Antelope rebounding after brutal winter of 2010-11

• Antelope hunting season continues until Nov. 8.
• Total harvest in 2014 was 8,726.
• Surveys in northeastern Montana showing more fawns, immature bucks

Thousands of antelope died in the winter of 2010-11 either freezing, starving or congregating along railroad tracks and highways, where they could avoid deep snow but not trains and vehicles.

Four years after the brutal winter that caused an antelope die-off on a scale that hadn't been seen in decades, prairie pronghorn are rebounding, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“I think people are definitely excited about antelope returning to the landscape,” said Drew Henry, a FWP wildlife biologist in Glasgow-based Region 6 in northeastern Montana, where pronghorn were hardest hit. “Nobody’s forgotten about the 10-11 winter.”

In the winter of 2010-11, more than 1,000 dead antelope were counted along the railroad tracks alone in the region, said Gary Sullivan, Region 6 supervisor. They had been struck by trains.

“The snow was so deep they would get on the tracks,” Sullivan said.  “And they wouldn’t want to leave that because it would be 4 feet deep on the sides. It was a really sad situation.”

Thousands more in the region migrated south across the frozen Missouri River to escape the snow and cold. But when they attempted to migrate back north in the spring, frozen Fort Peck had thawed keeping pronghorn stuck on the south side, although some risked a perilous swim across.

Now hunters and landowners are reporting more pronghorn observations, and FWP biologists say that's because more fawns and immature bucks are surviving.

Antelope rifle season opened Oct. 10 and concludes Nov. 8.

Montana's big game rifle hunting season opens Saturday

“They’re coming back because we’ve had a series of milder winters and decent fawn production,” Sullivan said. “And reduced quotas.”

The estimated population in Region 6, based on aerial surveys in 18 counting units, is now 36 percent below the long-term average, Henry said.

That’s an improvement.

It was 50 percent below the long-term average last year.

In July, during an aerial survey in Region 6, 70 fawns per 100 does were counted, which is above the long term average of 57 per 100, Henry said.

In 2011, following the severe 2010-11 winter, 28 fawns per 100 does were observed.

Bucks per 100 does was 45; the long-term average is 43.

The number of immature bucks counted also improved, based on survey observations.

The number of yearling bucks along with good fawn production puts the population in a “good spot,” Henry said.

Severe winters cause die-offs periodically, but a 70 percent decline in antelope observed during aerial surveys was reported following the winter of 2010-11.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever seen one like that before,” Henry said of 2010-11.

In 2009, the season before the harsh 2010-11 winter, hunters harvested 23,884 pronghorn statewide.

Last year, the harvest was 8,726.

So far this fall, FWP regions are reporting improved antelope numbers in many areas of the state.

At a check station set up near Kidd in southwest Montana on opening weekend of antelope rifle season, 126 antelope were checked compared with 90 in 2014.

In Billings, FWP checked 52 antelope compared with 37 harvested opening weekend last year.

In Havre, antelope harvest was up 48 percent, but still was still 81 percent below the long-term average for opening weekend.

Proposals for the 2016 and 2017 hunting seasons will be presented to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in December, followed by public meetings and several additional comment opportunities in January 2016.

Increasing quotas in some areas in northeastern Montana will be proposed as a result of the improving pronghorn numbers, Henry said. Quotas were slashed across Region following the 2010-11.

“We basically eliminated hunting in a lot of our district,” Henry said.

One proposal would increase the number of either sex tags to 100 in antelope hunting district 630 in south Valley County. It was cut to 10 following the winter of 2010-11.

“That’s the area we lost antelope to migration crossing Fort Peck Reservoir,” Sullivan said.

Two positive developments came from the pronghorn die-off, Sullivan said.

Hunters lucky enough to draw a tag this year should have success filling it because hunting pressure is so low.

And when numbers are high, it doesn’t seem like people hold antelope in very high regard, Sullivan said. With their numbers lower now, antelope are getting more respect. Sullivan says they deserve it.

“I think antelope are one of the most under-appreciated big game species,” Sullivan said.