Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Northeast Region responded to 52 pronghorns hit and killed by vehicles on US 36 east of Byers on just the morning of Tuesday, November 12. According to their X page (formerly Twitter), wildlife tend to gather on the roads when a lot of snow accumulates on the ground. Drivers are encouraged to drive slowly on the plains after snow storms.
CPW SE Region notes that more than 100 pronghorn have died on the roads across eastern Colorado following the recent storms. The animals head to the roads to escape the deep, crusty snow found in fields throughout the region, and when the roads are icy their movement is greatly hindered.
Pronghorns rarely jump over fences, too, typically preferring to scramble under them. When the snow is too high for them to crawl under, they wind up trapped on the roads. Colorado Parks and Wildlife encourages landowners to plow snow from fields to give the animals large spaces to shelter off the road.
Most importantly, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking motorists in eastern Colorado to slow down when the fields are covered with snow and keep watch for animals in the road, especially during the night.