"The "Perfect Storm" of heavy snow, too many fences and the call of migration converged on Montana Pronghorn this Winter with 800 of the animals getting killed on tracks by on-coming trains................The tracks are cleared of snow so that train service can be maintained................Our Pronghorn see the clearing as an oasis and resting spot free of waist high drifts................the oncoming trains do not seem to cause them to move fast enough to safety

  Hundreds of Antelope Hit by Trains on the Montana Hi-Line

by: Katie Whittle

"In my 34-year career, I have never seen a year where this amount of wildlife has been struck by trains in Montana or anywhere in the system," said a spokesman for BNSF Railway. More than 800 antelope have been hit by trains on the Montana Hi-Line this winter. It sounds like a bizarre accident, but officials say it's because of combination of unusual factors.

This winter's been one of the snowiest on record for Montana. It's been especially bad in the northeastern part of the state, where the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Hi-Line track runs by Glasglow, Mont. As of Feb. 1, the area had received 70 inches of snow for the winter.

Migrating antelope trying to get away from the snow often end up on the railroad tracks, which are kept cleared, said Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Mark Sullivan. They also can't jump fences, he said, which is why they often follow the railroad for long distances until there's a break in the fencing or an open gate. When a train comes along, the antelope don't stand a chance.

It's been a problem unique to antelope this year. No deer have been reported as being hit by trains, Sullivan said, most likely because they move in smaller groups and don't make long migrations.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Gus Melonas said it's been a tough year for weather, and his company's working on minimizing hitting any more antelope by having people monitor the tracks and keeping them clear of any spilled grain. Trains sometimes hit bears or moose in Glacier park, Melonas said, but the amount of antelope killed this year is not normal.  "In my 34-year career," he said, "I have never seen a year where this amount of wildlife has been struck by trains in Montana or anywhere in the system."

The reduced antelope herds may make a difference come fall, when Fish, Wildlife and Parks issues hunting licenses based on the population. Sullivan said they soon start doing surveys to see how many antelope are in the area. He's not worried about long-term problems with the antelope. "These populations are always going up and down, they're never staying the same," he said. "You have a severe winter, the numbers are gonna drop."