Despite the rain, Bob Platt of Ada sits patiently, hoping to see a prairie chicken and possibly get a shot.

On September 13 and 14, the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge hosted a first time ever, Prairie Chicken Hunt for people with disabilities.  The hunt was a cooperative effort of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy and Options. Options Resource Center for Independent Living is a non-profit organization in East Grand Forks that supports people with disabilities in their efforts toward independence.

This special Prairie Chicken Hunt, quite possibly the first of its kind in the nation, used a cadre of volunteers, contributing over 200 hours, to help hunters access specially placed camouflaged hunting blinds.  The blinds were located in close proximity to Prairie Chicken leks, or dancing grounds, as the birds quite often return to the grounds in the fall.  Eight brave and enthusiastic hunters signed up to participate in the hunt.  Unfortunately this first annual event didn’t come with favorable weather, as Saturday saw persistent rain starting after 9 a.m. and continuing all day.  Sunday remained wet in the morning, with clearing skies not showing up until afternoon.  On Saturday, hunters were drenched by 10 a.m. and had to call it a day.   This less than perfect weather resulted in only five hunters actually participating in the hunt.   While the end tally showed no birds taken, three of the five hunters saw prairie chicken with one shot being taken.

Despite the zero on the tally sheet, all hunters were overjoyed with just the chance of being out in the field, participating in this special opportunity to once again feel the wind on their faces and to smell the fragrances of native grasses and flowers blooming in tallgrass prairie habitat.  While not shooting a bird, hunters in their blinds were able to see up-close other wildlife species including coyotes, sandhill cranes, Canada geese, many species of ducks, a bald eagle and array of hawks.    Despite being wet and bird less, all expressed a mighty hooray for the hunt and an overwhelming desire to try again next year.