Circle Ranch Game Cameras - July 2016

To be healthy, desert ranges need three things: (1) Large, concentrated migratory bison herds, or, cattle grazed to mimic bison’s migratory patterns; (2) a lot of predators of all sizes; and, (3) a high, diverse population of prey species.

Remove any of these and the systems collapse. Most wildlife ‘managers’ remove not one, not two, but all three, to reduce ‘competition’.

The primary contributor to wildlife and habitat decline across the Desert Southwest is too-few kinds and numbers of animals.

Desert grasslands cannot be restored without addressing this. Here are photos of Circle Ranch’s habitat restoration crew, taken in July, 2016.

17 Windmill: Cow herd.

2-Section: Elk bulls, cows  & elk calves, mule deer, llamas, javelina.

2-Section Rim: Mule deer does & fawns, buzzards, bighorn rams, ewes & lambs, coyote. 

Bezos Rim: Desert bighorn rams, ewes & lambs, golden eagles, mule deer.

Box Canyon Rim: Mule deer, llamas, Desert bighorn & lambs, pronghorn, bobcat.

Bull Pasture: Elks cows & calves, mule deer, cow.

Diablo Peak (highest point on Circle Ranch at 6,500 feet): Golden eagles, Bighorn rams, ewes  & lambs, mule deer bucks, does, fawns, buzzards.

Lobo Tank (desert): Javelina, cattle, elk cows & calves.

Mountain Meadows: Pronghorn, llamas, elk, buzzards, alpaca, mule deer, coyotes, eagles.

West Pasture Rim: Burros & foal, bighorn rams, hail storm.

West Pasture: Elk & calf, burros & foal, llamas,  pronghorn.

Middle Pasture Rim: Whitewing, Golden Eagle, burros, bighorn, bobcat, mule deer.

Once Bean’s Fence-line: Mule deer, bighorn rams ewes & lambs, buzzards, javelina.

Wood Canyon: Mule deer, bighorn rams, ewes & lambs.

Tres Papalotes: Pronghorn, llamas, alpaca, hail storm & 1-week plant response.