M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
Spring on my prairie comes slowly, but soon, if it rains, the manila colored hills will be green with short prairie grasses. Many of you would view my prairie as a desolate and boring place on this planet, but not me. Here I will not smell the salt in the air as the waves crash that coastal shore, smell the pine in that alpine forest, see and hear the squirrel as he scampers about in the hardwood forest or witness the blacken pastures of the Kansas Flint Hills be replaced by lush emerald green grass and flowering redbud trees, but let me tell you what I will see and hear.
Many days here are windy and not all that pleasant, but this past week I experienced a beautiful evening on my prairie. Smoke had filled Dodge City, which is unusual for the area, since annual pasture burning does not happen here, but on this occasion thousands of CRP acres were being burned as contracts expired and the land will be used for crop production again.
There was a little smoke in the air at the ranch, but not much. I am still feeding my cows and calves both hay and grain, since the pastures are not greening up yet because it is early and there is a shortage of moisture. I take bags of feed on the ATV and spread them in a canyon for the cows and calves. As I pull into the canyon a covey of thirteen quail shortens their foraging of grain around the cattle feed and land a short distance away in my CRP grass. Later I hear the call of a gentleman Bob and a call back. I make my way out of the canyon to a hill in my pasture to look and listen for lesser prairie chicken. I take my binoculars and glass an area two miles away that is a primary lek for the chicken, but see none on the lek. Soon I hope that the lek will attract this beautiful grouse of the prairie for many miles and I again get to see this annual mating ritual.
One thing I really like is the absence of human induced noises. My pasture is remote and to some really desolate. I see a small flight of mourning dove zigging and zagging up the canyon; there is crowing from pheasants coming from many directions and it seems the coyotes are trying to out do each other and they welcome the coming of night. The sun is getting lower in the sky and the smoke and haze in the air is producing a spectacular ever changing sunset. Back at the ranch house I hear a distant great horned owl and hear a turkey gobble. I mouth a realistic gobble and get a nice gobble in return. I hear the cooing of both mourning dove and collared dove. The coyotes continue their howls as the darkness settles on the valley.
It is time for me to leave this outdoor symphony that has provided me much enjoyment, but if God wills, I will enjoy again another day. I hope that you have an opportunity to commune with nature as winter gives way to spring.
God Bless,
Maynard Reece (MR) Byrd
Dodge City
Many days here are windy and not all that pleasant, but this past week I experienced a beautiful evening on my prairie. Smoke had filled Dodge City, which is unusual for the area, since annual pasture burning does not happen here, but on this occasion thousands of CRP acres were being burned as contracts expired and the land will be used for crop production again.
There was a little smoke in the air at the ranch, but not much. I am still feeding my cows and calves both hay and grain, since the pastures are not greening up yet because it is early and there is a shortage of moisture. I take bags of feed on the ATV and spread them in a canyon for the cows and calves. As I pull into the canyon a covey of thirteen quail shortens their foraging of grain around the cattle feed and land a short distance away in my CRP grass. Later I hear the call of a gentleman Bob and a call back. I make my way out of the canyon to a hill in my pasture to look and listen for lesser prairie chicken. I take my binoculars and glass an area two miles away that is a primary lek for the chicken, but see none on the lek. Soon I hope that the lek will attract this beautiful grouse of the prairie for many miles and I again get to see this annual mating ritual.
One thing I really like is the absence of human induced noises. My pasture is remote and to some really desolate. I see a small flight of mourning dove zigging and zagging up the canyon; there is crowing from pheasants coming from many directions and it seems the coyotes are trying to out do each other and they welcome the coming of night. The sun is getting lower in the sky and the smoke and haze in the air is producing a spectacular ever changing sunset. Back at the ranch house I hear a distant great horned owl and hear a turkey gobble. I mouth a realistic gobble and get a nice gobble in return. I hear the cooing of both mourning dove and collared dove. The coyotes continue their howls as the darkness settles on the valley.
It is time for me to leave this outdoor symphony that has provided me much enjoyment, but if God wills, I will enjoy again another day. I hope that you have an opportunity to commune with nature as winter gives way to spring.
God Bless,
Maynard Reece (MR) Byrd
Dodge City
