Hop aboard as CDFW conducts helicopter surveys of pronghorn populations in northeastern California. Aerial surveys are one of the primary tools CDFW uses to monitor big game species and support informed, science-based management decisions. Surveys conducted in February indicate that pronghorn populations in northeastern California continue to decline. Several landscape-level factors are believed to be contributing to this trend, including juniper encroachment into historic sagebrush habitat, barriers to movement such as fencing and development, and declining forage quality. While predation by coyotes and mountain lions does occur on pronghorn populations, current evidence suggests it is likely not the primary driver of observed declines in northeastern California.
To address these issues, CDFW is actively engaged in habitat improvement efforts across pronghorn range. These include juniper removal projects to restore open sagebrush steppe as well as partnerships to improve landscape connectivity and reduce movement barriers. These efforts are complemented by continued monitoring of abundance, sex and age ratios, survival rates, habitat quality and seasonal movements. This work is critical to developing effective, long-term conservation strategies. As a result of continued population declines, pronghorn tag quotas for the Clear Lake and Likely Tables hunt zones have been reduced for the 2025 hunting season.
