I was scouting for elk yesterday in N/W Arizona at about 4500' elevation. Jeff and I saw something looking at us from under the shade of a cedar tree (it was about 105°) I put the Swaros up and saw that it was an antelope doe with THREE fawns. I have never seen an antelope with triplets before, ever. I rummaged around and got my camera out but as I went to snap the photo they all 4 ran off- rats.

Anyone ever seen antelope triplets before? Is this as rare as it seems to me?

I have never seen triplets, though I guess anything is possible.

Did see quite a few goats west of Seligman last weekend while we were shooting prairie dogs. No fawns tho.

We have 2 sets of triplets in the resident herd in our subdivision this year. I have seen it several times over the years here in WY.

I can't run fast enuff to cotch 3 of the speedy little bastids, anyway...

Heck, even I could outrun ya with that hat on.......

Dennis, I'm sure Jeff told you about the the herd of antelope we saw in that same area running with a herd of mule deer.

I never saw that before either and I've spent many a day in that area you were in.

Goats and mulies running together...that is interesting!

Triplets supposedly occur about once in 200 births, so if you spend as much time in the field as Dennis, you will probably run across a set of triplets at some point. Still, a certain percentage of fawns don't survive the "lying out" stage, so that somewhat diminishes the odds of seeing three with a doe...

These were good sized fawns. Not sure they were born at the right time- not living in Antelope country, I am not in it much this time of year so not good judge of when they drop.

Recruitment has been so poor here that even seeing twins is a treat.

These goats were only a mile from the Verde river. I never expected to see them there!

I think it's all technique, kinda like shooting grouse out of a tree starting with the lowest one first. Course, I could just be full of schitt too! Cool picture Don.

seen a handful of triplets in Wyoming. Good thing to see

if you're seeing triplets, the local coyotes aren't doing their job......

There were too many jackrabbits for them to care!

Nothing cuter than an antelope fawn...

nothing, except a pair of 'em......



and maybe a pair of them with the bosses daughters....

The number of does which have triplets also depends on yearly conditions. I've seen more with triplets this year in Montana than in most years, because we had a relatively mild winter, so the does were in very good condition.

Whether all three triplets survive is another question, but right around here a lot of pronghorns live around subdivisions, where coyote predation is almost zero. In California it wouldn't be, but in Montana it is, because coyotes wandering in and out of subdivisions get shot.

In fact in this particular part of the state, pronghorn populations have been rising, the opposite of what's happened in other areas, especially in eastern Montana. This is because of relatively mild local winters, plus the "checkerboard" nature of land ownership, with private ranches and subdivisions mixed with relatively small chunks of public land. This makes also makes human predation more difficult, as antelope move freely between areas that can be hunted and those that can't.

Happy to report seeing a bunch of them this year. Saw them when we went through Wyoming June 1 and saw about 50% of them in Montana last weekend still separated from the herds and birthing.

Seems to be quite a few fawns this year, but our numbers are really down.. West of town I would say they average 500-1000 permits in normal years.. Last year we were down to 100.. East of town is better.. I seldom blame the game and fish, but in this case, we have a biologist that doesn't straight up.. But he listens to no one.. We are hurting here.. The poorest antelope and deer numbers I have ever seen in well over 40 years in this valley.. Hope others are fairing better..

Dennisaz: I have seen several sets of triplet Antelope fawns over the past 48 years of Varmint Hunting and being in Antelope country come early summer.
It is my understanding that twins are the "norm" for second and subsequent birthing years for doe Antelope.
For the past few weeks I have been watching two mother Antelope that have both given birth to twins.
They in fact take turns "babysitting" the others fawns.
So it often looks like one doe has quadruplets but in my case this is not so.
This has been an especially good birthing year for Antelope here in my quadrant of SW Montana as the Coyotes have been "controlled" of recent, very well, by Hunters (and by Wolves!) and the spring storms (cold rains and hail storms) have held off until the fawns have matured a bit herabouts.
My wife just took a picture of the two does and their four fawns not 60 yards from our sun room window as they were "carefully" crossing our drive.
I never tire of watching the Antelope fawns scamper and leap about.
I would venture an observation that "triplet" Antelope fawns are somewhat rare.
Got my curiosity going so I went searching for info - and on page 44 of my book "The World of the Pronghorn Antelope" by Joe VanWormer - Lippincott - 1969, he states that "triplet" fawns are born to three year old and older does 0.5% of the time.
Wormer states that quadruplets have not been recorded by him.
Wormer also states that "twins" are born "60% of the time in Antelope does first pregnancies and 98% of the time in subsequent pregnancies".
So enjoy that memory of the triple fawns it is rare, but not unheard of.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks, interesting take.

Az is noted for high coyote mortality on antelope, and these are certainly in danger. But there are lots of rabbits around. I'm wondering if the wet spring had something to do with it. Feed and water is pretty good this year.