posted 1/13/04
85 antelope drown in Fort Peck Reservoir
By Mark Henckel of Montana Lee Newspapers
Billings — Eighty-five antelope met a watery end in Fort Peck Reservoir last Friday when the ice broke as they attempted to cross the lake a few miles southwest of Fort Peck Dam.
The incident occurred at about 2 p.m. Friday in Duck Creek Bay, located just west of the cabin area near Fort Peck Dam and about 125 yards out from the Duck Creek Boat Ramp.
‘‘We got a call from a woman who witnessed it,'' said Mike Herman, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden captain. ‘‘She was out walking and watched them start cutting across the lake.''
Betty Hirsch made the call and then contacted Greg Speer, who lives nearby and is the Fort Peck chief of police and captain of the Valley County Search and Rescue.
‘‘I got the call and looked out my bedroom
window and saw a bunch more go in,'' Speer said. ‘‘There must have been about 250 in the herd all together. Most didn't break through but a lot of them did.''
As game wardens from FWP's Glasgow office and Search and Rescue volunteers sped to the scene, Speer said all he could do was watch hopelessly.
‘‘It was disheartening to watch,'' he said. ‘‘When I first saw them, there was a bunch of heads up and then the heads started dropping, then more heads dropping, then more. It really makes you feel bad. It makes you sick to your stomach.''
By the time Search and Rescue volunteers Alvie Hallock, Zeb Speer and Sean Buck were able to launch the group's air boat and get to the spot, all but two of the antelope that broke through had died.
‘‘We did pull one out,'' Herman said. ‘‘But it was hurting bad. Another antelope got out on its own and that one wasn't doing very well, either. Those were the only two that got out of the water.''
The scene was a gruesome one.
As the antelope thrashed their hooves and fought the sharp edge of the ice, they were cut badly. Blood and hair were everywhere. Some had visible wounds and others had their insides trailing out.
‘‘None of them sank,'' Herman said. ‘‘ Their hollow hair must have made them all float. They were laying there in the water and on top of the broken ice. A lot were all torn up. A lot were waterlogged. There wasn't even any meat we could salvage. I couldn't even fathom giving that meat to someone.''
So the game wardens and Search and Rescue personnel began the grisly task of cleaning up the mess, ferrying carcasses back to pickup trucks on the shore and then transporting them to the landfill.
‘‘We were still picking up dead animals after dark,'' Herman said. ‘‘We made a physical count and transported 85 dead antelope.''
85 antelope drown in Fort Peck Reservoir
By Mark Henckel of Montana Lee Newspapers
Billings — Eighty-five antelope met a watery end in Fort Peck Reservoir last Friday when the ice broke as they attempted to cross the lake a few miles southwest of Fort Peck Dam.
The incident occurred at about 2 p.m. Friday in Duck Creek Bay, located just west of the cabin area near Fort Peck Dam and about 125 yards out from the Duck Creek Boat Ramp.
‘‘We got a call from a woman who witnessed it,'' said Mike Herman, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden captain. ‘‘She was out walking and watched them start cutting across the lake.''
Betty Hirsch made the call and then contacted Greg Speer, who lives nearby and is the Fort Peck chief of police and captain of the Valley County Search and Rescue.
‘‘I got the call and looked out my bedroom
window and saw a bunch more go in,'' Speer said. ‘‘There must have been about 250 in the herd all together. Most didn't break through but a lot of them did.''
As game wardens from FWP's Glasgow office and Search and Rescue volunteers sped to the scene, Speer said all he could do was watch hopelessly.
‘‘It was disheartening to watch,'' he said. ‘‘When I first saw them, there was a bunch of heads up and then the heads started dropping, then more heads dropping, then more. It really makes you feel bad. It makes you sick to your stomach.''
By the time Search and Rescue volunteers Alvie Hallock, Zeb Speer and Sean Buck were able to launch the group's air boat and get to the spot, all but two of the antelope that broke through had died.
‘‘We did pull one out,'' Herman said. ‘‘But it was hurting bad. Another antelope got out on its own and that one wasn't doing very well, either. Those were the only two that got out of the water.''
The scene was a gruesome one.
As the antelope thrashed their hooves and fought the sharp edge of the ice, they were cut badly. Blood and hair were everywhere. Some had visible wounds and others had their insides trailing out.
‘‘None of them sank,'' Herman said. ‘‘ Their hollow hair must have made them all float. They were laying there in the water and on top of the broken ice. A lot were all torn up. A lot were waterlogged. There wasn't even any meat we could salvage. I couldn't even fathom giving that meat to someone.''
So the game wardens and Search and Rescue personnel began the grisly task of cleaning up the mess, ferrying carcasses back to pickup trucks on the shore and then transporting them to the landfill.
‘‘We were still picking up dead animals after dark,'' Herman said. ‘‘We made a physical count and transported 85 dead antelope.''
