Native Grasslands

[mnmthunting]

Thought I would share some "true" native grasslands. [prairies]
First of all, just about ALL land suitable for raising crops has been plowed, farmed and crops raised. Lots of this land in prairie country had most of the top soil blown off during times of drought and has turned back into grasslands. These grasslands are NOT native prairies.
To find any amount of native grasslands you have go to the "bad lands". Land that was not settled or claimed by Homesteaders.
A few small remnants in the Mid West. In MN for example less the 1% of the native grasslands remain.
In the Dakotas you have to get into the rough country to the West, like rocky hilltops and river breaks.
Some pics of large areas of true prairie land. [Montana]

 

[haymaker]

Great pictures. Your premise is true but I am fortunate enough to have some native praire that still has tepee rings on it. It is kind of a historical record. There are places where you can see the remnants of homesteaders sod houses. There are small rockpiles where they tried to farm and a couple of what appear to be graves. We even have some buffalo wallows. The grass has been invaded by bromegrasss so we don't have the original mix species wise. I am doing battle with it, but it will be a long battle. This land could be farmed and would be worth at least $3000 an acre if it was. But I like seeing cattle on it and they are making a profit too. No Monsanto on that land.

 

[oldandnew]

I like the pictures, looks like the area around Glendive and Miles City. I would tend to think of that as badlands as much as short grass praire. We are the same in Missouri, almost no original prairie left, ours is tall grass. Precious little real open country left anywhere, except the black desert. Good for you Haymaker, hope the beef prices allow you to continue!

 

[mnmthunting]

Haymaker, Nice! You have a place that hasn't been plowed. :thumbsup:

Those remnants of the Homesteaders is what I'm getting at. All homesteaders had to "prove up" their land by farming and living on the land. They basically plowed ALL the land that was plowable. Most all homesteaders could care less about stuff like tepee rings. Your homesteaders cared about history, left the tepee rings. :10sign:

However the rock piles you see are proof that the area was farmed, so can't be considered native grassland.

 

[mnmthunting]

I like the pictures, looks like the area around Glendive and Miles City. I would tend to think of that as badlands as much as short grass praire. We are the same in Missouri, almost no original prairie left, ours is tall grass. Precious little real open country left anywhere, except the black desert. Good for you Haymaker, hope the beef prices allow you to continue!

Yes, it's badlands. But that is just about the only places left with large tracts of native grasses and lands that have not been plowed. And you might say are safe and will never be farmed.
Natural Gas, oil and coal are a huge threat and will change [ruin] the land forever.

 

[haymaker]

Haymaker, Nice! You have a place that hasn't been plowed. :thumbsup:

Those remnants of the Homesteaders is what I'm getting at. All homesteaders had to "prove up" their land by farming and living on the land. They basically plowed ALL the land that was plowable. Most all homesteaders could care less about stuff like tepee rings. Your homesteaders cared about history, left the tepee rings. :10sign:

However the rock piles you see are proof that the area was farmed, so can't be considered native grassland.

They tried to farm but the rocks I believe were a large impediment. The rock piles are small and few maybe 10% was farmed. They are a monument to what had to be a tough, durable and perhaps desperate people. There is an old well at the side if a slough that must have provided their drinking water. I have seen that water, tough people. Those sloughs dry up, then they had to haul water. My grandmother wrote her memoirs and talked about what it was like when she was a child when they were homesteading. It makes me very humble to think about what I have been trusted to be the steward of and what my ancestors had to go through to get to this point. Vrey humble and thankful. Some of the hunters that come here find the history tour quite interesting.

 

[mnmthunting]

Haymaker, History is my thing. Sure glad there are folks like you that preserve it.

On the third pic. That point of land just to the left. There are tepee rings and fire pits with rocks. Fire heated rocks, then add meat, slow cooked.

Three miles off the 2 track. Only a few hunters and cowboys have been here.

 

[jaytee]

Nice pics but I have to admit, thats not what I think of when I think of native grassland. Isn't it funny how a persons opinion or expectations are way off when it comes to such things. I along with I'm sure others had a very different image of native grasslands than those pics. I think of vast gently rolling hills of golden grasslands swaying in the breeze with very little if any bare ground visible. Boy was I wrong!!:cheers::cheers:

 

[haymaker]

Nice pics but I have to admit, thats not what I think of when I think of native grassland. Isn't it funny how a persons opinion or expectations are way off when it comes to such things. I along with I'm sure others had a very different image of native grasslands than those pics. I think of vast gently rolling hills of golden grasslands swaying in the breeze with very little if any bare ground visible. Boy was I wrong!!:cheers::cheers:

Jaytee I think you will find what you described south of Pierre in the national grasslands. It is quite a site to see endless grass.

 

[TABLEROCK]

Untouched

While in Montana I always enjoy finding places like that. Knowing that few in America will ever be able to experince such remote grasslands. Its just makes you think how hard the life must have been for settlers just trying to survive off land that would give so little back. Great pics Great pics!:10sign:

 

[mnmthunting]

Nice pics but I have to admit, thats not what I think of when I think of native grassland. Isn't it funny how a persons opinion or expectations are way off when it comes to such things. I along with I'm sure others had a very different image of native grasslands than those pics. I think of vast gently rolling hills of golden grasslands swaying in the breeze with very little if any bare ground visible. Boy was I wrong!!:cheers::cheers:

Jaytee, your correct. Those were the native prairies. Trouble is, that is what homesteaders called "good Land". Almost all of the US good lands have been plowed. So cannot no longer be considered native grasslands.
My point is you have got to get into the "badlands" [not farmable] to find true native grasslands.
Much like the "old growth" forests in the US. Forest can't be considered old growth after being logged off.

Check out Canada's "Grasslands National Park" on line. Right up against the border of North Central Montana. Set aside as native grasslands [prairie] Exactly the same type country as in my pics.

And check out the "American Prairie Reserve" in Montana. Lots of information on line.

 

[quail hound]

Very nice pics, the closest we have are in the foothills and great basin areas but they've been grazed so much that I doubt there is much "native" grass left in these areas.

 

[quail hound]

I take that back, we also have the Carrizo Plains. 250,000 acres of California prarie forgotten by time. It's home to endangered kit foxes, prong horns, black tail deer, tule elk, Ca quail, and chukar.

 

[mnmthunting]

Thanks All for the comments.
I go into this country because of the unspoiled remoteness of it.
And;

Sage Grouse

Sharpies

Muley Bucks

Sheds

Almost always a mixed bag.

Yotes too