windymtnman
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2014
- Messages
- 484
This popped up in a Facebook memory from 6 years ago. It was a pretty cool find. I was riding my horse about 3 miles West of the ranch here in the Monte Vista, Colorado area, when I saw what I thought was litter, so I rode over to it thinking I'd pack it out.
Well, when I got close to it, I realized I was looking at a radio collar that had been rubbed for so long, it ripped through the canvas band. I couldn't read the writing on the battery pack till I got it home and cleaned it up.
That's when I got the biggest surprise. Turns out, it was put on a Bull Elk on Antonito Mountain in New Mexico. I had called the phone number the New Mexico State University, and eventually they found the PhD student that had collared the Elk and he told me the story. They knew it was up in this area, as they'd tracked it via airplane with a 2nd Bull.
Those Elk had to have travelled over 70 miles to be in this area, and if they had stayed in the mountains, they travelled over some rough country.
I still have that collar hanging in the workshop, and will never pass by where I found it without thinking of the day I found it.
Pic #1 was taken when I picked it up. The wire hanging down is the antenna.
Pic #2 was on my workshop table when I got the plastic cleaned up enough to read it. The canvas belting is doubled up for more strength.
Pic #3 is the info of who to contact if the collar is found or Elk is shot.
Well, when I got close to it, I realized I was looking at a radio collar that had been rubbed for so long, it ripped through the canvas band. I couldn't read the writing on the battery pack till I got it home and cleaned it up.
That's when I got the biggest surprise. Turns out, it was put on a Bull Elk on Antonito Mountain in New Mexico. I had called the phone number the New Mexico State University, and eventually they found the PhD student that had collared the Elk and he told me the story. They knew it was up in this area, as they'd tracked it via airplane with a 2nd Bull.
Those Elk had to have travelled over 70 miles to be in this area, and if they had stayed in the mountains, they travelled over some rough country.
I still have that collar hanging in the workshop, and will never pass by where I found it without thinking of the day I found it.
Pic #1 was taken when I picked it up. The wire hanging down is the antenna.
Pic #2 was on my workshop table when I got the plastic cleaned up enough to read it. The canvas belting is doubled up for more strength.
Pic #3 is the info of who to contact if the collar is found or Elk is shot.
