31page

VISIT THE 'BURBS See This Now: Lesser Prairie Chickens Cimarron National Grassland, KS -Giving new meaning t o the phrase "chicken fight," every spring these football­ size fowl spar i n s o u t h w e s t Kansas for a c h a n c e t o mate. The m a l e s ­ characterized by brown-and-white striped bodies and color-blocked yellow and black heads-head-butt. claw. whack. and p e c k each other during the short. vicious attacks i n order to earn domi­ nance and mates. See the flying feathers near m i l e 5 on the Turkey Trail f r o m the Cimarron Recreation Area. (This path i s 10.5 miles long; t u r n around a t your leisure.) Follow the d r y river of the same name east through t h e level. wooded ter­ rain under cottonwoods. Continue past clusters of purple wooly verbenas. scarlet globe mallows. and wild begonias. looking for the fowl in short-grass clearings south of the water. or listen for the throaty coo of the males p r e p a r i n g for battle. CONTACT (620) 697-4621; bitly/0314Ci m a r r o n C i m a r r o n National G r a s s l a n d ( K S ) b o a s t s m o r e than 3.000 acres of prairie d o g towns. When you're done watching chickens battle (see below). check out the tan. black-tailed rodents in low grasses off the Santa Fe Trail. I . . , • :f. �. " . ) , PHOTO I ANDREW MAGUIRE
31page