Kansas Quail

[Steiner]

Originally Posted by Dean Weber

Although I am guilty if of being geeked out by stories of the birds, dogs, and guns, the curiosity of “finds” like the fenceposts paints a vivid picture in my mind. For me, it makes me feel a bit small to think someone set these posts as a matter of their daily life.

Dan, do you suspect the horizontal marks on the post you pictured are from harvesting the stone (drill marks) or from fence wire rubbing over the decades?

Dean, I am of a similar mind. While I am often stunned by the sheer beauty of a dog moving gracefully and purposefully across a hillside, head high and taking in all the wind has to offer, I am also overcome with a desire to lie on the ground and “feel” the rich history it holds. Did a group of Cheyenne braves hunt these very hills and draws? I just can’t adequately describe the fullness that visiting these wonderful places provide me.
We saw various means of attaching the wire to the posts. I think it’s likely that the first installment of wire was simply wrapped around the stone like in Gary’s picture. I think the subsequent generations of wire were sometimes attached by drilling and inserting a pin into the hole and wrapping the wire around it. It’s counterintuitive for us to realize that a fence post might outlive several generations of wire.