Where the antelope roam
Fence removal projects enhance pronghorn wildlife corridor
Even the fastest land mammal in the United States can’t jump many common types of agricultural fencing found in northern Taos County, hindering its seasonal migration patterns.
So in order to enable herds of pronghorn to more easily migrate across land in the northern half of the county, the Taos Soil and Water Conservation District is seeking volunteers to help remove or modify about a mile of fence later this month east of the Rio Grande Gorge near Cerro de la Olla.
In partnership with several state and federal agencies, the district has already overseen the removal of nearly 7 miles of “dilapidated netwire fence,” replacing it with 7 miles of big game-friendly fence just east of San Antonio Mountain, according to a conservation district press release. Funded by a $154,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the conservation district also oversaw construction of livestock-compatible and wildlife-friendly fencing on the Taos Plateau within the historic winter range habitat for pronghorn, elk and mule deer.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish targeted fences in this area because radio-collared elk and pronghorn data showed where the animals were wintering. They also used signs of fence damage, locations where animals were trailing and other observations to confirm that existing east-to-west netwire fence was impeding pronghorn movements as well as snagging some elk and mule deer that attempted to jump the fencing. After the wildlife friendly fences were installed, the agencies began to monitor animal movements to see how well the big game herds moved through the area on their annual migration routes, and to determine which fenced areas to target next.
“The Taos BLM office has been working for years to identify where key winter use and movement corridors are within the Rio Grande National Conservation Area,” the conservation district release said. “More recently, the New Mexico Game and Fish Department has been conducting big game movement studies in northern New Mexico with New Mexico State University and U.S. Geological Survey. Our beautiful mountains, rivers and plateaus have been vital arteries and seasonal gathering areas for these charismatic animals for eons in Taos County.
“Over a century ago, raising sheep was common practice throughout northern New Mexico,” the release continued. “Over time, more and more netwire fences were built, replacing our shepherds who previously moved with and protected the herds. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, when ranchers began to transition from sheep over to cattle, they continued to use these same wellbuilt netwire fences.”
Because pronghorns — the highly-agile game species colloquially known as American antelope — instinctively want to travel under fences instead of jumping or darting between the wires, the fencing interfered with the normal migratory movements of the area’s unique, high-elevation pronghorn herds. The same fences also take a toll on young elk and mule deer, which sometimes get caught between top strands of wire. This is particularly true in areas where large, concentrated herds regularly migrate between plateaus and mountains in the spring and winter seasons.
In 2018, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation started the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program in order to help enhance big game habitats and connect migratory corridors that had been impeded over the preceding decades. To date, the foundation has approved removal and new construction of 670 miles of fence and reconnected 307 miles of big game wildlife corridors in 11 states including New Mexico. The program has funded a total of 52 projects at $11.7 million, with grantees leveraging an additional $57.5 million in project funding that has also been directed toward big game habitat restoration and enhancements of migratory corridors.
Project areas are identified through radio-collared game data, field observations, population counts and many other data sources, allowing wildlife experts to target specific reaches of fenceline for modification.
“The amount of fence modification may seem overwhelming, but professionals are off to a great start by targeting key seasonal routes where large numbers of big game congregate and move through an area and over-winter,” the release said. “Various solutions have evolved over time to provide secure fencing for livestock while
allowing owur big game to move more freely along ancient routes. With pronghorn, biologists have determined that, if you replace netwire fence with a 4-strand fence that has a smooth bottom wire 16” above the ground, it allows them to move unhindered between pastures and ranches without sustaining injuries.”
The Taos Soil and Water Conservation District is tasked with providing support to local agricultural producers, but also manages educational and community support programs that promote the role of natural resources in everyday life.
Lunches, drinks and snacks will be provided on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22, along with the tools and gloves necessary to complete the fence modification project. Prospective volunteers may register for the project by calling Duncan at 575751-0584, or emailing tduncan@ tswcd.org.
“It is so much fun to meet new people, learn more about our country, culture, natural resources, passions, and new projects,” said Tanya Duncan, finance manager for the conservation district. “We hope you can come help us make things a little easier for our important local wildlife.”