April 25, 2011 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.
Prior
to the turn of the 20th century, Desert Bighorn sheep and the Desert
Antelope could be found in plentiful numbers around the base of
Superstition Mountain. Today the antelope has disappeared. The Desert
Bighorn sheep have been reintroduced to the Superstition Mountain area,
but the numbers of sheep have dwindled considerably since their
reintroduction.
The sheep’s greatest predator
is the Mountain lion. When the sheep were numerous in the area, the
sound of butting of their horns during rutting season could be heard
throughout the canyons on the west face of Superstition Mountain. The
early Native Americans who lived here, perhaps a 1,000 years ago, left
remarkable images of the Desert Bighorn at Hieroglyphic Springs.
It is difficult to visualize
giant rams bounding up and down the rugged cliffs of Superstition
Mountain or Desert Antelope running across the flatlands south and west
of the mountain. Old timers tell us the last Desert Bighorns were
poached during the 1930’s. The last Desert Antelope reported killed in
the area was in 1903. A limited number of Desert Bighorns were
introduced into the area during the 1970’s. Last winter my wife and I
stopped along the Apache Trail near Apache Gap and watched five Bighorns
on the side of the hill grazing. Their presence created a traffic jam
on the Apache Trail.
These two species were driven
from their natural range by three major causes. One was over-hunting,
two was the introduction of domesticated grazing animals, and three was
encroachment of urbanization. Near the turn of the 20th century
meat-hunters decimated the remaining animal populations in the area with
modern long-range firearms using smokeless powder. Overgrazing by
cattle destroy much of the land for native animal populations.
State and federal agencies
attempted to manage game and range resources in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
Their efforts in the beginning were feeble to say the least. The hunting
and poaching of animals within the wilderness became somewhat
controlled by game wardens. Even today there is insufficient human
resources to manage the wildlife of the wilderness area. Beginning in
1909, when range management was first implemented it did help provide
sufficient browse for domesticated stock and wildlife.
Controlled hunting seasons
for Mule deer, White Tail deer, Peccary and other species of game
animals insured a future for game hunting in the wilderness area.
However, without game and range management in the early days there would
have been a very dim future for wildlife in the region.
The Peccary (Javelina) is
common to the desert uplands where the Prickley Pear cactus can be found
in abundance. The Peccary, weighing between 35-45 pounds is one of the
most sought after game animals in the region. Each February thousands of
hunters take to the field in search of this elusive desert animal. The
region near the Tortilla Ranch is an excellent range to spot a Peccary.
The remaining two large
mammals of the Superstition are the Black bear and the Mountain lion.
The Mountain lion ranges primarily in the eastern portion of the
wilderness, but can be found through out the area. The Mountain lion is
rarely spotted unless pursued by hunting hounds. Some claim the lion
population has been dramatically reduced during the past three decades.
Others will tell you there are more lions today then ever before.
The Black bear creates
considerable controversy when a count is mentioned. Some even claim the
Black bear is extinct from the region. However, sightings have been made
as recent as 1996 near the Reavis Ranch. I spotted a Black bear on the
side of Mount Mountain in 1987. My neighbor Keith and I were riding
north of the Reavis Ranch in 2000 when we spot a good size Black bear in
pasture north of the ranch. Deer hunters often report bear sign in the
Reavis Ranch area. I am quite sure the old Cleman’s apple orchard
attracts bears from around the region.
The Coyote is one animal that
continues to survive despite the efforts of man to destroy it. He has
adapted well to urbanization around the fringes of the Superstition
Wilderness. Coyote numbers continue to increase while their range is
being inhabited more and more by man.
To the Native American, the
Coyote is God’s dog. To the cattleman and sheep man the coyote is a
ruthless killer of young calves and lambs. To the environmentalist he is
the salvation from plague and Hanta virus infected rodents. The Coyote
has numerous enemies and many friends. There are many pros and cons
about the animal’s future control within our area. His lonely call
continues to sound through the canyons and from towering spires of the
Superstition Wilderness. I have been listening to the call of the Coyote
for more than fifty years in and around Superstition Mountain. I still
love to hear their mournful call on a full moonlight night.
The future of wildlife
preservation in the Superstition Wilderness will depend largely on
impact control and the education of the public. Today almost three
million people are living in the Valley of the Sun or the greater
Phoenix metropolitan area. The urban pressures created by this rapidly
growing population forces more recreation eastward each year toward
Apache Junction and the Superstition Wilderness Area. The wilderness is
not an unlimited resource capable of withstanding the urban impact
created by the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Each year thousands of
more people are looking for recreational area for the weekend. The
Superstition Wilderness Area has become such an area.
Eventually
the Department of Agriculture will have to closely regulate access into
the wilderness. Without access control the wilderness and its wildlife
will have a very dim future. After all, what is a wilderness experience?
Isn’t it a place you can go to avoid crowds? To protect this wilderness
the public must be educated about its care.