STATUS OP THE PRONGHORJSTED ANTELOPE, 1922-1924 



27 



The detailed information concerning the distribution and number of antelope 

 now in California has been supplied mainly by M. Hall McAllister, of the 

 California Academy of Sciences ; George Neale, executive officer of the Cali- 

 fornia Fish and Game Commission ; and F. E. Garlough, of the rodent-control 

 section of the Biological Survey. 



The distribution of antelope in California is approximately as follows 

 (fig. 4) : 



1. John O. Miller reported on February 28, 1923, that the Mount Dome herd 

 contained about 118 antelope. They range on the plains in the southern end 

 of Lower Klamath Lake, near Mount Dome, in Siskiyou County, probably the 

 most favorable area in California for perpetuating antelope under natural 

 conditions. For some years the herd has had the attention of the State fish 

 and game commission and other conservationists, as set forth above, and with 

 the destruction of preda- 

 tory animals in that dis- 

 trict should increase in 

 numbers. 



2. The Lassen County 

 antelope, scattered in nu- 

 merous small bands on 

 Madeline Plains, in Dixie 

 Valley, Secret Valley, and 

 other points, range east- 

 ward into the Smoke 

 Creek Desert of Nevada. 

 These were counted by W. 

 J. Lee, who reported on 

 September 29, 1923, that 

 they aggregated S64' ani- 

 mals. Since then it has 

 been reported that most of 

 these animals have crossed 

 the State boundary into 

 the adjacent part of 

 Nevada, as a result of fail- 

 ing forage due to the ex- 

 cessively dry season of 

 1924. They will undoubt- 

 edly return with the res- 

 toration of more favorable 

 conditions. 



3. In 1922 two small 

 bands, totaling 29 animals, 

 were reported as ranging 

 between Mendota and Pa- 

 noche Creek, on the west 

 side of the San Joaquin 

 Valley, in Fresno County. 



4. A band of about 30 was located in 1922 between Granite Wells and Rands- 

 burg, on the Mohave Desert, in San Bernardino County. 



5. tn 1922 a band of 11 lived in Antelope Valley on the Kern-Los Angeles 

 refuge, ranging over adjacent parts of Kern and Los Angeles Counties. In 

 April, 1924, 13 were reported as having been seen between Willow Springs 

 and Liebre Ranch, on the west side of the valley in Kern County. 



0. A band of 5 was reported in 1922 ranging in the desert north of Hie State 

 highway between Campo and Imperial, in Imperial and San Diego Counties. 

 I l ." e animals probably range hack and forth across the Mexican border. 



COLORADO 

 The plains Of Colorado formerly abounded in antelope. It is sin-prising 



that with the long-continued occupation of this State by farmers and stock- 

 men hands of antelope still survived up to October, 1923, in 28 Localities, ag- 

 gregating approximately 1.233 animals. This indicates an interest in or at 



Fig. 4. — Distribution of antelope in California, 

 mated at 1,057, in six areas 



esti- 



