Wild Life: Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, Recreation Trail, White Tail Doe, 07/09/2019

his white tail doe was observed along the recreation trail on the peninsula in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. She was standing at a "T" intersection of the trail very near the wildlife observation tower along the Missouri River.

Previous articles in the series:
Sioux City River Front Trail: Wild Life Along the Trail, White Tail Deer
Wild Life: War Eagle Park, Animal Remains, 12/29/2016
Wild Life: War Eagle Park, Animal Remains, Wild Turkey, 01/01/2017
Wild Life: Krumann Park, Animal Remains, Wild Turkey, 01/15/2017
Wild Life: Woodbury County Prairie Preserve, Tree Frog, 08/27/2017
Wild Life: Everly, Iowa, American Toad, 09/15/2017
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Chinese Mantis, 09/16/2017
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Riverfront, Deer, 09/27/2017
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, War Eagle Park, Whitetail Deer, bucks, 05/20/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Riverfront, Whitetail Fawn's, 06/28/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Riverfront, Whitetail Doe, 07/02/2018
Wild Life: Oahe Dam, Animal Remains, Deer, Buck, 07/13/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Private Property, Whitetail yearling Doe, 08/26/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Private Property, Fawn, 09/02/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Isabella Tiger Moth Caterpillar, 09/25/2018
Wild Life: Ponca State Park, Isabella Tiger Moth, 10/13/2018
Wild Life: Private Property, Deer, 10/26/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Bacon Creek Park, Red Sided Garter Snake, 06/22/2019

Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Bacon Creek Park, Red Sided Garter Snake, 06/22/2019

This red sided garter snake was observed in a cedar tree in Bacon Creek Park in Sioux City, Iowa. There is a single track mountain bike and hiking trail just on the other side of the small tree the snake was in. The snake was on the opposite side of the tree and would not have been seen from the trail.

Previous articles in the series:
Sioux City River Front Trail: Wild Life Along the Trail, White Tail Deer
Wild Life: War Eagle Park, Animal Remains, 12/29/2016
Wild Life: War Eagle Park, Animal Remains, Wild Turkey, 01/01/2017
Wild Life: Krumann Park, Animal Remains, Wild Turkey, 01/15/2017
Wild Life: Woodbury County Prairie Preserve, Tree Frog, 08/27/2017
Wild Life: Everly, Iowa, American Toad, 09/15/2017
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Chinese Mantis, 09/16/2017
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Riverfront, Deer, 09/27/2017
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, War Eagle Park, Whitetail Deer, bucks, 05/20/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Riverfront, Whitetail Fawn's, 06/28/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Riverfront, Whitetail Doe, 07/02/2018
Wild Life: Oahe Dam, Animal Remains, Deer, Buck, 07/13/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Private Property, Whitetail yearling Doe, 08/26/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Private Property, Fawn, 09/02/2018
Wild Life: Sioux City, Iowa, Isabella Tiger Moth Caterpillar, 09/25/2018
Wild Life: Ponca State Park, Isabella Tiger Moth, 10/13/2018
Wild Life: Private Property, Deer, 10/26/2018

Ponca, Nebraska, 10/28/2018

Previous articles in the series:
Ponca State Park: 3 State Overlook, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park: Towers in Time, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park, 10/28/2018
Ponca State Park: Old Oak Tree, 10/28/2018
Ponca State Park: 3 State Overlook, 10/28/2018

Ponca State Park: 3 State Overlook, 10/28/2018

Previous articles in the series:
Ponca State Park: 3 State Overlook, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park: Towers in Time, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park, 10/28/2018
Ponca State Park: Old Oak Tree, 10/28/2018

Ponca State Park: Old Oak Tree, 10/28/2018

Located within Ponca State Park, near Ponca, Nebraska, is the old Wolf Oak Tree. This tree is one of the oldest known standing oak trees in the united States.

Timeline:
1644 - The park woodlands looked very different  during pre-settlement. Fire was the largest ecological force in the Missouri River bluff ecosystem. Fire formed a mosaic of plant communities. Basswood, red oak, black oak and hickories densely populated the somewhat fire-protected bottoms along the Missouri River and on low north-and east-facing slopes of the bluffs. Higher on these bluffs the woodlands were dominated by the more drought- and fire-tolerant bur oak.

In southeastern Nebraska the chinkapin oak grew on these drier sites. These dry west- and south-facing slopes and ridge tops supported tallgrass prairie and an oak savannah, which is a prairie with scattered oak trees. Constant fire, likely caused by lightening strikes, discouraged the encroachment of trees in these prairie areas and limited the densities of woodlands in savannah environments. As a result the Ponca Wolf Oak probably originally sprouted and developed with only a few other trees on its home acre.

William Penn, founder of the Pennsylvania Colony was born.

September 17, 1787 - The tree was 143 years old when the U.S. Constitution is signed.

1804 - 1806 - The Lewis and Clark Expedition, The Corps of Discovery takes place. they travel up back on the Missouri River and come very close to where the oak tree is standing.

1867 - Nebraska becomes a state of the union. the oak tree is 233 years old.

1967 - The Ponca Wolf Oak was core sampled by staff of the now Nebraska Forest Service. It is estimated to be 320 years old.

Since 1967 53 years have been added to the age of the tree.

2006 -  The burr oak tree was named: “Old Wolf Tree” and designated as a “Nebraska Heritage Tree” by the Nebraska Community Forestry Council and the Nebraska Forest Service.

Previous articles in the series:
Ponca State Park: 3 State Overlook, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park: Towers in Time, 10/13/2018
Ponca State Park, 10/28/2018

Source: The Old Wolf Oak Tree