Hart MountainNational Antelope Refuge - Oregon |
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, located in southeastern Oregon, protects more than 300 species of wildlife, including pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer, sage grouse, and Great Basin redband trout. The refuge spans habitats ranging from high desert to shallow playa lakes, and is among the largest wildlife habitats containing no domestic livestock.
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location
maps
Recreation Map of Warner Wetlands Wilderness in Oregon. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Official State Map of Oregon. Published by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).
brochures
Brochure for Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Oregon. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Map of Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Oregon. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Wildlife at Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Oregon. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Hart Mountain NWR
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/hart_mountain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hart_Mountain_National_Antelope_Refuge
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, located in southeastern Oregon, protects more than 300 species of wildlife, including pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer, sage grouse, and Great Basin redband trout. The refuge spans habitats ranging from high desert to shallow playa lakes, and is among the largest wildlife habitats containing no domestic livestock.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Hart Mountain
National Antelope
Refuge
More than 30 million
pronghorn once roamed
North America. By the
turn of the 20th century,
only a few small bands
were left. Hart Mountain
was one of the last
strongholds of this fleetfooted species.
Set aside as a home for
pronghorn, the Refuge is
renowned as a dramatic
landscape rich in wildlife
diversity.
Pronghorn with Beaty Butte in the background.
Aaron Collins
The Landscape
Looming high above the surrounding
rangelands, Hart Mountain is a
massive fault block ridge that rises
to an elevation of 8,017 feet. The west
side ascends abruptly some 3,600 feet
from the floor of the Warner Valley in
a series of rugged cliffs, steep slopes,
and knifelike ridges.
Ruth Miller/USFWS
The Refuge
Hart Mountain National Antelope
Refuge (NAR) was established in
1936 to provide range for remnant
pronghorn herds. Refuge management
has since been broadened to include
conservation of all wildlife and native
plant species characteristic of this
high-desert habitat. Public enjoyment,
education, and appreciation for the
species and habitat found here is
encouraged.
Hart Mountain NAR is one of over
560 National Wildlife Refuges located
throughout the country. The blue goose
insignia represents this system of
lands established for the conservation
and management of fish, wildlife, and
plant resources for the benefit of
present and future generations.
All photos pages 4-5 Bill Stormont/USFWS, unless otherwise noted.
The east side of the mountain is less
precipitous, descending in a series of
hills and low ridges to the sagebrushgrass ranges typical of southeastern
Oregon and the Great Basin.
The Refuge is an oasis in the desert.
Snow melt and springs feed many
seasonal and year-round creeks. A
natural hot spring nestled against the
eastern base of Warner Peak provides
a soothing retreat for area visitors.
Water is a valuable commodity in this
dry desert landscape. Precipitation
(an average of 12” annually) comes
primarily as winter snow or spring
rains. Temperatures vary between
extreme cold in the winter and hot,
dry summer conditions.
Pronghorn
Able to run up to 60 miles-per-hour,
pronghorn are the fastest land animal
in North America. Their great speed
evolved thousands of years ago at a
time when two species of cheetahs
hunted in North America. Healthy
pronghorn can outrun any modernday predator. Coyotes, bobcats, and
golden eagles are a threat only in the
first few weeks of a pronghorn’s life.
About the size of a large house cat
at birth, pronghorn grow to over
100 pounds. Most of this weight is
amassed in their thick bodies with
extremely large lungs necessary for
distance running. Pronghorn rely on
speed and keen vision for protection.
Their large eyes see the world as you
would if using binoculars with 8 power
magnification.
Female pronghorn give birth to
singles or twins each year in May or
early June. Until they are able to run
with the herd, fawns are kept hidden
in the low sagebrush and grasses of
the fawning grounds.
Wildlife Diversity
Red-naped
sapsucker
C. Reeb/USFWS
Ground squirrels
Common poorwill
R. Blacker/USFWS
Diversity in habitat creates variety
in wildlife. Hart Mountain NAR’s
diverse landscape and habitat are
alive with over 340 species of wildlife,
primarily birds (246 species) and
mammals (69 species). Mammals
such as California bighorn sheep,
coyotes, and rabbits are generally
year-round residents of the Refuge
while most pronghorn, birds and even
many deer come and go with
the seasons.
Hart Mountain NAR is renowned
for its upland habitat and wildlife:
pronghorn race across the low
sagebrush expanses of the Refuge’s
east side, Greater sage-grouse nest
under large sagebrush bushes in
the heart of the Refuge, mule deer
roam the mountain mahogany and
bitterbrush habitats found at higher
elevations, and California bighorn
sheep nimbly scale the rocky cliffs of
the Refuge’s west face.
Other important areas on the Refuge
for wildlife include shallow playa
lakes, grassy meadows watered by
snowmelt and streams, riparian areas
along streamsides, aspen stands, and
secluded pine groves. Habitats closely
associated with water support the
greatest richness of wildlife species.
Horned lizard
Killdeer
K. Voget/USFWS
Mule deer buck
Blyth Brown
California bighorn Agile California bighorn sheep move
skillfully in the steep and rugged
sheep
terrain on the west face of Hart
Mountain and Poker Jim Ridge. A
ram’s massive, curled horns, which
can weigh nearly 30 pounds, set it
apart from the female sheep whose
horns are much smaller.
Greater
sage-grouse
The drumming chest and elaborate
strut of the male sage-grouse is
a renowned spectacle of the high
desert. This early morning courtship
dance occurs on numerous refuge
strutting grounds (leks) in late
March and April. Hens build a nest,
generally under a sagebrush bush,
and lay about 9 eggs. Sage-grouse
were once so plentiful that settlers
gathered buckets of eggs for camp
f
Black
Rim
Hart Mountain
Bluejoint
Lake
id
ge
Gray
Buttes
Visitor
Information
Ji
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National Antelope Refuge
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Lake
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28 mil
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Upper
Campbell
Lake
Warner
Valley
Overlook
Warner
Pond
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Ho
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Valet Spring
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Piaute
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Blizzard
Ridge
Wil
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Visitor
Information
Camp Hart
Mountain
Swamp
Lake
Roc k
ttl e snake D raw
Mugwump
Lake
Petroglyph
Lake
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Cr
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Flagstaff
Lake
Jim
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Ro
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3-11
Reservoir
Lake
Ro
ad
Campbell
Lake
Poker
Jim
Lake
Road
Poker
Jim
Spring
w
Flook Knoll
Stone
Corral
Lake
Miles
Miles
0
0
Kilometers
Kilometers
4 4
4
Legend
Black Canyon
Indian Springs
Legend
n Road
Bl ack C anyo
Lookout Point
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an
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Refuge Boundary
Bla
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on
Can y
View Points
Refuge
Boundary
Warner Wetlands
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Warner Peak
(elev.-8,017 ft.)
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Ha
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Area Closed to Hunting
Intermittent
/ Dry Lake
Private Inholdings
C
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Lak Thunderbird
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Lake
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Sp
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Lo
Big Flat
Ri
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Mound
Lake
Wire Corral Flat
C a ny
on
Wool Lake
Fisher
Canyon
Crump
Lake
Cat
Butte
Reservoir
Lake
May
L ake
Refuge Headquarters
Area Closed to Hunting
Observation/Photography
Dobyns
Lake
Fred Pond
Long
Lake
Cat
Forty-four
Lake
(Do Not Trespass)
Proposed Wilderness
Desert
Lake
ad
Ro
ake
gL
The
Narrows
(see State Regulations)
Streams
/ Creeks
Waterbodies
Open
to Fishing
Intermittent
/ Dry Lake
Waterbodies
Spanish
Flat
Gua
(June 15 - Dec. 1 & Barnhardy Rd. Aug. 1Openunless
to Fishing
Dec.1
posted otherwise)
Proposed Wilderness
kR
ad
Ro
Spanish
Lake
Streams / Creeks
Seasonal
Roads
(see State Regulations)
ir
Sh
ar y
st M e
Po
Martin
Canyon
d
un
Bo
th
Post
Meadows
W
ar
C ree
rt
oad
ary R
Twin Lake
Milit
Old
Fitzgerald
Link
Lake
Lake
Blue Sky
ek
o ws Road
ain
unt
c k ade Cre
Sou
Mo
Sto
k
Hart La
ke Road
(Subject to conditions)
View
Points
West RoadSeasonal Roads
Gulch Open
(June 15Roads
- Dec. 1 & Barnhardy Rd. Aug. 1Dec.1 unless
posted otherwise)
(Subject
to conditions)
k
C ree
Deer
Old Camp Warner
(Historic Site)
ne r
Alkali
Flat
D rive
d
Roa
Guano Creek
Hart
Lake
Open Roads
Skyli
n
e
3-12
Hart C
Barn h ardy
Plush 10 miles
Private Inholdings
(Do Not Trespass)
Refuge Headquarters
Alger
Lake
Observation/Photography
Lone
Grave
Butte
Lakes
Billy
Burr Lake
Coffee
Pot Reservoir
Jacobs
Reservoir
G
ua
Cr e
o
n
ek
Guano
Valley
Clover
Swale
6-14-2014
WEAVER FINCH
MAMMALS
CANIDS
VOLES AND MUSKRATS
REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
FISHES
____ House Sparrow (1)
Visibility of mammals varies seasonally because of hibernation, migration
between summer and winter ranges,
or snow cover.
Coyote
Mountain Vole
Red Fox
Long-tailed Vole
FELIDS
Sagebrush Vole
SHREWS
Muskrat
Fish on the Refuge are limited to drainages
that support perennial flows. Fish are
present in Rock, Willow, and Guano
Creeks and their tributaries. Rainbow
trout are stocked in Warner Pond.
Mountain Lion
Malheur Shrew
Bobcat
OLD WORLD RATS AND MICE
Reptiles usually are found on upland sites
and amphibians live closer to or in water.
Both reptiles and amphibians hibernate
during the winter and therefore are only
seen during the warmer months. Because they are relatively small, secretive
animals, they are not highly visible.
Merriam’s Shrew
SQUIRRELS, CHIPMUNKS &
House Mouse
Trowbridge’s Shrew
MARMOTS
JUMPING MICE
AMPHIBIANS
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Western Jumping Mouse
FROGS & TOADS
ACCIDENTAL SPECIES
Species listed below have been recorded only a few times on the Refuge.
White-winged Scoter
Gyrfalcon
Parasitic Jaeger
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Snowy Owl
Vagrant Shrew
Northern Water Shrew
Townsend’s Ground Squirrel
PORCUPINES
Great-basin Spade-foot Toad
Belding’s Ground Squirrel
Porcupine
Pacific Tree Frog
Little Brown Myotis
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
PIKAS, HARES & RABBITS
Yuma Myotis
White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
Pika
Long-eared Myotis
Least Chipmunk
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Fringed Myotis
Yellow-pine Chipmunk
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
SNAKES
California Myotis
Chickaree
Mountain Cottontail
Rubber Boa
Small–footed Myotis
POCKET GOPHERS
Pygmy Rabbit
Racer
Townsend’s Pocket Gopher
DEER
Striped Whipsnake
Northern Pocket Gopher
Mule Deer
Gopher Snake
POCKET MICE, KANGAROO
MICE & KANGAROO RATS
Rocky Mountain Elk
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
White-headed Woodpecker
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Prothonotary Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Virginia’s Warbler
Silver-haired Bat
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Western Pipistrel
Bay-Breasted Warbler
Big Brown Bat
American Redstart
Hoary Bat
Tricolored Blackbird
Western Big-eared Bat
Common Grackle
Pallid Bat
Scarlet Tanager
Summer Tanager
FREETAIL BATS
Little Pocket Mouse
Great Basin Pocket Mouse
PRONGHORN
Pronghorn (Antelope)
SHEEP
Dark Kangaroo Mouse
California Bighorn Sheep
Western Toad
Spotted Frog
REPTILES
Western Rattlesnake
LIZARDS
Leopard Lizard
Western Fence Lizard
Freetail Bat
Ord’s Kangaroo Rat
Big Free-tailed Bat
Great Basin Kangaroo Rat
Side-blotched Lizard
Mountain Quail
RACOONS
MUSTELIDS
Desert Horned Lizard
Mountain Quail
Raccoon
Beaver
Short Horned Lizard
Northern Hawk-Owl
WEASELS, SKUNKS, &
HARVEST MICE
Western Skink
Grasshopper Sparrow
BADGERS
Western Harvest Mouse
Harris’ Sparrow
Short-tailed Weasel
WHITE FOOTED MICE
Long-tailed Weasel
Canyon Mouse
Mink
Deer Mouse
Badger
Pinyon Mouse
Lapland Longspur
Upland Sandpiper
White-throated Sparrow
Spotted Skunk
Striped Skunk
GRASSHOPPER MICE
Northern Grasshopper Mouse
WOODRATS
Desert Woodrat
Bushytailed Woodrat
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
Rainbow (Redband) Trout
PLAIN-NOSED BATS
Pileated Woodpecker
W IL D L IF E o f
H A R T M O UNT A IN N A R
Sagebrush Lizard
Western Whiptail
Northern Alligator Lizard
This wildlife list includes more than 330 species of
birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish that
occur or are thought to occur on the Hart Mountain
National Antelope Refuge and in the adjacent
Warner Valley. A list of insects and spiders has not
yet been compiled.
About 245 resident and migratory bird species could
be observed on the Refuge and on adjacent lands.
Riparian corridors, such as along Rock and Guano
Creeks, are good areas to find birds. Another
outstanding area, Blue Sky Grove, supports an
unique group of birds because it is an isolated stand
of Ponderosa pine. When flooded, the lakes and
wetlands in Warner Valley provide abundant habitat
for wetland-dwelling species.
About 70 species of mammals could occur on the
Refuge. Mammals are considered resident species
with the exception of migrant bats. Pronghorn are
widespread and can be seen in the sagebrush
uplands and meadows throughout the refuge. Mule
deer can be seen in the higher elevation shrub areas
and near aspen stands. Bighorn sheep are difficult
to see as they use the highest elevation areas and
the escarpment on the west side of the Refuge.
About 19 species of reptiles and amphibians and
two fish species occur on the Refuge.
Morning and evening hours are the best times to observe wildlife. Binoculars
and/or a spotting scope greatly assist in identifying wildlife and observing their
behavior. Using your vehicle as a blind increases viewing opportunities. Common bird name are listed followed by an abundance code.
____ Ferruginous Hawk (2)
____ Pectoral Sandpiper (2)
HUMMINGBIRDS
____ Steller’s Jay (1)
____ Varied Thrush (