Monday, April 8, 2019

A Spring Tour of the Black Hills

Jan here with good news. Spring has finally arrived in the Black Hills!

How can I tell?

Well, it isn't because of the flowers (none yet.) Or the green grass (still brown.) Or the lack of snow (still plenty in the higher altitudes, and we're expecting more tomorrow!)

No, it's because the folks at Custer State Park announced that they spotted the first bison calf of the year. Hoofs on the ground!

The first baby of the year! Check out the picture on Custer State Park's Facebook page!

So yesterday afternoon, with sunny skies and 70 degree weather, we went hunting for orange babies.

We found the fathers of these elusive babies doing their usual spring thing...eating.


They need to get their weight back on after our long winter.  In the late summer/early fall, they'll look like this:

No bones showing on this guy! I took this picture
last July.

And we found the moms in waiting mode...


Just eating, resting, and hanging out. 

But there's a sign of spring in this picture! Do you see the wisps of green grass? It's growing!

The pronghorn antelope are waiting, too. And eating. And waiting.


In case you're wondering, those lines in her fur (hair?) are ruffles as the breeze hits her. She was standing broadside to the wind.

But with pronghorns, you can never be quite sure if they've had their little ones or not. The mothers hide them in the grass where the babies lay very still, curled up in a ball. They're the same color as the grass, and almost impossible to see. 


And the prairie dogs were out!


No little ones here, either. If they've been born, they're still deep underground where it's safe and warm.


But you know spring is coming when the Begging Burros are back from their winter pasture!


Do you see why they're called the Begging Burros? The folks in this car came prepared with carrots for all.

But when they came to see what we had, they were disappointed.

"What did you bring me?"

"Nothing? Never mind."

The park burros are pretty tame. They are descended from burros brought to the area by miners back in the late 1800's, and have been around people their entire lives. While we never pet the bison, petting the burros is welcome and expected. Especially if you bring a treat...which we didn't.

I'll leave you with one more glimpse of spring in the Black Hills. Even though we didn't find a baby bison, we did stop by the overlook where you can see George's profile view.


Because there is nothing like a view of Mt. Rushmore against that beautiful blue spring sky!


I hope you're enjoying spring in your part of the country!





Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.


13 comments:

  1. Ah, nothing says spring like a bison calf sighting! lol We live in such different worlds, Jan. :-) And in my world it is freezing rain!!!! On April 8!!! Sigh. The year that winter never ends. I want a burro!!!!!! They are soooo cute!!!!!!! It could carry my library books back and forth for me. I wonder if they can be housebroken?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha! Kav, I love the idea of a library burro! :)

      Delete
    2. Burros are pack animals, so I'm sure one would be glad to carry your books, groceries, whatever. And you'd only have to pay it in carrots!

      But housebreaking one? I'm not sure about that! LOL!

      Delete
  2. Oh, Jan, those prairie dogs and burros are so cute!! I let out a loud laugh when I saw that burro head inside your window. I would love to pet them! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are soooo fuzzy! Such great fun. But you better bring a treat for them or else they'll leave in disgust!

      Don't try to pet the prairie dogs, though. They might be cute, but they carry diseases and parasites just like rats do. So view at a distance!

      One really cool thing is that the Black Footed Ferret (once nearly extinct) is making a comeback in the prairie dog towns in protected areas like national and state parks. There is a pretty good population of them at Wind Cave National park. I've never seen one, but I hope to someday.

      Delete
    2. Such interesting wildlife! And wonderful to know some animals are making a comeback.

      Delete
  3. Oh, there is hope in Gideon! I love the time of babies and rebirth and spring and green and colors!!! We miss colors so much over the long winters... and I'm so totally ready to start playing outside. So ready!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we're just waiting for colors! My tulip plants are getting bigger, and the stems of my rose bush are greening up. I even saw baby leaves on my columbines today!

      Spring in the North is the sweetest season!

      Delete
  4. I meant hope in Gilead.... that's what happens when you hurry your words, silly me!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What an amazing place you live in! I agree with Missy about the prairie dogs and burros being so cute!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are very cute! And we do love living here. We're thankful every day. :-)

      Delete
  6. City girl here thinking it looks so cool to see all these animals in their native habitat. We have a prairie dog exhibit at our local wildlife center. They're always fun to watch. The burros are adorable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is cool, Cate! We see so many animals all around the area. It is unbelievable. We are so blessed.

      Delete