Blog Archives
The Black Stallion-Mystery
Friends, this fine animal is named, Mystery, one of the wild horses that run free within the confines of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota. I especially like seeing these animals cause some may be descendants of domestic horses raised by my grandfather in the early 20th century. He ranched along the Little Missouri River and raised horses for the army. Some of the remount stallions leased by the army were part-Morgan and i think this horse looks like Morgan type. Others with more knowledge will disagree, but it warms my heart to see this stallion, running free as in the bottom image. So today, the black stallion of the badlands. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together
Friends, wild horses are very together in a natural setting of the North Dakota badlands. Often i have seen them with their heads together and we humans interpret that as affection, and maybe it is horse affection. Or maybe they are chasing flies away from each face region. Whatever it really is, i like to think of them as affectionate,gentle creatures that at the same time are wild and free. This post starts a series of posts on the wild horses of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) til Tomorrow MJ
Wild rabbits-anytime of year
Friends, Rabbits are everywhere in the badlands and I am always amazed by the many colors in their fur. I am not an expert at identifying rabbit species, but these are probably cottontails of which there are three types in the badlands region. Whatever their names, they are very secretive and will usually freeze when danger is near, and allow the photographer to snap their portrait. 🙂 til Tomorrow MJ
Battles-Bison and Muleys
Friends, these youngsters are rehearsing for more serious battles over breeding rights when they reach the age of consent. The bison were shot in late winter or early spring and near sundown for the perfect golden light. The young mule deer are also tussling but not very seriously, with their newly polished antlers in the fall of the year. Enjoy til Tomorrow MJ
Stampede-Raising the dust
Friends, a herd of bison can be peacefully grazing or taking dust baths in prairie dog town, when suddenly something sets them off and they are off, stampeding across the prairie raising the dust. You can see from the horns that these are young animals, while the older ones seem to follow along, somewhat unwillingly. Shooting into the sun, emphasizes the dust, but also hides the details in the bison. A photography trade-off that needs to be solved with photoshop. til Tomorrow MJ
Pronghorn
Friends, this is a male pronghorn from the badlands. They get their name from the horn grown by males that is forked with a hook-like branch. They do not grow antlers like the deer and elk, but grow a horn that is partially shed each year. They can run 60 MPH and rely on their speed and agility to survive out on the open grasslands. til Tomorrow MJ
Bull Elk
Friends, In the fall after his antlers are polished, this male elk runs the ridge top in search of a harem of cows. Males lose these antlers in the late winter and grow a new and bigger set in the spring and summer. The Rocky Mountain Elk have been transplanted to the park after being extinct from the badlands. Now they thrive within the Theodore Roosevelt National Park where they are protected.
The fall grasses have lost their green and have cured to a straw color and bushes are turning into spectacular hues of yellows and oranges. Elk are larger than the deer species and are harder to find in the vast acres of badlands. The male in the bottom images is a smaller bull and is gathering his cows while keeping a watchful eye on the photographer. It is always a thrill to see elk in the wild and it makes my heart beat faster or maybe it is because i am chasing them uphill. til Tomorrow MJ
Mule Deer-Where Are They
Friends, Mule Deer are everywhere if you look up into the rocky slopes and down into rabbit brush filled ravines. They often lay down in the day light hours, but along toward sunset, they are roaming everywhere. Driving through the National Park after 5pm, if you don’t see deer, you are not looking very hard. til Tomorrow MJ
More muleys
Friends, this big-eared mule deer doe is relaxing in the grasses of the badlands. She is chewing her cud and checking out the photographer. One of the characteristic traits of these deer are the large ears hence their name, mule deer with mule ears. The image below is a fall image of a fawn that was born in the spring, if you look closely you can see remnants of his spotted coat. til Tomorrow MJ
Mule Deer
Friends, yesterday i showed you a white tail deer and today’s image is of a mule deer in the badlands. His antler tines branch and in spring and summer his antlers are covered in velvet, a vascular tissue that causes the antlers to grow and deposit calcium. He loses his antlers every year like the white tail but is a much larger animal. They frequent the rugged ravines and steep hills regions of the National Park. The below image shows the very early stages of antler growth. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 