Wildlife

Sadly, too many Americans these days have never ridden a horse. Happily, you can update your horseback status easily in the Black Hills. How long should a novice’s first trail ride be? That depends your tolerance for a little backside soreness when you sit down for dinner later. But by … Read More

If you buy a tiger cub on the black market, it will interact with you just like a domestic kitten the first months of its life.  Some people easily slip into the belief that their illegal “kitty” will always retain that temperament if treated like a house cat.  Wrong.  Eventually … Read More

Along Black Hills trails and walkways you’ll occasionally see signs warning of rattlesnakes. Yes, western South Dakota is rattler country and the signs should be taken seriously. But it’s comforting to know many people who live in the Black Hills (maybe most) have never seen a rattlesnake in the wild. … Read More

It can be argued this gigantic, powerful, shaggy-headed animal is the most impressive beast ever to roam the North American continent. But, people ask, what is it? Buffalo or bison? Properly speaking it’s a bison, but you’ll hear it called a buffalo just as often. To confuse things on another … Read More

Here’s that “big” theme again. The world’s largest collection of reptiles — snakes, alligators, crocodiles, giant Aldabra tortoises — is found at Retile Gardens, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Reptile Gardens is located just outside Rapid City on highway 16, the main route to Mount Rushmore. Of … Read More

If you’ve never considered yourself a bird-watcher, there’s no better place to start than Spearfish Canyon. It’s home to 130 bird species, including some you’re unlikely to find in your backyard. This is where eagles launch themselves from the high rimrock and glide on canyon air currents, then suddenly drop … Read More

Elk, mountain lions, eagles, bobcats, and deer make Spearfish Canyon home. But a few years ago porcupines stole the spotlight, made national news in the canyon for developing a taste for brake fluid. Yes, they bit into brake lines and drank the stuff, leaving drivers up a steep canyon with … Read More