in the Black Hills.

The Scenery