Download a photo of two sharp-tailed grouse.
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Bret Amundson hunts Minnesota’s only native prairie grouse, the sharptail, in east central Minnesota where wildlife biologists are working to save the bird’s declining population, and White Earth Nation dancers pay tribute to “Mr. Grouse” John Toepfer, a long-time prairie grouse researcher.
“Birds of the Prairie” will air on Pioneer PBS Sunday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m.; on WDSE Saturday, February 1 at 4 p.m.; on tptLife Saturday, February 15 at 12:30 p.m.; and on Lakeland PBS Saturday, March 28 at 2:30 p.m. It will also be broadcast on the Minnesota Channel, which airs on all Minnesota PBS stations, on Thursday, February 20 at midnight., 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.
Host Bret Amundson goes sharp-tailed grouse hunting at the Holy Cow Ranch near Hinckley with game managers, biologists and outdoor enthusiasts. Then he watches sharpie males stake out their territory on a lek near Baudette. The sharptail was common throughout Minnesota in the early 1900s, but as its native grassland habitat declined, so did the sharpie’s population. Natural resource managers and outdoor organizations have been working to restore the prairie birds’ habitat in east central Minnesota through landowner incentive programs.
Bret also travels to the Bluestem Prairie Preserve near Moorhead to view prairie chickens on their booming grounds where males fight for their territory. In this segment, the Naamijig Dance Troupe of the White Earth Nation pays tribute to the late John Toepfer, a field biologist who studied prairie grouse for 50 years, with a dance inspired by prairie chickens.
The final segment features Chef Curt’s “Country Fried Parmesan Goose,” one of the Prairie Sportsman chef’s wild game innovations filmed before Curt Anderson died in January 2019.
About Prairie Sportsman
Prairie Sportsman celebrates our love of the outdoors – to hunt, fish and enjoy recreation provided by our vast resources of lakes, rivers, trails and grasslands – while promoting environmental stewardship.
Prairie Sportsman’s team includes Cindy Dorn, producer/writer; Bret Amundson, host/assistant producer; Dylan Curfman, editor/videographer and Max Grabow, assistant videographer/editor. The 2020 season is made possible by funding from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, SafeBasements of Minnesota, GrandStay Hospitality, Diamond Willow, Live Wide Open and Western Minnesota Prairie Waters.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. For more information visit www.pioneer.org.
