Yesterday I got back from a two-day symposium on pronghorn antelope, a beautiful animal that lives on the flat grassy plains. They were a source of meat for workers building the railroad, and have become a prized game animal, though it is not very sporting to shoot them since they are easily cornered. The development of ranchettes and new roads will endanger this animal as habitat shrinks and they won't move on to other grazing lands since they don't cross roads or railroad tracks. And there's a high mortality rate when they're captured.
Ranchers holding hunting permits, and private and state-government wildlife managers attended the workshop. We learned about habitat, anatomy, environmental and development issues and the impact of drought on this animal. Attending the symposium was a good way to learn more about ranchers and ranching, hunting, and the state and federal regulations regarding wildlife. It was also a good way for ranchers to learn I'm not as scary as I seem, but I understand their resistance to one of my organization's primary goals--to promote the region. Promotion brings tourists who want to move here, and the development of 5 acre ranchettes and the loss of habitat and grazing lands for antelope and cattle.
I'm sparing you the necropsy photos, but here's one a rancher took of me yesterday just north of Alpine, and a photo I took after the symposium on the way home. (click on the photos for a closer view)
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