A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[duluthralphie]

Here is what it looks like out there in the summertime. It's in a mountain Shadow and in central Montana.

Nice video.. is the ranch named “the little lone tree ranch”?


whats is like on those plateaus?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

There is no need to change your thoughts about yourself just because stinkums bother other people...

Somehow I knew that was coming.

 

[R2elk]

whats is like on those plateaus?

Frickin' WINDY!!!!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Frickin' WINDY!!!!!

That wasn’t really the answer I was looking for.

 

[Bantambird]

Nice video.. is the ranch named “the little lone tree ranch”?


whats is like on those plateaus?

We always just called it the ranch, or the Bartlett ranch ( great grandma's married name. She lived there until she didn't.)
JL bar, M standing Z, and 4 M quarter circle are the brands, so it could go by any of those?


And yes, plateaus are definitely windy.
And trees don't grow well out there because deer, rabbits, bugs, and all manner of critters will eat baby trees and the soil and water are very alkaline and a bit salty due to the inland sea. It's pretty wild and rough there. It's very quiet, though, and there are leks to watch in the spring. Dad took video of an active lek last spring, a big gathering of male sage grouse dancing and flapping those rediculous neck pouches. Really great bird watching!

 

[R2elk]

It's very quiet, though, and there are leks to watch in the spring. Dad took video of an active lek last spring, a big gathering of male sage grouse dancing and flapping those rediculous neck pouches. Really great bird watching!

I have wanted to spend time photographing a lek. There was one just outside of town. Unfortunately when the ranch's hayfield got turned into business property, they turned the lek into a hayfield.

 

[CindyinSD]

Haven't closed here yet, no cases in Montana yet. Also, about stinkums, my dh is not only allergic to them, they trigger migraines that can last for days.

They give me headaches, too. There was a lady who volunteered at a place where I taught pottery lessons. She always came in reeking of patchouli and sandalwood. (She probably weighed in at around 450 lbs (no, I'm not exaggerating--she wheeled herself around in an office chair and literally put ruts in the antique oak floors.))

I finally got up the nerve to ask her to stop wearing scent and she seemed shocked and indignant. "These are pure essential oils! They won't give you a headache!" "Well they do, though. I need you to stop using them."

I didn't realize I was her supervisor at the time. I got my supervisor to ask her to stop and she still kept showing up smelling like a Grateful Dead concert. I finally told her as gently as I could that I didn't need her to "help" with my classes. I could handle them okay myself. There were other things for volunteers to do than bother me, after all.

She was pretty lit over that, but geez. Two headache-inducing factors at once were just two too many. People think you're just being a p.i.t.a. For some reason they can't begin to conceive of the possibility you might not be pretending discomfort just to deny them something they enjoy doing.

 

[Bantambird]

I have wanted to spend time photographing a lek. There was one just outside of town. Unfortunately when the ranch's hayfield got turned into business property, they turned the lek into a hayfield.

The ranch is far from people. The county has less than 500 people and the population is actually only heading down from there because the youth leave to get educated and don't come back.
If you do ever decide to come photograph the leks, I'm sure my folks would be excited to host once they get back. But that would mean you would have to travel....

 

[R2elk]

The ranch is far from people. The county has less than 500 people and the population is actually only heading down from there because the youth leave to get educated and don't come back.
If you do ever decide to come photograph the leks, I'm sure my folks would be excited to host once they get back. But that would mean you would have to travel....

Nice offer but I would have to whack all the animals and let the trees die in order to travel. There are other leks farther down the road from where that one used to be. They even built a pull out for anyone wanting to watch the sage grouse there with a big sign and instructions on how to not disturb the birds. It was really sad to see it destroyed.

 

[memphis]

What's a lek?? Bantambird...gorgeous!! I've never seen a grouse in real life....just on tv....are they noisy? Do those sack things make noise? It's so much fun learning about new things here. We have such a fun & diverse bunch of turkey folk!!