Little Shack on the Prairie
Generally, my alarm going off at 4 a.m. is not something I look forward to....4 a.m., on Tuesday, April 28, was no different. When combined with the fact that right next to my hotel was what seemed to be the busiest railroad line on the planet, it was going to take something special to make this a good day for me. To make it just a little more painful, my guide for the early morning excursion, Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District Assistant Manager Cathy Henry, also suggested that I not drink any coffee.
Needless to say when I met her at the District office at 4:45 a.m., I wasn't too cheery. When, after a short drive to the middle of a vast open prairie, I stepped into ankle deep cold water I knew it could only get better. It was still dark at 5:30 a.m., after our 15 minute walk through cold water, guided only by small blue reflective lights, we arrived at "little shack on the prairie." As a fully prepared public affairs guy, I had carried about 100 lbs. of expensive electronics with me into the middle of this slough. And, being the professional that I am, I started quickly and quietly preparing tripods, cameras and audio equipment, all while trying my best not to startle our intended targets. My equipment was ready -- at least as ready as I could make it on 3 hours of sleep, standing in ankle deep water in the dark. So, Cathy and I stepped into the 8 foot wide, 4 foot deep, and 6 foot tall, Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge Prairie Chicken Blind, a.k.a Little Shack on the Prairie. It was about 5:45 a.m., and I still wasn't very cheery. I should be fair and explain why Cathy suggested I not drink coffee. I am quite a coffee drinker, and not having coffee at a 4 a.m. wake up was pretty sadistic punishment in my book. But, Cathy only had my best interest at heart. Apparently in about 15 - 30 minutes the prairie chickens would arrive near our shack, and once they do, we are stuck inside until they leave; often 4-5 hours later. If we leave before they do, it can cause enough stress on them, so they may abandon the lek (the area these birds congregate in the morning)...which, is not a good thing. So basically, no restroom breaks for 4-5 hours, and if I'd filled up with my normal 2-3 big cups, I'd have lasted about 45 minutes. Around 6 a.m., I began to hear very strange sounds. A combination of what I thought were mourning doves, mallard ducks, shrieking children and possibly some Buddhist monks. The air was filled with these strange, hypnotic sounds. Even in the vastness of this open prairie, I really couldn't tell where the sounds were coming from. It seems like from all sides of the shack. Cathy leaned over toward me and whispered, "They're here."
Around 6:15 or 6:30 it was finally light enough for me to catch my first glimpse of movement, a dark blur of feathers leaped straight up in the air, flowed by a few other doing the same and then quickly running off into the darkness.
The sounds alone where really enough for me to get over the train whistles, early wake up and the wet boots. Once I started catching glimpses of the birds, followed by views of the open prairie and 16 of the birds dancing, whirling and running all at once, I even stopped worrying about the coffee. And, had I known that in just over 12 hours I'd be stuck at dead stop in the middle of a Minneapolis rush hour traffic jam.....I wouldn't have complained at all, because a 4 a.m. wake-up, no coffee and wet shoes are still better than rush hour traffic. And, when you add in the best show on the prairie, I can easily say that this was the best 4 a.m. wake-up day I have ever had; less the rush hour traffic. Back to the chickens, these energetic, excited and funny birds put on a performance to rival cirque de soleil. I'm not critic, but in my humble opinion the music, dancing and stage setting for the prairie chicken show was far more entertaining and enjoyable. And, yes, I have seen cirque de soleil. It is difficult to explain, but there really is something hypnotic and powerful about the booming and the dancing these birds perform that is nothing like I've ever seen or heard. This is a once-a-year show, only performed for a few weeks in April and May in northwestern Minnesota. Mature male and female prairie chickens are somehow naturally attracted to what is called a lek. These are generally rocky or sandy soil spots in the middle of large prairies where the grass doesn't grow tall. This allows the short males to perform for the females enjoyment and favors. The males puff up large orange air sacs on their necks, they jump straight up in the air and spin, landing as gracefully as a prairie chicken can. Sometimes a male will go face-to-face with another male and stare each other down. These generally end with either one male making a quick attack and the other leaves, or, they both just stare at each other and then they both walk away, each with his dignity intact. Biologists surmise this elaborate courting behaviour is to help ensure that the strongest, most coordinated and dominate males mate with females to help further their species. It is something most species do in one form or another, but this is one of them most fascinating and entertaining I have seen. Mark your calendar for next Spring, You can reserve the Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge Prairie Chicken Blind by call the office at 218-8474431. Thanks to Cathy Henry, Scott Kahan and the rest of the staff at the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District for giving me this opportunity to enjoy some of the prairie wildlife. 
Fergus Falls Wetland Management District Manager Kevin Brennan Named 2008 Refuge Manager of the Year More information on the Fergus Falls WMD. Audio interview of Kevin from KFAN AM1130 Outdoors
Upper Miss Refuge Personnel Rescue Stranded Black Lab
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