are very few and many miles apart and are difficult and dangerous to 

 negotiate, as are the fording places of these streams. 



Having made Brace's ranch our headquarters, we radiated out 

 over the country for many miles in every direction, practically cover- 

 ing the territory included within the proposed reserve, except that 

 portion known as the Y P Desert. This tract lies between the main 

 Owyhee River and its south fork. It is not what is commonly known 

 as a desert, being a high plateau, fairly grassed over and having a 

 number of water holes. 



This is the winter home of the antelope; they gather here because 

 the snow is seldom deep and the food more easily obtained. This 



Y P Desert derives its name from the Y P Ranch whose cattle graze 

 over it during the winter. The home ranch is located some ten miles 

 south of the state line into Nevada. From the high bluffs, on the 

 north bank of the Owyhee River, we had a fine view of the country 

 beyond. From the foot to the top of the steep bluffs across the river 

 could be seen the much used trails of the antelope, made during their 

 spring and fall migrations to and from the Y P Desert. Below on 

 the river at this point is a fording place known as Rickard crossing; 

 it is used by both antelope and stock in crossing the river. The view 

 from our point of observation was one of silent grandure. Several 

 hundred feet below, like a ribbon, coursed the Owyhee River, in a 

 swift muddy current. From the opposite shore up the steep bluff 

 wound the trails used only by the antelope to a small bench and then 

 to a single trail up over the rim-rock and on to the Y P Desert. Far 

 below to the right lay that unknown quantity, the ford. At this time of 

 year the water was high and the current swift. Presently a number 

 of small objects were seen moving towards the ford; as they ap- 

 proached nearer they were soon recognized to be horses. We quietly 

 blended as much as possible with the surrounding scenery and scarce 

 dared breathe, forsooth, those semi-wild horses have eyes like antelope, 

 and we were particularly anxious to see them cross the river. We 

 watched them through the glasses as they went over, and from what 

 we saw concluded that it would not be wise to attempt it; and more- 

 over we were repeatedly assured that there was no antelope in that 

 region at this time of year. The antelope leave the Y P Desert 

 in the spring and scatter out in small groups from two to four all 

 over this region from Nevada to the north of the Juniper mountains 

 and from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation over into Oregon. At 

 no time did we see more than four together and more often encountered 

 but one. We closely questioned all the ranchmen and others we met 

 as to the number of antelope in the country, their winter and summer 

 ranges and the largest number seen last winter. Each gave his indi- 

 vidual estimate without any knowledge of our having asked anyone 

 else. They all agreed that the most of the antelope wintered on the 



Y P Desert and that the average number seen was about six hundred 



58 



