Idaho Antelope whats going on?

[BreechFace]

Not saying all of the below is correct but ChatGPT has a few good points differentiating the two areas:

1. Habitat Quality and Continuity

• Wyoming has vast, relatively unbroken sagebrush steppe and grasslands that pronghorn need for winter forage and long-distance migration.
• Southern Idaho’s sagebrush habitats are much more fragmented due to agriculture, development, and invasive annual grasses (especially cheatgrass). This reduces forage quality and increases wildfire frequency, which hurts sagebrush recovery.

2. Winter Range and Weather

• Pronghorn are very sensitive to deep snow, since they can’t paw through it like deer or elk. Wyoming’s prairies often have windy areas that keep vegetation exposed even in snowy winters, allowing pronghorn to overwinter successfully.
• In southern Idaho, many potential winter ranges are at higher elevations or in areas where snow cover persists, which can lead to higher winter mortality.

3. Predation and Fawn Survival

• In Idaho, smaller, more fragmented herds mean fawns are more vulnerable to predators (coyotes, bobcats, golden eagles). In Wyoming, very large herds can “swamp” predators with sheer numbers, so a higher percentage of fawns survive.

4. Migration Corridors

• Wyoming is famous for long-distance pronghorn migrations (e.g., the Path of the Pronghorn). These corridors are still relatively intact, giving herds seasonal access to the best ranges.
• In southern Idaho, highways, agriculture, and development block or limit migrations, restricting herds to smaller patches of habitat.

5. Management and History

• Wyoming has historically managed pronghorn as a premier big-game species, with careful harvest regulations and habitat protection.
• Idaho has pronghorn, but historically mule deer and elk management have been a higher priority, and some pronghorn habitats were converted to farmland or heavily grazed before modern conservation.

So, even though the habitats look similar on the surface, Wyoming’s landscape is more continuous, less altered, and better connected, which allows pronghorn to thrive in much larger numbers than in southern Idaho.

 

[AntelopeEater]

Not saying all of the below is correct but ChatGPT has a few good points differentiating the two areas:

1. Habitat Quality and Continuity

• Wyoming has vast, relatively unbroken sagebrush steppe and grasslands that pronghorn need for winter forage and long-distance migration.
• Southern Idaho’s sagebrush habitats are much more fragmented due to agriculture, development, and invasive annual grasses (especially cheatgrass). This reduces forage quality and increases wildfire frequency, which hurts sagebrush recovery.

2. Winter Range and Weather

• Pronghorn are very sensitive to deep snow, since they can’t paw through it like deer or elk. Wyoming’s prairies often have windy areas that keep vegetation exposed even in snowy winters, allowing pronghorn to overwinter successfully.
• In southern Idaho, many potential winter ranges are at higher elevations or in areas where snow cover persists, which can lead to higher winter mortality.

3. Predation and Fawn Survival

• In Idaho, smaller, more fragmented herds mean fawns are more vulnerable to predators (coyotes, bobcats, golden eagles). In Wyoming, very large herds can “swamp” predators with sheer numbers, so a higher percentage of fawns survive.

4. Migration Corridors

• Wyoming is famous for long-distance pronghorn migrations (e.g., the Path of the Pronghorn). These corridors are still relatively intact, giving herds seasonal access to the best ranges.
• In southern Idaho, highways, agriculture, and development block or limit migrations, restricting herds to smaller patches of habitat.

5. Management and History

• Wyoming has historically managed pronghorn as a premier big-game species, with careful harvest regulations and habitat protection.
• Idaho has pronghorn, but historically mule deer and elk management have been a higher priority, and some pronghorn habitats were converted to farmland or heavily grazed before modern conservation.

So, even though the habitats look similar on the surface, Wyoming’s landscape is more continuous, less altered, and better connected, which allows pronghorn to thrive in much larger numbers than in southern Idaho.

Wow, that seems pretty thorough!

 

[BreechFace]

Wow, that seems pretty thorough!

I think #2 and #4 are pretty accurate.