While taking a walk down a gravel road north of Belle Fourche, a Badger came strolling out of the ditch. I stopped and stood still while it continued heading towards me. Finally, it stopped and stared at me for quite a while before going back into the ditch where it...
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Another Great Week on Oahe
Oahe Guide Service, LLC Call Dale at 605-264-5602 or Cell: 605-222-5309 to book your trip. On the web – https://www.oaheguideservice.com/ On...
Faro Card Game
I have often heard about the card game Faro. But never looked closely at the game, or how it's played. I knew it was tied into the Wild West though. Wildly popular in North America during the 1800s, Faro was eventually overtaken by poker as the preferred card game of...
Common Whitetail Skimmer
The common whitetail or long-tailed skimmer (Plathemis lydia) is a common dragonfly across much of North America, with a striking and unusual appearance. The male's chunky white body (about 5 cm or 2 inches long), combined with the brownish-black bands on its...
Preacher Smith of Deadwood
Preacher Smith's resting spot is located at Mt. Moriah cemetery in Deadwood. Along Highway 85 heading into Deadwood the Society of Black Hills Pioneers erected a monument on August 20, 1914 at the approximate location where Preacher Smith's body was discovered on the...
Baby Dippers on Whitewood Creek
I spotted a nesting pair of American Dippers outside of Deadwood on the Whitewood Creek. I sat quietly along the creek and watched both parents take turns feeding their baby dippers. One of the parents hit the jackpot finding a big delicious caddisfly larvae. The...
Recommended Books on Deadwood, South Dakota
Here is a collection of books about some of Deadwood's most colorful characters, with links to purchase them on Amazon. Thank you Richard Dunwiddie for recommending and sending me the book cover images. Click here to purchase this book on Amazon Click here to...
Yellow-bellied Marmot
There are two species of Marmots that reside in South Dakota. The Woodchuck and the Yellow-bellied Marmot. The Woodchuck is found in the southeast side of South Dakota, and the Yellow-Bellied Marmot can be seen on the west side of the state in the Black Hills. I...
South Dakota Snapping Turtle
My wife Heather and I got Dairy Queen blizzards and drove around the country side last night. We saw 9 baby ducks, deer, cats, dogs, horses, cows, and several Magpie. Then, we came across a female snapping turtle at the side of the gravel road digging a hole to lay...
What is black with orange highlights and hairy? Putnam’s Cicada of Course!
As I was driving through Spearfish Canyon with the window down, I kept hearing strange clicking noises coming from the ditch or trees. I decided to stop and do a little hiking around with my camera. I didn't find much to photograph, but I did start hearing the...


















