Fauna Series No. 4

Fauna of the National Parks — No. 4 Ecology of the Coyote in the Yellowstone

CHAPTER VII:
ANTELOPE IN RELATION TO COYOTES

GENERAL CONDITION OF ANTELOPE

A buck with a right hind leg broken near the calcaneum was observed on the summer range at Tower Falls in 1937 and 1938, and at Gardiner in the winter of 1937—38. Another buck with a stiff and slightly bent right foot was frequently seen at Gardiner during the spring and summer of 1938, and in March 1939. Twice during the winter of 1937—38 a doe was seen limping badly.

On one occasion, January 27, 1938, I observed an old doe that seemed unable to keep up with the moving band. She traveled with great effort.

On February 7, 1938, a doe was seen stamping her hind feet alternately and occasionally lifting one of the legs and kicking it rapidly in the air. The action may have indicated an ailment.

Several of the does and fawns lost much of the hair from their necks. One doe in this condition seemed much agitated. Several times when seen she fed nervously and led the others away. On February 28, three fawns were seen with much hair missing from their necks.

The antelope came through the winter of 1937—38 in good shape; there were no animals seen which appeared sick except the old doe seen January 27.

On November 12, 1938, two does were extremely thin and poor in coat. On one of them the hair seemed stuck together and flattened close to the hide. This one wandered restlessly all over the field apparently feeling uncomfortable. Both does probably died early in the winter. Two other does were observed, each with a decided limp in a front leg. On March 1, 1939, an extremely thin female was seen. However, the antelope generally were in good condition at this time.

Figure 35— Enclosure plot at the Game Ranch. The bare ground and dying sagebrush outside
show how closely the elk and antelope cleaned the range.
Game Ranch, April 1938.

ANTELOPE DEATHS

During the period between May 1, 1937, and May 1, 1938, the remains of 13 antelope were found. Except for remains of a fawn which apparently had died a day or two after birth, the carcasses were found on the winter range, and in the following months: one in November, one in February, two in March, five in April, two in May, and two in June. As is apparent, most of the animals had died in the spring.

In four cases only hair remains were found, so that sex and age of the animals were not determinable. Six others were old does, with teeth worn to the gums; in one case some teeth were also missing, and two of them showed a necrosis of the bone around the teeth (one of these two had also a necrosis on the tongue) three were old bucks with much worn teeth and one showed much necrosis of the bone around the molars. Five of the animals were from about one-half to three-fourths eaten when found.

Although the death of several of these antelope was ascribed to coyote depredation by some of those who had seen them in the field, the evidence for such an assumption in all cases was totally lacking. The allegations were based on such observations as "it lay in a hollow where coyotes had probably cornered it." If coyotes had killed any of these animals whose condition was determined, then it was obvious that the coyotes were killing animals already doomed to an early death of old age or disease. It seems probable that the best deduction is that these animals died directly from old age and disease.

Rush (1932, p. 105), mentions examining 13 antelope specimens. Of these, six showed necrotic ulcers in the mouth; all showed decayed teeth to a greater or less extent; four were infested with lungworms, Dictyocaulus sp., two with intestinal worms, Ostertagia sp., and Nematodirus antilocaprae, one with tapeworms, Moniezia sp., and all were infested with wood ticks. These antelope examined by Rush apparently had also died from old age and disease.

Early in October 1938 Ranger Grimm found on the Game Ranch remains of two dead animals that had been cleaned up by coyotes. In 1939 he found the remains of an adult buck soon after the shedding of its horns There was a necrosis around one of the molars.

Marguerite L. Arnold (Yellowstone Nature Notes, January 1936) gives an interesting observation of a fight between two bucks in which one of the bucks was so badly wounded that it undoubtedly died. Mr. Arnold chased away the more powerful buck and the other "stood bleeding and almost completely disemboweled." Such casualties are probably relatively rare but show another cause of mortality.

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Last Modified: Thurs, Dec 20 2001 10:00:00 pm PDT
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