Over ten years ago I had my first encounter with prairie chickens here at Golden Prairie, a small town in southwest Missouri.
I still remember the excitement of hearing their booming calls for the first time. It was before sunrise and my eyes had barely adjusted to the light.
Three small figures rushed past my photo blind. Then all of sudden, I started hearing their booming. For some reason, it sounded spiritual and sad. I called them the three musketeers.
I returned to this prairie 3 years in a row to photograph them. I’ve never grown tired of watching them.
Lowell Pugh grew up watching prairie chickens at Golden Prairie. He said that once the sky was thick with prairie chickens, but the remaining three were the last of their kind on this prairie.
Now even the three musketeers have disappeared, and this prairie has fallen silent.