DWR rounds up antelope to keep Utah herd healthy

Published: Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009 8:18 p.m. MST
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Pronghorn antelope once roamed almost all of the foothills and valleys in Utah. As settlements and agricultural development increased, they were forced into the deserts.

By 1900, unregulated livestock grazing and unrestricted hunting had almost eliminated the pronghorn from Utah. Only a few small bands remained in the west desert and in Daggett County. Pronghorn antelope were given full protection in 1898 but their numbers remained small for another 50 years.

In 1922, only 670 animals were counted in Utah. It was not until 1945 that Utah held its first legal hunt. That hunt was held on the herd in the Flaming Gorge area in Daggett County.

Through protection and transplant programs, pronghorn antelope have been returned to many areas of the state, but much of their traditional habitat is now cities, ranches and industries.

Pronghorns are commonly seen during the day. They are active day and night, with the most activity just after sunrise and just before sunset.

Antelope are also social animals and readily form herds. During the winter, large herds may have animals of both sexes and all age classes. In the spring, the large herds break up.

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Young males band together in bachelor herds while the females form their own groups. Antelope fawns are born in May with twins being quite common. For the first three weeks of life, the fawns lie in the vegetation, hiding from predators.

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Image
Lynn Chamberlain

A helicopter operated by the Division of Wildlife Resources herds antelope into a trap southwest of Loa. A helicopter operated by the Division of Wildlife Resources herds antelope into a trap southwest of Loa.

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