I always call it a great day if we have a first sighting of a bird or critter. This may not always be the best photographical moment but at least I try to make a documentary shot and hope to work my way up to a better image sometime later. We were told that getting close to some Sharp-tailed Grouse would be not an easy task and we would be very lucky to see them at all. I think it payed back to get up really early in Custer State Park and during this early trip along Wildlife Loop Road, we saw close to a dozen already the first morning. It was good that I fired away immediately, handhold and just supported by leaning myself against the car, because we did not see them at any other time again. Having part of the road in the frame is not very flattering but making “a” shot is always the priority if I see a new species. The Sharp-tailed Grouse gave us about 40 seconds until they took off. This is the best I could get, but hey, it made it already a great day early in the morning… 😊.
NEXT BASECAMP - THE BLACK HILLS
Sylvan Lake, Black Hills, South Dakota
We really enjoyed our time in the Badlands, South Dakota but after a few days it was time to move on. The mountains and wildlife of the Black Hills were waiting for us and the Game Lodge campsite in Custer State Park became our next base camp. The Black Hills have a big variety of landscapes to offer, from mixed grass prairies to granite outcroppings, like at Sylvan Lake. Ponderosa pine forests are a big part of it but othervaried forest communities can be found as well.
My desire to spend time in Custer State Park was triggered by an older issue of the BT Journal, a quarterly magazine, produced by famous wildlife, landscape, and aviation photographer Moose Peterson and his wife. The subtitle says, “the journal for taking your photography to new heights!” Hands down, the BT Journal is one of the best sources for exact that. Moose Peterson’s profound knowledge about locations, the wildlife, and sharing his photography skills with us is invaluable. I have studied the October 2012 issue of the magazine, The Black Hills - A Photographer’s Paradise, many times before and it bought us a lot of time, because we knew already where to look for critters and locations.
Grace Coolidge Creek ran right in front of our tent but there was only a very small time window in the morning when a shot like this was possible. For the rest of the day the creek was in the shade.
The campsite is just a stone throw away from Wildlife Loop Road and being out there before sunrise or coming back after sunset isn’t difficult to manage. Other destinations in the Black Hills are also not too far and this makes the State Game Lodge area a great base camp. If camping is not your cup of tea you can stay at the State Game Lodge or some other ones nearby.