Field Program

Hitch #9 was a fun time seeing Eastern Montana and how much different it is. We were working outside of Winnett on the prairie. The first two days were spent brushing and collecting materials to be used to build Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs). There was a lot of hauling brush and filling trailers. The second part of the hitch was spent altering fences to be wildlife-friendly. This usually just means getting rid of the bottom barbed wire and replacing it with a higher, smooth wire. Reworking boundaries to ensure that grazing animals do not get harmed was fulfilling. The prairie gave us nice sunshine and cool breezes. Sun beaming down with no shade for miles makes you appreciate the peace that can be found sitting in the work truck for lunch. We did fence work the first and second hitch, so it was a familiar workflow. We camped at Petrolia Lake 15 minutes outside of Winnett. The lake gave us amazing sunset views every night and we had a sweet pavilion to cook and socialize under.