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Show Doe antelope heads into new home in John's Valley after being released. Animal is part of transplant from by Norman McKee JOHN'S VALLEY -Seventy-seven antelope from Parker Mountain in Wayne County were released in John's Valley last week. This latest transplant is in addition to the earlier release of 74 head in December, 1975. The latest addition of animals now completes the transplanting of antelope into John's Valley. The pronghorn antelope j historically thrived in ! John's Valley, but as 5 settlement occurred the animals disappeared from the area. As the ! herd now stabilizes in the valley it is anticipated ! that the first hunting i permits will be issued in j 1980. The Parker Mountain i herd itself is a transplant from Montana. In the winter of 1964-65, 120 animals were turned loose and rapidly produced the biggest herd in the state. Over 500 antelope now roam the 400 square miles of rolling sagebrush covered hills of the Parker Mountain. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources no longer looks to other states for antelope. The Parker Mountain herd now serves as the reservoir for which animals are transplanted to other areas in the state. Trapping pronghorns isn't easy or inexpensive. They are very wary and have excellent eyesight. The slightest unfamiliar, movement will send them running up to 60 miles an hour. An earlier attempt to corral the pronghorns was made in December. For some reason, the trap design didn't unite the animals and they balked each time the helicopter herded them near the wings of the trap. The corridor and wings were redesigned for this latest successful attempt. Parker Mountain. Total of 151 have been moved to John's Valley since December, 1975. John's Valley Gets Antelope Sixteen men were used in the actual trapping. Several other days were spent in building the trap. Eight flying hours with the helicopter were needed to accomplish the operation. The chopper is rented for $167 per hour. Blowing snowy conditions on the Parker Mountain made getting the truck to the top impossible. Drifts would quickly blow in on any attempt to clear a roadway to the trap. As a result, the antelope hd to be caught in the trap by hand one at a time and carried to the truck. Thirteen mature bucks had to be released from the trap and could not be a part of the transplant. The mature bucks don't tolerate the1 crowding inside the truck and their sharp horns cause many injuries to the other animals. As a result only four adult bucks were , included in the new herd. , They were accompanied by 35 does and 38 fawns. During the winter months, most of the new herd can usually be ob- . served from the road at , the tar north end of John's Valley. |