Hidden Stories Among Us

“Many times, ladies come for the yard tour and come back with the husbands when they see what’s inside the house.”

If you find yourself driving south of Steele on a warm summer day and spot a statue of an elk at the corner of a property, slow down. You've found Dave's Place, and once you see it, you won't be in a hurry to leave.

David DeVore grew up on a family farm in Dawson, where good yards and beautiful gardens were simply part of life. His parents took pride in their outdoor spaces, and his aunt and uncle were active members of the Bismarck Garden Club. For David, appreciating the land came as naturally as breathing. "I enjoy the outdoors," he says. "I do a lot of hunting, so the yard is just an extension of that."

When David retired and built his home just south of Steele, he moved in during the winter of 2008. By spring, he was already outside getting his hands in the dirt, and he hasn't stopped.

Spread across 2.5 acres, David's property is a living, blooming masterpiece. A flower bed runs along the entire outer edge of the yard, another wraps all the way around the house. Scattered across the lawn, about 30 trees each in their own circle of flowers. Everywhere you look, something is growing, blooming, or about to burst into color.

The perennials that return each year include tulips, irises, Asiatic lilies, day lilies, blue salvia, monarda, and blanket flowers - all in every color, height, and fullness you can imagine. His irises are a hybrid variety he sources from a specialty nursery in Oregon. This year alone, he has purchased more than 950 annuals, mostly petunias, along with marigolds, impatiens, and alyssum.

The secret, David says, is strategic planting, carefully choosing what goes where so that something is always in bloom from one end of the season to the other. "I think the thing that impresses people is when they walk around and look ahead, and it keeps going and going," he says with a smile. "They're impressed with the size of the yard and the flowers all around."

The garden has grown year after year, but David is content with where it stands today. "It's as big as what I can take care of right now," he says, "so I just maintain."

The garden alone would be worth the drive, but visitors who step inside David's home discover something equally remarkable. More than 75 taxidermy mounts fill the rooms, telling the story of a lifetime spent hunting across North America and beyond.

David began hunting as a kid, but it wasn't until 2010 that he harvested his first animal worthy of mounting - an elk from Idaho. Retirement gave him the freedom to pursue guided hunts across Canada, Alaska, the United States, and Mexico, sometimes completing five or six different hunts in a single year. The results are on display in nearly every room of his home: the trophy room, the kitchen, even the bedroom.

The collection includes elk, deer, all four North American sheep species, multiple mountain goats, Canadian and Alaskan moose, mountain caribou, Alaska caribou, mountain lions, bobcats, musk ox, javelina, black bears, brown bears, grizzly bears, geese, and more. There are another 22 animals currently waiting at the taxidermist.

Two of his most unique pieces are replicas of a polar bear and a walrus, harvested in Canada but recreated by a Canadian taxidermist since the animals cannot be brought back across the border.

"I just got back a week ago from Alaska and got a nice Kodiak brown bear," David says, still glowing from the adventure.

But what started as a love of gardening and the outdoors has grown into something much bigger than David's own backyard. For several years, he has opened his property to visitors throughout the summer months, welcoming neighbors, strangers, tour groups, and everyone in between. Some call ahead. Some just stop by. Either way, David is usually ready with coffee and a homemade pie.

A few years back, he decided the visits should serve a greater purpose. So, he reached out to community contacts and connected with the Kidder County Angels, a local group dedicated to providing gas vouchers to community residents who need to travel for medical appointments, whether for rehab, surgery, speech therapy, or cancer treatments.

The result is the Annual Garden and Taxidermy Tour, now in its sixth year. Every dollar donated goes directly to the Kidder County Angels. Baked goods are served free of charge, simply as a warm gesture to make the experience special for every visitor who comes through the gate.

This summer has already been a big one. On June 6, five tour buses carrying 300 people from the Western Livestock Tour rolled through, making David's property one of their stops as they traveled across North Dakota. The Steele High School reunion is welcoming back graduates from all years and also are on the calendar for this summer.

The 6th Annual Garden and Taxidermy Tour benefiting the Kidder County Angels is set for Friday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free, with a freewill donation encouraged, all of which goes directly to the Kidder County Angels.

Can't make it on July 18? You're still welcome to stop by any time before August 1st - that's when David heads out for his next adventure and wraps up tours for the season. David says July is the best month for the garden, so don't wait too long.

David's property is located 8 miles south of Steele and 3 miles east on 47th Street, then another ¾ of a mile south. Look for the elk statue and the sign that reads "Dave's Place" at the corner of his property. You'll know you're in the right spot.

It's a garden, a gallery, and a community fundraiser all rolled into one remarkable afternoon. Come see it for yourself!