Planing a trip to the Dakotas

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RKOP

RKOP

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Hi Folks,

I have an opportunity to plan a weeklong spring trip to the Dakotas. I have never been up there and would appreciate any advice on best times/locations for wildlife photography. I normally focus on fathered subjects but this reflects abundance - I am happy to pay more attention to mammals. I shoot 90% of my time with 600mm F4E on D6 or Z9, use 105 for macro at times and when the environment is compelling I shoot landscape with a 10-20 Nikon DX lens (a favorite, works as a 13-20 FX on D6).

Manny thanks for all and any tips!!!
Rafi

P.S: If you are curious to see what I do with the gear, look me up at https://www.flickr.com/photos/rkop/
 
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The "Dakotas" are collectively a very large area and with only one week, I suggest you choose one of the two states and make the most of it. I live in MN, so N and S Dakota are relatively close and I have visited one or the other annually for about 20 years.
South Dakota has the most wildlife & landscape options, but the black hills region can be touristy during late spring and into summer. In South Dakota, you have Badlands and Wind Cave National parks. The Badlands have some lodging and campgrounds within the park, and this will allow you to take advantage of both morning and evening light. Midday in the Badlands can be a photographic challenge and quite uncomfortable on hot days. On the other hand, mornings and evenings are marvelous for wildlife and landscapes. I have photographed big horn sheep, pronghorn, white tail deer, mule deer, bison, prairie dog, coyote, short eared owls, burrowing owls, and western meadowlark in the park. The animals in this region often offer great opportunities for animal landscapes. Wind cave national park offers many of the same wildlife species with the addition of elk. Depending on the time of year, you can get some great opportunities to photograph these species in both prairie and upland pine forests. Further west is Custer State Park. Custer is also an excellent place to photograph the same wildlife fauna, as well as black bear. Bears of Custer are hard to find, but they are there. Custer is nestled in the Black Hills, and this are has some amazing mountainous landscapes. "Needles Hwy" is a must see route, and if you get some good light, can be amazing for landscapes.
To the North in North Dakota is Teddy Roosevelt National Park and Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Teddy Roosevelt has some Badlands-like features with the Missouri River cutting through it. All of the species described previously also frequent Teddy Roosevelt. In addition there's a herd of wild horses in one of the two regions that make up Teddy Roosevelt. From a tourist perspective, there is less to do in North Dakota for non-photographers.
I like both the North and South, but probably prefer the Badlands because I have made some pretty amazing landscapes there.

I have not updated my website in a few years so my Dakota work does not include the stuff I did in 2020 and 2022, but here is a 2015 blog post with many pictures.

regards,
bruce
 
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BLev65 said:
The "Dakotas" are collectively a very large area and with only one week, I suggest you choose one of the two states and make the most of it. I live in MN, so N and S Dakota are relatively close and I have visited on or the other annually for about 20 years.
South Dakota has the most wildlife & landscape options, but the black hills region can be touristy during late spring and into summer. In South Dakota, you have Badlands and Wind Cave National parks. The Badlands have some lodging and campgrounds within the park, and this will allow you to take advantage of both morning and evening light. Midday in the Badlands can be a photographic challenge and quite uncomfortable on hot days. On the other hand, mornings and evenings are marvelous for wildlife and landscapes. I have photographed big horn sheep, pronghorn, white tail deer, mule deer, bison, prairie dog, coyote, short eared owls, burrowing owls, and western meadowlark in the park. The animals in this region often offer great opportunities for animal landscapes. Wind cave national park offers many of the same wildlife species with the addition of elk. Depending on the time of year, you can get some great opportunities to photograph these species in both prairie and upland pine forests. Further west is Custer State Park. Custer is also an excellent place to photograph the same wildlife fauna, as well as black bear. Bears of Custer are hard to find, but they are there. Custer is nestled in the Black Hills, and this are has some amazing mountainous landscapes. "Needles Hwy" is a must see route, and if you get some good light, can be amazing for landscapes.
To the North in North Dakota is Teddy Roosevelt National Park and Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Teddy Roosevelt has some Badlands-like features with the Missouri River cutting through it. All of the species described previously also frequent Teddy Roosevelt. In addition there's a herd of wild horses in one of the two regions that make up Teddy Roosevelt. From a tourist perspective, there is less to do in North Dakota for non-photographers.
I like both the North and South, but probably prefer the Badlands because I have made some pretty amazing landscapes there.

I have not updated my website in a few years so my Dakota work does not include the stuff I did in 2020 and 2022, but here is a 2015 blog post with many pictures.

regards,
bruce
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Excellent! I guess its South Dakota, and the north will await my retirement :) . Many thanks!
 
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Palouse said:
Spring in the Dakota's is what they call winter elsewhere!

Great advice from Bruce.
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You can tell whether it's Spring or Fall in the Dakotas by what people are wearing outside when it's 34F. In the Fall, when it's 34F people wear long pants and long sleeves. When it's 34F in the Spring, they're outside in shorts and t-shirts washing their cars. Really.

I lived in North Dakota for five winters. From what I remember, in the Spring and Fall, I'd concentrate on waterfowl in lakes and reservoirs along the Missouri River flyway, as well as the Spring bloom on some of the farms. Around communities, the sewage lagoons are also areas of congregation for waterfowl; just try to not get too close to the departure flight paths of those birds. In the winter, I'd focus on the stark contrast of the areas with little flora in vast areas under big skies. In the Summer, I'd chase the vast agricultural tracts and their opportunities, especially some of the vast Sunflower fields. Spring through Fall, you can chase the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. (The North Section, if I rember correctly.) There are plenty of Buffalo, as well. To do much throughout the state, you'll spend a lot of time on uninproved (dirt) roads. Nikon Ambassador Moose Peterson has done a bit of travel and photography in the Dakotas, so you might read his blogs or contact him to ask his opinion of opportunities.

When I was there, I was so busy with work that I didn't take time for much photography, and it was also the days before I transitioned to digital. I so wish that I had done so. It was in North Dakota that once my camera (Nikon N70 or N90) got so cold that it stopped functioning, on a day when the temps were likely below -10F, possibly even below -20F. I heard of stories where cameras and film got so cold that film broke in the camera when frame advancement was initiated. It's good you're going in the Spring.
 
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Whiskeyman said:
You can tell whether it's Spring or Fall in the Dakotas by what people are wearing outside when it's 34F. In the Fall, when it's 34F people wear long pants and long sleeves. When it's 34F in the Spring, they're outside in shorts and t-shirts washing their cars. Really.
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Haha. That’s how it is in Wisconsin as well. In fact, the previous few mornings were in the single digits or teens with high winds. This morning there was a heat wave with temps in the 20s. Taking advantage, I saw a guy wearing shorts, Crocs, and a sweatshirt walking into the grocery store. He must have thought spring was right around the corner.
 
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