By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News
Wildfires burned nearly 500,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle in March, and pronghorns trapped by fences were caught in the inferno.
In Lipscomb, Ochiltree and Roberts counties, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Jeff Bonner toured some of the burned areas and counted 11 dead pronghorn in one fence corner and a total of 15 driving down a few county roads.
Pronghorn rarely jump fences, but will go under them. The deaths highlight how restrictive fencing can impact pronghorn survival during a fire. TPWD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service have been encouraging landowners to install pronghorn-friendly fencing through a cost-sharing program.
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