New West Feature
Hundreds of Antelope Hit by Trains on the Montana Hi-Line
“In my 34-year career, I have never seen a year where this amount of wildlife has been struck by trains in Montana or anywhere in the system,” said a spokesman for BNSF Railway.By Kate Whittle, 3-17-11
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| The Empire Builder in Essex, Montana, near the Hi-Line where pronghorn have posed a unique problem this year. Photo by Flickr user LHOON. | |
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More than 800 antelope have been hit by trains on the Montana Hi-Line this winter. It sounds like a bizarre accident, but officials say it’s because of combination of unusual factors.
This winter’s been one of the snowiest on record for Montana. It’s been especially bad in the northeastern part of the state, where the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Hi-Line track runs by Glasglow, Mont. As of Feb. 1, the area had received 70 inches of snow for the winter.
Migrating antelope trying to get away from the snow often end up on the railroad tracks, which are kept cleared, said Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Mark Sullivan. They also can’t jump fences, he said, which is why they often follow the railroad for long distances until there’s a break in the fencing or an open gate.
When a train comes along, the antelope don’t stand a chance.
It’s been a problem unique to antelope this year. No deer have been reported as being hit by trains, Sullivan said, most likely because they move in smaller groups and don’t make long migrations.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Gus Melonas said it’s been a tough year for weather, and his company’s working on minimizing hitting any more antelope by having people monitor the tracks and keeping them clear of any spilled grain. Trains sometimes hit bears or moose in Glacier park, Melonas said, but the amount of antelope killed this year is not normal.
“In my 34-year career,” he said, “I have never seen a year where this amount of wildlife has been struck by trains in Montana or anywhere in the system.”
The reduced antelope herds may make a difference come fall, when Fish, Wildlife and Parks issues hunting licenses based on the population. Sullivan said they soon start doing surveys to see how many antelope are in the area. He’s not worried about long-term problems with the antelope. “These populations are always going up and down, they’re never staying the same,” he said. “You have a severe winter, the numbers are gonna drop.”
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Comments
If you look at the coastal communities of Japan ravaged by tsunami, you can see the result of two decades or more of Japanese central government stimulus spending to keep people working after their real estate bubble bursting over two decades ago. Every beach had a high sea wall to keep out storm waves and known tsunami size waves. All the rivers have concrete high banks, to keep floods from farm land and housing. Japan spent trillions on public works in the last more than two decades. The never have gotten out of the real estate slump, but they have high speed rail "bullet trains," sea walls, dikes and good roads. If wildlife migration were of national concern, we would build ways to move wildlife and keep those constructions working, and more wildlife alive, and breeding in a more extensive and diverse gene pool. We just need the will to do it. Pay a penny on a gallon of fuel for wildlife crossings and underpasses. The public paying to protect the public's wildlife from the public.
The larger problem with those antelope is the size of the area they cover. Most of them are transplants from Canada. They come down and may winter anywhere from Malta to Plentywood ( and beyond) Some years you see none. The next there are hundreds. In our area we probably had 500 this year. Last year I did not see any.
I know they collared a few to see where they go and they found that these goats will travel 60 miles in a day and go far up into Canada. We also have resident antelope which seem to go further south before winter arrives.
Winters no doubt control their numbers. Hunting has little effect on them except possibly to trim a few so the others have more winter browse.
I don't know if building wildlife corrodors across the tracks would do any good. They don't seem to congregate in any one area for successive winters.
I do know that in my antelope hunting area it is chancy if you get a tag. They may be there that year or maybe not. Always a crap shoot.
Fun to watch an animal that maybe be 100 miles up into canada the next week if they feel like it.......
For the record and despite the common misconception/misuse of the term, though, the affected animals are pronghorn, not "antelope" (i.e., they are a distinct North American species, unrelated to true antelope which are native to Africa and Asia).
Actually, most people out here call them "prairie goats".
They are definitely a pain in the butt when 100 of them decide they like your pea crop.....
Millions of dollars from pheasant, grouse, duck, antelope, deer, and elk hunters in Eastern Montana.
We have one game warden from Scobey to Sidney. One Biologist. We have a nice building in Glasgow with a couple fellas there.
Where does the money go?
It goes to HELENA to pay the upper crust big bucks. Thats where it goes.
It also goes to BUY LAND and run more people out of the farming and ranching business. Thats where it goes.
If you work for the fish and game, you need to get into management. Thats where the big bucks are and THAT is where your money goes.
I have seen that fence. Appears to work fine.
Not sure if their are enough underpasses along the tracks though.
It would cost a lot to build. No highway money. Would have to come from the railroad or fish and game.
Hey, since the wolf issue is now history, maybe DOW could donate like 10 million of the 31 million they received from donations last year. They could really help animals!
That highway basically follows the yellowstone. I never read about any migrations of antelope down there. They might (if they could) visit that river bottom a bit, but historically crossed there in any numbers? Must been that way before the while fellas came around but now we live here.
The point is the highway is gonna stay there regardless. They did a good thing putting that fence up with the escapes and such. I know the insurance companies like it.
You have to understand that hunting has very little effect on pronghorn numbers in eastern montana. Its the winters that do it. We were basically in a "high" for numbers for some areas. It will cycle high and low regardless of hunting pressure. Just less hunters will find antelope. Keep in mind that most of our country is open with little fencing that stops them from roaming. We are talking hundred of square miles. Go up north of Glasgow sometime. Better have a full tank of gas and some survival gear for the winter. Its flat with coolees and never ending with few people. Regardless of what people say, I have seen antelope duck under fences regularly. I have never seen one try to jump, but they duck under them. Seems like those antelope have twins alot also.
Talk about snow this year. I was up by Malta fishing saturday and I could not believe the snow. They were not kidding when they said something like 56 inches this winter. All the deer I saw were in peoples yards and haystacks. Saw no antelope, however. Once again, the farmer is taking care of montanas wildlife......