That was really interesting. We also learned about the short faced bear that was also found in the hole. It was a sink hole at one time. So, the short faced bear came along and thought that he'd make a meal out of a poor mammoth stuck in the hole, but then he fell in too.
This bad boy could peer into your window, on the second floor.
The Dr. that we interviewed said that all 50+ mammoths, except maybe one, have been male. He explained that the females stay together and keep male young until they hit puberty. During that time the matriarch keeps them from getting into too much trouble. So then the bachelors all run in a pack because they don't have much hope for mating until they're maybe 35. Well, young males with hormones coursing through them sometimes find themselves in awkward situations, like reaching too far into a wet area to try to eat food... and then find themselves stuck.
There are a lot of bones left to find, so a person looks at the hole and thinks "mass crash into death". But, they say only one died there maybe once every ten years... The pack remembers and stears clear or moves on and then a new crowd comes into the neighborhood. It's still a somber vision though.
We also went to Wall to finish shooting for the Badlands Documentary. There's not much to note except that we were nearly finished when the HD Camera konked out on me. I still have to go back for a different project that I'm working on, so I'll pick up the last stuff for the producer then. It's going to be an awesome documentary, watch for it on SDPB in December. The Mammoth Dig site will air in OCtober.
This picture isn't from this shoot, but it's an images from a previous shoot for the documentary. I think that it's funny how accustomed the prarie dogs have gotten to people. Though some of them now have the plague.
OF course we had to have a donut at Wall DRug. Yummy.
We did see some deer when we were driving back from the South Unit of the Badlands.
I'd forgotten to bring my SLR along. :( My digital camera doesn't have a working zoom control, so I had to crop the above image. The deer were only maybe 20 yards away. They were fairly close to the road.
4 comments:
I think the mammoth site in the hills is so cool! We were there a few years ago and I was just amazed. We will have to watch for the program!
Good to see you this past weekend. We had a great time!
Yep, I want to be an archeologist in my next career. Can't wait to see both Dakota Life segments!
Tez, it was good to chat with you guys too! Glad that you enjoyed biking around our neighborhood!
It is kind of my old neighborhood also. We lived on a farm out by Valley View so I had biked the Bluff road a lot before with friends going to school at USD.
Let us know when your segment will air!
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