Prairie Chicken drumming and leks

reddog

reddog

Well-known member
Does anybody know what time of the year Prairie Chickens mate. I have a couple leks located and permission to go, but want to know what time of the year it happens.. I talked to a biologist, and he said it is starting already.


Anybody have any other information?

Thanks
 
Should be starting anytime. I will be checking the leks later in the week.

Would like to get some good pictures with my Canon DSLR. These were taken in 2009 with a point and shoot.

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Maynard

Look forward to seeing your pictures.
 
Mr. Byrd, I am madd now!! I have chased those damn things from here to eternity and your making my Blood pressure climb to a unhealthy level!!!! Way Cool on those pic's and I will get into them next year, or this year!!!!!:10sign::10sign::thumbsup::coolpics:
 
With all the work that you have been doing on the Ponderosa, it would be a deserving treat for all your hard work. Hope it all works out:thumbsup:
 
BleuBijou said:
Mr. Byrd, I am madd now!! I have chased those damn things from here to eternity and your making my Blood pressure climb to a unhealthy level!!!! Way Cool on those pic's and I will get into them next year, or this year!!!!!:10sign::10sign::thumbsup::coolpics:
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I would sure like to take a good specimen this fall to mount. I hope you get into them.
 
I see them pretty much thru late April to Memorial Day tho they could be earlier this year. I know two spots near Platte Winner Bridge and one about ten north(by boat).
 
I just looked at the SDGFP website, and their viewing stations are open from April 10 thru the end of May, so that gives me a idea of when.

I'm pretty secure with my where to view. Just didnt want to miss it.

Looking forward to it.
 
Well, I secured 2 Big Game Ground Max blinds last night. Gonna make the call and head out Wed night and hope to gt some photos and maybe video.

Looking forward to it. The fishings been so good, itll be hard to stay in the blind very long..
 
Well, I headed out about 1pm on Wed and arrive at about 5 to scout. 280 miles door to pasture.

I found a prairie pasture that had about 60 chickens on it, and proceeded to track down permission.

Permission secured, I drove out to the pasture to scout it out further to figure out where I wanted to set up in the morning.

I left the cabin about 5 in the morning on Thursday and arrived about 6:30, anxious to get out there. When I opened to truck door, it became quickly apparent that I was late to the performance.

I had no choice but to load up my gear and walk out in the dark, hopefuly not disturbing them too badly.

Alot of them flew off to somewhere, as I could see their image in the early morning skyline. I got to where I wanted to set up, and quickly set up the ground blind. No sooner did I have it up, and they started filtering back in.

It took a while for the sun to come up enough to get good pictures, but wow, is all I can say.

That was one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed in nature

I stayed in the blind til 9:30, when for some reason they all left. I siezed the opportunity to make a quiet getaway while there wasnt any activity on the prairie.

I cannot upload pictures to post from here, because I'm using my Android wifi hotspot and it wont let me upload onto my photo hosting site.

Not sure when I will be home to get the pictures uploaded. Im pulling the plug on fishing here today with the wind forcast for today and tomorrow. Instead, Im pulling the boat to Lake Poinsett for today, and who knows where Ill end up on Saturday..
 
M. R. Byrd said:
Looking forward to your pictures.
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X2:cheers: I've only seen it a couple times in my life but would have to agree it's probably the coolest thing I've ever seen in nature. My wife and kids got to see it one of those times and it was tough keeping everyone in the truck.
 
I have seen Sharptails and Sage Grouse on the Leks. I know of several large Sage Grouse Leks in Southern Phillips and Southern Valley in MT. The Sage Grouse are in open places in the Sage. One spot is a active Prairie Dog Town.
The Sharptails seem to like small rises in the grasslands.

The first Sage Grouse lek I came across while I was shed antler hunting. I heard this strange low kinda like a booooom-booooom sound, off a half mile or so. I approached the sound and it was a large bunch of males and females. Males were strutting like crazy, necks puffed up and booming. Hens just wondering around. I stayed off a ways and they just went on about their business. COOL!
 
I don't have much for photos.
Just these. The sage was full of birds.

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I made a 200 mile run around eastern South Dakota today, looking for a lake to put the boat in, but the wind won.

I see that habitat desecration 101 is in full swing in eastern SD.

wow..

anyway, I will be home tomorrow and get those pictures posted. I think you guys will like them..
 
Looking forward to the pictures. What do you mean about whats going on in eastern SD as far as desecration 101 goes?:confused:
 
Jim,
Sorry for taking my original post off topic. I wont comment further on it, but may start a new thread in the habitat forum, or I may just forget about it, since there is nothing I can do about it anyway.

Im still amazed at the sportsmans opportunities in South Dakota.
 
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I have more on my Canon Digital Rebel, but I have to go to the office to get them off of the Compact Flash card.
 
Redog,

Great pictures. Someday I need too make a trip as well. Look forward too more pictures.........thanks for posting:coolpics::coolpics::coolpics:
 
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