Prongbuck 237 



Even when fully grown they are not hardy and rarely live 

 long in confinement. Fatal enteritis seems to be the usual 

 cause of death. 



The worst enemies of the wild Antelope are, first, repeating enemies 

 rifles; and next, sheep, which destroy their winter range. But 

 Coyotes, Wolves, and eagles kill many, especially kids. 



The adult Antelope is rarely attacked by eagles. The 

 only case I ever heard of first-hand was related by Harry J. 

 Wells, of Clayton, New Mexico. Coyotes are to be feared 

 chiefly when so hard pressed by hunger that they organize a 

 hunt with a system of relays, and thus run down the quarry 

 that is so much swifter than themselves. But they kill num- 

 bers of the little ones before they are able to follow the mother. 



On its extreme northern range the Antelope has another 

 dreaded enemy whose occasional ravages are thus commented 

 on by Dr. E. L. Munson.'' *'Mr. Parotti has been in this 

 country as hunter and guide for nearly twenty years. He tells 

 me that the fearful winter of 1893, when the thermometer regis- 

 tered 61 degrees below in this post [Fort Assiniboin, Mont.], 

 killed off four-fifths of the Antelope — that they starved to death 

 by thousands on account of the deep snow. He found, after 

 that winter, what he estimated were 900 carcasses where the 

 Antelope had drifted into a deep ravine and evidently had no 

 strength to get out. Before that time Antelope were plenty 

 through here, but that winter killed nearly all off. While they 

 were shot by thousands, the number so destroyed was only an 

 insignificant fraction of the total." 



Domesticated Antelope in parks are very subject to fatal disease 

 enteritis, as stated above, a consequence no doubt of improper 

 food. But the wild Antelope also have visitations of deadly 

 disorders. Concerning the most destructive of those on record, 

 Dr. J. A. Allen says:'- 



" During the summer of 1873 a fatal epidemic raged among 

 the Pronghorns over nearly the whole area between the Yellow- 



*'■ Forest and Stream, March 27, 1897, P- 244- 



^'Nat. Hist. Mont. & Dakota, Proc. Bos. Soc. Nat. Hist., June, 1874, p. 40. 



