Dec 4 - Sentry Trail (Antelope Island)

Heading to Antelope Island this morning - it's cold (mid-20s) but the sun is out so why not!

My plan is to hike the Sentry Trail but as I get further north, there are lots of clouds north and east of the island. Hoping they keeping pushing east.

But as I arrive on the island, it's mostly cloudly now. The sun is trying to show thru but not being very successful.

Not much snow along the causeway but the island's peaks have a thin layer of snow on them. Looks nice.

When I finally reach the water on Farmington Bay, it's frozen. Just one small pocket of open water where there are 20-30 ducks and a boat. I've never seen a boat in the Bay before. Curious. The Wasatch Mts look awesome all snow-covered.

The Salt Lake side is open water as one would expect. No ducks on this side only a few shorebirds.

And there is a guy fishing.

As I arrive on the island, I see a few bison behind the Visitor's Center on the far north side of the island. They appear to be near the road but I'm making a left turn and heading south towards the Ranch.

As I head south, I see only a lone bison against the skyline.

But as I make the final left towards the Ranch, I find a huge herd of Pronghorn. They are hard to count as they are on a hill sloping down toward the Bay but there has to be 40-50 animals. Some are grazing but some of sitting down. Pretty cool to see so many of them in one spot.

I continue down the island.

I make a pit stop at the Frary Peak turn-off. As I get out of the  car, there's something that catches my eye on the slopes but since no one in the parking lot seems to be looking at them, I figure they are just odd rocks or something. But as I get back in my car, I have to take a look. I zoom in and yes, they are a small herd of Mule Deer (looks like all doe - nope there's at least one male).

Continuing on, I'm seeing no other animals - I'm not sure where all the bison all.

I finally find the bison several miles farther down the road about 1 mile before the Ranch. It's a good size herd grazing/resting along the fire line (fresh growth vs old growth).

I arrive at the Ranch. The road to the Sentry Trail parking is closed for the winter. (The hike gets a mile longer today.) I park and start down the dirt road. Behind the Ranch, there's another herd of deer (all doe). I count 11 but there may be more than the one I counted in the trees.

I continue to the trail head and then start making my way to Mushroom Springs. It's a little chilly; somehow 30 degrees with sun is so much warmer than no sun - so Mushroom Springs is my destination today.

Very quiet out. No animals to be seen other than that rock that looks like a sitting coyote.

I stop at the Springs pond which is frozen this morning for a look at a snowy Sentry Peak.

Time to turn around. On the way back to  my car, I only spot 1 deer behind the Ranch. The rest I saw earlier must be in the trees.

As I drive back up the island. I pass that herd of bison. The herd of deer near Frary Peak have moved lower down the hill. Much more easily seen now.

The large herd of Pronghorn have not moved.

I head to the west side of the island towards Bison Point. I find another large herd of bison along the way.

And many small (4-6 animal) herds scattered a bout. The bison are liking the west side today.

I drive up to the Bison Point parking only for the cloudy view of White Rock Bay.

I head down and over to the beach. I'm driving along a field of sagebrush searching for more deer. However, I find something better, a coyote!! He's trotting along the edge of the sagebrush. I get a very short decent view of him before he disappears in the taller grass. (I've seen the Antelope Island Big 4 today - bison, pronghorn, deer, and coyote!!)

I make a brief stop at the Visitor's Center for a chance at seeing the Badger that hangs around there. (The State Park people have posted photos of it a couple of times this Fall.) I do find it's burrow holes but the badger is not out today.)

I leave and head around the north side of the island. I find that group of 4 bison I saw when I arrived on the island; they are still behind the Center. Oh, and there's another small group just below them on the other side of the road. These guys are bedded down - they are hard to see.

Back on the causeway, I stop to check out those ducks. Well, they are not real duck; they are decoys. I find this out because a guy pops up in the boat and starts shooting at a flying duck. That was scary! I've never seen anyone hunting that close to the island - seems a bit dangerous to be firing a rifle when there are people driving very nearby. Kinda scary.

Great day!