Going south for the winter.

[twodot]

Last week we had a fun day watching a herd of about 200 antelope walk past the house and follow the river south over the hill. Yesterday was over and above. Another herd came by and clogged up at the fence between us and the cabin across the road. They stood there unable to make up there minds for about an hour then finally they started filing down the road and just kept comming. There was a continuous line that we could see for a little more than 1 mile. The boys counted to 405 and said forget it, being as they could see that they had only counted about a quarter of what was coming. Hope they find some good food because a bunch were showing a lot of rib and in generally rough looking shape. This knee deep snow with a real hard crust was giving them a hard time. Looks like a bonanza for the lions and coyotes this week.

 

[cornfed]

Hope they make it ok.Hope everybody gets a January thaw to give everything a break from winters grasp.

 

[grizzly5028]

Really cool pictures! Thanks for sharing

 

[Terry aka Coydog]

Nice pics. Ditto on the January thaw

 

[highmountian]

Sweet post thanks!

 

[Oak]

Any gates in thos fences that can be let down for the winter? I don't see any livestock tracks in the snow.

 

[twodot]

Oak, the only reason they get in between those fencelines is they are walking the road to stay out of the deep snow. They actually don't have to cross the fence at all, What they balk at is walking down a 60 foot wide right of way between the two fences. I think they feel a bit trapped in there because when they see the opening at the other end they run for it and they settel down again as soon as they clear the fenced roadway. I went up the way they came from a bit this morning. They leave a trail of dead behind them. Found two down within the first mile back from here.

 

[buckwild]

god i feel like an idiot. i know absolutely nothing about pronghorn. are those all does or do the bucks shed horns this time of year like our whitetails do? dont laugh

 

[xrayts]

Copied this from a Park Service page...
"Both sexes have horns, but the female's are only tiny spikes and are rarely pronged as are the twelve to eighteen-inch horns of the male. The horn is made up of two parts: a bony core covered by a black outer sheath. This sheath is made up of a stiff, hair-like substance. Pronghorns are the only animals in the world who shed their horns annually. The outer sheath of the horn falls off each fall and grows back by the following summer."

 

[mtmiller]

Twodot, did you see any collars? I don't remember exactly where you are located.

 

[Mikeflies]

Thats some kewl pics. When I lived in Green River, WY I had some nice Muley's that would come down in the yard and eat apples from the trees and all the cherry's. I need to learn how to post up pic's and then I will.

 

[twodot]

Miller, no collars that I noticed.
Right at dark this evening another very big herd came in and is camped right in front of the house. They came in from the north and seemed to be following in the very trail of the eariler herds. I assume that the collars you are asking about are bright colored and will show up readily. If we see any with collars I will pm you.
Where are they? Follow the Mussellshell strait south from Crooked creek ramp 9.5 miles by google earth. 3 miles south from the 79 trail entrance to CMR. These antelope are crossing the CMR and following the Mshell.