Check out this article from the 4/17 New York Times: Prairie Birds Flirt, and a Town Livens Up
It’s about a town in Missouri that’s being revitalized by the spring rituals of the local population of prairie chickens. It just goes to show how much people will pay to appreciate wildlife, and how important this money can be to local economies.
For a lot of places I visit, hunting season is their busiest time of year. In the long run, I hope this helps all of us – including the animals. As the locals see game populations impacted their wallets, I hope they’ll do all they can to conserve land and maintain bird numbers.
This picture shows two male prairie chickens square off, seeking dominance in the “booming” grounds at the Dunn Ranch in Eagleville, Mo. Ed Zurga for The New York Times.
