A Prairie Dog Stands At Attention In The Remote Rolling Grassland Hills Around Wind Cave National Park Of South Dakota

Prairie dogs are entertaining creatures to observe. First of all they are very communal creatures, living in large prairie dog towns comprised of dozens of openings in the ground, surrounded by bare dirt mounds. Due to this, if you see one prairie dog, generally you will see many more as well, often times emanating from the same hole in the ground. The best words to describe prairie dogs are skittish and wary. They are constantly aware of any small sound out of the ordinary or any small movement around them. It requires great patience to capture an image like this of a prairie dog. Even the click of a camera shutter is enough to send them fleeing to the nearest hole in their town. But by standing very still and very quiet, coupled together with a long range zoom lens, it is possible to photograph a moment that one is standing at attention due to a noise elsewhere. This is one of the many prairie dog towns of Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The terrain here is rolling prairie grasslands running up and over the high ridges that are in places crowned with trees. Wildlife is abundant here, especially bison, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, and black-tailed prairie dogs. This particular area in the above image is quite remote, reached through a series of dirt roads in the higher country of Wind Cave National Park. It is possible to go for hours without encountering another human here, but the wildlife itself is constantly active, allowing for long periods of undisturbed silence. Prairie dogs have one of the most sophisticated communication systems in the world, and any small disturbance will cause calls to occur, especially if a predator is present. Their yipping chirp type calls are actually unique for different intruders, and the subsequent behavior of the town is done in response to the type of call. Unfortunately, the call for the presence of a human causes the entire town of prairie dogs to run and dive into their holes, greatly complicating the ability for a good shot. But The Wild Images Team was patient enough for this photo during one of our visits to Wind Cave National Park. The Wild Images Team has captured many other images from South Dakota such as the bright flash of a colorful lightning strike over the badlands, the moment that a pronghorn displays its phenomenal physique, and the time that a massive bison bull came meandering past, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from South Dakota have documented the centuries long carving of the massive Crazy Horse Monument, the very majestic Mount Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags, the expansive view as wild burros walk through the rolling prairies, the ever wary prairie dog stands at attention in the prairie, the amazing location of the granite roadways through Custer State Park, when The Wild Images Team encountered a remote end of trail sign in the middle of nowhere, this close up image of textures in a colorful badlands mound, the interesting time when a flock of turkeys photobombed our image, and The Wild Images Team sunset shadows over Badlands National Park. In neighboring North Dakota, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the contrast created by the horizontal color bands cross through yellow badlands and the entire herd as a group of wild horses cluster together on a hilltop, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts of North Dakota have documented the herd of bison grazing in the grasslands and the ever changing colorful badland mound that caps a rolling ridge. In neighboring Wyoming, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the contrast found in the colorful grasslands and background Grand Teton National Park peaks, the varying landscape of Grand Teton National Park rocky peaks and clouds, the large antlers on display as an elk takes a look back in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the vertical abruptness as Devils Tower rises above the red rocks and green pines, and the many hues found as the colorful badlands cover over this very remote region, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Wyoming have documented as the rugged snowy peaks rise above wildflowers, and as The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome poses for a picture at the Meeteetse “Where Chiefs Meet” welcome sign. In neighboring Montana, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as a group of white mountain goats as they graze the highlands, an expansive view of rocky ridges extending to the horizon, the colorfully massive wall of Hidden Lake, high altitude view of tundra and glacial lakes, a very remote reflective alpine lake covered with rocks, and an ominously approaching heavy downpour over the green foothills, all of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Montana have documented the very deep blue waters of McDonald Creek and the panoramic view of The Wild Images Team at Hidden Lake.

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