I have a new map here.

A map worth nearly $1800.

It's an ordinary map, showing topography, roads, land ownership, fences, etcetera. And it's covered with numbers. Hundreds and hundreds of little numbers. It's the numbers that give it its value. Otherwise, it's only worth $24.

We finished counting the first antelope herd this morning, and also got a good start on the second. And those numbers are the result. And until they've been tallied and entered into the databases, this map is nearly priceless. And the $1800 doesn't include the expense for my time. Haven't added the numbers up yet, because that will take a day or two in itself (I add them up by township, and double check each township total before combining into a herd total).

All this effort and expense to collect one number. The number that will tell us whether we are above the desired size for this population or, more likely, how far below that objective we are. And what the past winter actually did to this population of pronghorn. Can already see some of the effects of the winter. There are several large areas on the map (which covers 730 mi², by the way) which are nearly devoid of antelope. Either we lost a fair number in the winter, or they moved out and cannot come back.

Found quite a few large herds standing in fence corners, obviously trying to find a way across the fences and back to their normal summer ranges. Odds are the more nimble bucks will manage to eventually jump the fence, but for the heavy, gravid (pregnant, to you lay people) does, it's most likely going to be "Welcome to your new home. Hope you can find water. And something green to eat."

You have to know how to read these numbers. For example,

11

is not eleven antelope. It is two antelope standing fairly close to each other. Eleven antelope would be:

11

Anything circled is not an antelope at all. Like the 12 Canada geese southwest of Boggy Meadows that the pilot had to dip down to avoid. The circled "coy"s are coyotes. Only saw 9 of those, and all on the east half. The west half received extra predator control this year, and it appears it was effective. The deep snow last winter probably made it hard for the coyotes to get away or hide.

Only found one herd of elk, of about 25 head. Usually come across quite a few more at treeline, but this spring has been so dry and warm that the mountains are nearly snowfree now, and I suspect the elk are in the trees for shade.

Most of the alkali lakes on the flats are full, another result of last winter's heavy snowcover. Few antelope in those habitats: too much mud to get around. On a related note, they tell us now our mountain snowpack is only about 50% of normal, due to the lack of precip in May. And that peak flows for the rivers have already happened. It's downhill and dry from here, folks.

Gotta go now (and I haven't even read any of your diaries yet). Eldest son graduates this evening, and I've got to get ready.

Have a great weekend!