These pics are from a recent trip to the Carrizo plain in southern California for a yote hunt. I did more pic taking than calling I think since the antelope were all over the place. The DFG cancelled the antelope hunt at Carrizo this year and the rumor is because of the herd suffering from the yotes.

Camera used was an Olympus 2100UZ with a Olympus B300 1.7x tele lens on it which gives it a total of about 680 mm in zoom. I also had a Heliopan polarizer in between the B300 and the camera to cut down on the harsh bright light of the desert. Heat mirage also made a few pics come out all funky. The wind was heck and most shots are from a tripod and some are freehand using my truck hood as a rest.

The 3 fawns hung around 1 doe which made me wonder if she had all 3. I know deer have twins in good years and usually triplets are very rare with one usually not getting enough milk and later dies. All 3 of these guys looked healthy. One of the 3 was a goofball. He would run around like a puppy annoying all the other antelopes who were bedded or trying to feed.



One doe still looked pregnant compared to the others which seemed awful late to me. Anyone an antelope expert know?



This was about the tallest horned buck I saw. He was with a group of 12 other antelope with the 3 fawns and does.













[ 06-05-2002, 03:22: Message edited by: spectr17 ]

Thanks for sharing the photos. I've always wanted to visit the Carrizo plains. May have to go to bust some yotes and help out. MtnHtr

Hey, thanks a lot for sharing the photos.

I live in the central valley of CA but have never made it down there to see the antelope or shoot the coyotes. (Hell, we have more coyotes here than we can keep under control.)

In regard to the twins or triplets, I have seen several sets of triplets following does around in South Dakota on some prairie dog trips.
We were lying down shooting prairie dogs in western South Dakota one morning when three fawns just came walking up to us to investigate. They hung around for quite a while. They seemed like they could not figure out what to think of us.

Another time we were lucky enough to watch with binoculars from a distance while a doe gave birth to twins. And the coyotes do prey on those little suckers. My dad's buddy shot one that was just about to pounce on an antelope fawn one morning in Wyoming. (Ended his fawn eating days.)

Another area that has antelope that few people know about is over near Parkfield or Cholame. The first time I saw a big old buck standing near the road on the way over to the coast I just about had a wreck.

Thanks again, you are getting me fired up. I have a guided antelope hunt booked for an area near Rawlins, Wyoming for this fall.

R F

The Carrizo Plains are one of my favorite places in California, and are a geological, biological, and archeological treasure.

If you look along the east side of the valley, that strange stair step ridge at the foot of the Tembler Range is the scarp of the San Andreas Fault. In fact the Carrizo may well be THE classic exposure of the San Andreas and the geomorphology associated with a strike-slip fault.

Additionally, in addition to pronghorn, the Carrizo area hosts Tule Elk, Deer, and Pig. It also has outstanding coyote hunting, but be aware that from May through October, daytime temps can go into the 100's. In March and April, the wildflowers are amazing, and the migratory waterfowl are great spring and fall.

As to acheology, picture rock was supposed to be a meeting place for tribes from as far away as 500 miles, for a period of about 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, up to within the last 200 years.

All of this within two hours of L.A., and yet, you won't typically see more than a couple other people as long as you are more than 1/2 mile from your vehicle.

Looks like a great place to hunt a bit & photo a bit. How about directions? Sounds like I am about 1 1/2 hours away?