Big Bear, CA
I quiet mountain community full of back country adventure.
Pronghorn ( Antilocapra americana )
The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), often mistakenly called an antelope, is the sole surviving member of the Antilocapridae family and North America’s fastest land mammal, capable of sustained speeds up to 55 mph (88 km/h). In the desert southwest of the United States, particularly the Sonoran Desert, the subspecies known as the Sonoran pronghorn (A. a. sonoriensis) exemplifies remarkable adaptations to arid environments, including efficient water conservation and heat tolerance. These graceful ungulates, with their distinctive pronged horns and white rump patches, roam vast open landscapes, evoking the untamed spirit of the American West.
Classification
Pronghorns belong to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates), family Antilocapridae, genus Antilocapra, and species americana. There are five recognized subspecies: the American pronghorn (A. a. americana), Mexican pronghorn (A. a. mexicana), Sonoran pronghorn (A. a. sonoriensis), Baja California pronghorn (A. a. peninsularis), and Oregon pronghorn (A. a. oregona). The Sonoran pronghorn, endemic to the desert southwest, is listed as endangered due to habitat fragmentation and human activities. Pronghorns are not true antelopes but are more closely related to giraffes and okapis, though they represent a unique evolutionary lineage that once included multiple species during the Pleistocene era.
Physical Description
Adult pronghorns measure 1.3–1.5 meters (4.3–4.9 feet) in length, stand 81–104 cm (32–41 inches) at the shoulder, and weigh 36–70 kg (79–154 pounds), with males typically larger than females. Their coat is tan to reddish-brown on the back and sides, with white underparts, throat, and distinctive white rump patches that flare as alarm signals. The namesake horns, present in both sexes but larger in males (up to 50 cm or 20 inches), are unique: they consist of a bony core sheathed in keratin that is shed annually, unlike true antlers or horns. Females’ horns are smaller and lack the forward-facing prong. Large eyes positioned on the sides of the head provide a 320-degree field of vision, aiding in predator detection, while long legs and cushioned hooves enable high-speed endurance running. Sonoran pronghorns are slightly smaller and lighter, adapted for desert life with enhanced heat dissipation through large ears and a slender build.
Behavior
Pronghorns are diurnal and crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk to avoid midday heat in desert regions. They are highly social, forming mixed-sex herds of up to 1,000 individuals during winter migrations, but in the southwest deserts, groups are smaller (5–20) due to sparse resources. Territorial males defend harems during breeding, using scent marking from glands on the head and rump, and engage in ritualized displays like parallel walking or horn clashing. Their legendary speed—sprints up to 98 km/h (61 mph) and sustained 55 km/h (34 mph) over distances—evolved to outrun extinct predators like American cheetahs, and they can leap 6 meters (20 feet) horizontally. In the desert southwest, Sonoran pronghorns exhibit nomadic behavior, moving in response to rainfall and forage availability, and they pant or seek shade to thermoregulate in extreme heat. Communication includes visual signals like rump flashing, vocalizations such as snorts or bleats, and olfactory cues.
Food Sources
As herbivores, pronghorns are selective browsers and grazers, consuming a diverse diet of forbs (broad-leaved herbs), shrubs, grasses, and occasionally cacti, with preferences shifting seasonally. In the desert southwest, they favor drought-resistant plants like chainfruit cholla, mesquite, and palo verde for moisture, and can digest toxic species unpalatable to other ungulates due to large kidneys and specialized gut microbes. Forbs dominate in spring and summer (up to 90% of diet), while shrubs like sagebrush provide winter sustenance. They obtain most water from vegetation, drinking infrequently but traveling up to 10 km (6 miles) to water sources in arid areas. This opportunistic feeding helps them survive in low-productivity deserts, where they forage by nipping plants at ground level.
Breeding
Pronghorns are polygynous, with breeding (rut) occurring from July to October in southern populations like the Sonoran subspecies, timed to monsoon rains for optimal fawn survival. Males compete for females through displays and fights, establishing territories of 0.5–5 km² (0.2–2 sq mi). Gestation lasts 235–250 days, with females typically birthing twins (singles for first-time mothers) in secluded spots, hiding fawns in vegetation for the first few weeks. Fawns are precocial, standing within hours and running soon after, weaned by 4–5 months, and reaching sexual maturity at 15–16 months. In the desert southwest, breeding success is tied to rainfall; drought can lead to high fawn mortality from predation by coyotes or bobcats. Lifespan in the wild averages 10–15 years.
Habitat and Range
Pronghorns thrive in open, arid to semi-arid habitats with low vegetation for visibility, including grasslands, shrublands, and deserts at elevations from sea level to 3,300 meters (10,800 feet). In the desert southwest, the Sonoran pronghorn inhabits broad alluvial valleys, bajadas, and dry plains of the Sonoran Desert, separated by granite mountains, with sparse creosote bush, saguaro cacti, and ocotillo. Their range spans southwestern Arizona (e.g., Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge) and northwestern Sonora, Mexico, with a small population in California potentially extinct. Overall, pronghorns occur from southern Canada to northern Mexico, but in the U.S. southwest, they are found in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of California and Texas. They prefer gentle, rolling terrain for spotting predators from afar and avoid dense forests or steep mountains. Human developments like fences and roads fragment habitats, posing threats to migration and genetic diversity in desert populations.
Resources
Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Antilocapridae |
| Subfamily: | Antilocaprinae |
| Tribe: | Antilocaprini |
| Genus: | Antilocapra Ord, 1818 |
| Species: | A. americana[ |
Coyote (Canis latrans)
The Coyote (Canis latrans), often referred to as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a highly adaptable canine species native to North America, renowned for its intelligence, vocalizations, and opportunistic lifestyle. This medium-sized predator has expanded its range dramatically due to human activities and ecological changes, thriving in diverse environments from deserts to urban areas. With a slender build, keen senses, and a varied diet, the coyote plays a crucial role in controlling pest populations while sometimes conflicting with human interests.
Classification
The coyote belongs to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Canidae, and genus Canis. Its scientific name, Canis latrans, translates to “barking dog” in Latin, reflecting its vocal nature. It is a basal member of the Canis clade, closely related to wolves and domestic dogs, with divergence from gray wolves estimated at around 51,000 years ago. Evolutionary history traces back to the Miocene epoch, evolving from Eucyon davisi about 6 million years ago, through Canis lepophagus in the Pliocene (5 million years ago), to Pleistocene forms like C. l. orcutti, which were larger and more carnivorous before post-Quaternary size reduction due to prey loss and competition. Genetic admixture with wolves and dogs has occurred, particularly in eastern populations, leading to hybrids known as coywolves or eastern coyotes. There are 19 recognized subspecies, varying in size, color, and distribution, such as C. l. lestes (mountain coyote, larger and grayer), C. l. frustor (southeastern, larger and darker), C. l. ochropus (California valley, ochraceous tones), and C. l. microdon (Lower Rio Grande, smaller). The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its wide range and stable population.
Physical Description
Coyotes are medium-sized canids with a slender, agile build adapted for speed and endurance. Males typically weigh 8–20 kg (18–44 lb), while females range from 7–18 kg (15–40 lb), with northern and eastern subspecies larger (up to 18 kg average) than southern ones (around 11.5 kg in Mexico). Total body length is 1.0–1.35 m (3 ft 3 in–4 ft 5 in), including a 40 cm (16 in) bushy tail, and shoulder height is about 58 cm (23 in). Fur coloration varies geographically: grayish-brown to yellowish-gray dorsally, with black-tipped guard hairs forming a dorsal stripe and shoulder cross, reddish tones on the legs, head, and muzzle, and white on the throat and belly. Northern forms have denser fur, while desert populations are paler. They molt annually from May to July. Notable features include large, pointed erect ears, a long slender muzzle, yellow eyes with round pupils, a black nose, and digitigrade feet with four toes showing claw marks in tracks. The dental formula is 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 2/3, with shearing carnassials and crushing molars. Sexual dimorphism is present, with males larger; albinism and melanism occur rarely. Adaptations include acute hearing, vision for low light and movement detection, a strong sense of smell, and bluish-black scent glands at the tail base.
Behavior
Coyotes are versatile and intelligent, exhibiting flexible social structures from solitary individuals to family units or loose packs of unrelated animals, less hierarchical than wolves. They are primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, especially in human-dominated areas to avoid conflict, but can be active during the day. Territorial ranges vary from 0.4–62 km², defended year-round but more aggressively during denning, marked by urine, feces, and ground scratching. Communication involves a rich vocal repertoire—the most vocal North American mammal—including howls (lone or group yip-howls for territory announcement or reunion), barks, yelps, squeaks, and distress calls, plus visual, tactile, and olfactory signals like scent-marking. Hunting behaviors include stalking and pouncing on small prey with stiff-legged bounds, chasing squirrels or birds, cooperative pursuits of larger ungulates, and mutualistic partnerships with American badgers for digging out rodents. They cache excess food, urinate on caches, and can run up to 65 km/h (40 mph), jump 4 m (13 ft), and swim proficiently but climb poorly. In urban settings, they use human trails and become bolder, sometimes approaching people or preying on pets. They are gregarious but adaptable, with less aggression toward conspecifics than wolves.
Food Sources
As opportunistic omnivores, coyotes have a diet that is about 90% animal matter, supplemented by plant foods, making them highly adaptable feeders. Primary prey includes small mammals like rabbits, hares, rodents (e.g., ground squirrels, mice), birds, reptiles (including snakes like rattlesnakes), amphibians, fish, invertebrates (e.g., insects, scorpions), and carrion. They occasionally hunt larger ungulates such as deer, elk, pronghorn, or livestock (e.g., sheep, causing economic impacts), especially in packs during winter. Plant sources include fruits (e.g., strawberries, apples, prickly pear), vegetables (e.g., carrots), grasses, and leaves like balsam fir or white cedar, particularly in fall and winter for hydration and nutrition. In coastal areas, they consume marine mammals or crustaceans; in deserts, seasonal insects like hawkmoth caterpillars. They scavenge human garbage, pets, or livestock in urban/suburban zones and cannibalize dead coyotes. Daily food requirement is about 600 g (1.3 lb), with annual consumption around 250 kg (550 lb) per individual. Hunting averages 4 km (2.5 mi) nightly, and they compete with or are kleptoparasitized by species like wolves, bears, and golden eagles.
Breeding
Coyotes are generally monogamous, with pair bonds forming 2–3 months before mating and potentially lasting years, though not always lifelong. Females are monoestrous, entering heat for 2–5 days between late January and late March, varying by latitude. Courtship involves chasing, play-fighting, and scent-marking; copulation includes a 5–45 minute tie. Gestation lasts 60–63 days, with litters of 1–19 pups (average 6), influenced by population density and food availability. Pups are born altricial (blind, limp-eared, weighing 200–500 g) in dens—burrows, rocky crevices, or abandoned structures—with multiple entrances for escape. Eyes open at 10 days, pups emerge at 21–28 days, wean at 35 days, and are fed regurgitated food by both parents. Hierarchy forms through play-fighting by 4–5 weeks; males disperse at 6–9 months, females often stay to form pack nuclei. Sexual maturity is reached at 12 months (later in eastern hybrids), with full adult size by 9–12 months. Both parents provide protection, provisioning, and teach hunting skills; extended family may assist. Hybridization with dogs and wolves occurs, enhancing adaptability in some populations.
Habitat and Range
Coyotes are extremely adaptable, inhabiting a wide array of biomes including deserts, grasslands, forests, swamps, chaparral, scrublands, mountains, taiga, tropical savannas, riparian zones, and human-modified environments like agricultural fields, suburbs, and cities. They prefer open or semi-open areas for hunting but tolerate dense forests and high elevations up to alpine regions. Dens are often in rocky crevices, logs, caves, or enlarged burrows of other animals, reused annually. Historically confined to the arid West, open plains, and northern/central Mexico, their range expanded post-Columbian era due to wolf extirpation, land clearing, and human development. Now, they span the Nearctic region from Alaska and northern Canada (excluding the extreme north) southward through the contiguous United States, Mexico, Central America to Panama, with recent sightings in eastern Panama and potential expansion into South America via the Darién Gap. Eastern expansions occurred in waves during the early and mid-20th century, leading to hybridization in forested areas. They are absent from areas with dense wolf populations but thrive in human-altered landscapes.
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Classification
Warner Elmore Scott
Warner Elmore Scott (1865–1950) was a Kentucky native from a horse farming family who became entangled in his brother Walter “Death Valley Scotty” Scott’s infamous 1906 staged “Battle” of Wingate Pass, a hoax to deceive gold mine investors.
Early Life
Warner Elmore Scott was born in 1865 in Cynthiana, Kentucky, into a family deeply rooted in the region’s horse farming and harness racing traditions. He was the son of George E. Scott, a horse breeder, and Anna Calhoun (though some records list his mother as Elizabeth Perry, likely due to genealogical discrepancies). Warner was one of at least six children in the Scott family, which included his younger brother Walter Edward Perry Scott (born September 20, 1872), who would later become famously known as “Death Valley Scotty.” Other siblings included brothers Bill (possibly William), Lynn, and George, making Walter the youngest. The family traveled extensively along the harness racing circuit during Warner’s childhood, exposing him to a nomadic lifestyle from an early age.
As a young man, Warner ventured west to seek opportunities in the American frontier. By the early 1880s, he had settled in Nevada, where he worked as a cowhand on the ranch of John Sparks, a prominent cattleman who later became the governor of Nevada (serving from 1903 to 1908). Warner’s brother Bill joined him there, and the two established themselves in the rugged ranching life near Wells, Nevada. This move westward was emblematic of the era’s migration patterns, driven by the promise of land, work, and adventure in the expanding American West. In 1883, at the age of 11, their youngest brother Walter ran away from home in Kentucky to join them, marking the beginning of a lifelong, albeit tumultuous, familial bond. Walter’s arrival led to his first job as a water boy for a survey party on the California-Nevada border, but the brothers’ shared experiences in Nevada laid the foundation for their future entanglements.
Warner’s early career focused on ranching and related labor, including stints as a teamster hauling goods across the arid landscapes of Nevada and California. These roles honed his skills in survival and horsemanship, qualities that would later prove useful in the harsh environment of Death Valley. Little is documented about Warner’s personal life during this period, such as any marriages or children, suggesting he led a relatively private existence compared to his more flamboyant brother. Historical records portray him as a steady, if opportunistic, figure who occasionally collaborated with Walter on ventures that blurred the lines between legitimate prospecting and outright schemes.
Involvement with Death Valley Scotty and the Mining Schemes
Warner’s life became inextricably linked to his brother’s rising notoriety in the early 20th century. Walter Scott, after years as a performer in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show and various odd jobs, reinvented himself as “Death Valley Scotty,” a charismatic prospector who claimed to have discovered a fabulously rich gold mine in California’s Death Valley. This persona was largely a fabrication, designed to attract investors through tall tales and publicity stunts. Warner, with his Western experience, became involved in these escapades, serving as both a supporter and, at times, a reluctant participant.
By 1905, Walter had secured investments from prominent figures, including Chicago millionaire Albert Mussey Johnson and banker Edward A. Shedd, who contributed $2,500 for a stake in the supposed mine. When suspicions arose due to the lack of returns, the investors demanded an inspection. Walter, fearing exposure, orchestrated an elaborate hoax to deter them: a staged “ambush” in the remote Wingate Pass area of Death Valley. Warner played a key role in this plan, ostensibly working for Walter but secretly spying for the investors’ side, providing intelligence on the expedition’s progress.
The infamous “Battle of Wingate Pass” unfolded on February 25, 1906, near the California-Nevada border. Walter’s party, which included Warner, mining engineer Daniel E. Owen (representing the investors), Albert Johnson, and others, set out from Daggett, California, with wagons, mules, and supplies. Walter had arranged for accomplices— including Bill Keys, Jack Brody, and Bob Belt—to simulate an attack by “claim jumpers” to scare off the inspectors and preserve the myth of the mine’s dangers. As the group approached Wingate Pass, shots rang out from behind stone breastworks on a nearby cliff. Chaos ensued when Bob Belt, reportedly intoxicated, fired errantly and struck Warner in the groin (some accounts also mention a shoulder wound). The injury was severe, causing significant bleeding and pain.
Walter, in a panic, galloped toward the “ambushers” yelling for them to cease fire, inadvertently revealing the stunt’s fraudulent nature to Owen and the others. The party hastily retreated to Lone Willow Spring and then Daggett, where Warner received initial medical attention before being transported by train to Los Angeles on March 1, 1906, for further treatment under Dr. C.W. Lawton. Remarkably, Warner survived the ordeal, though the wound left him with lasting physical consequences.
The incident had immediate repercussions. Investor Daniel Owen reported the “attack” to the San Bernardino County sheriff, leading to arrest warrants for Walter, Bill Keys, and Jack Brody on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. Walter evaded serious prosecution by cleverly exploiting a jurisdictional loophole: he had secretly moved the Inyo-San Bernardino county boundary marker six miles south, placing the site in Inyo County, where authorities showed little interest in pursuing the case. Walter spent several months in jail on related charges but ultimately confessed to fraud in a 1912 Los Angeles courtroom.
Warner’s response to the shooting further strained family ties. On April 7, 1906, he filed a $152,000 damage suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Walter, Bill Scott, Bill Keys, A.Y. Pearl, and an unnamed “John Doe.” He later dropped the suit on the condition that Walter cover his medical bills, which exceeded $1,000. Walter agreed but failed to pay, resulting in a court judgment against him that went unenforced due to his lack of assets.
Later Life and Legacy
After the Wingate Pass fiasco, Warner largely faded from public view, returning to a quieter existence. Historical records suggest he remained in the Western United States, possibly continuing ranching or other labor in Nevada or California, but details are sparse. Unlike his brother, who continued to captivate the public with stunts—like his record-breaking 1905 train ride from Los Angeles to Chicago funded by ill-gotten gains—Warner avoided the spotlight. He outlived much of the drama surrounding Death Valley Scotty’s legends, passing away in 1950 at the age of 85. His burial details are not well-documented, though family memorials link him to the Scott lineage.
Warner’s legacy is primarily preserved through his association with Death Valley Scotty. The Wingate Pass incident became a cornerstone of Scotty’s mythology, illustrating the lengths to which the brothers went in their cons. It also highlighted the era’s Wild West ethos, where fraud, gunplay, and frontier justice intertwined. Interestingly, some historical newspaper accounts from the time refer to him as “Warren Scott,” likely a typographical error or variant spelling, as seen in a 1906 Carson Daily Appeal report. This discrepancy underscores the challenges in documenting lesser-known figures from the period.
Despite his limited fame, Warner Elmore Scott embodies the supporting cast in the grand tale of American prospecting lore. His life reflects the hardships and opportunism of the late 19th and early 20th-century West, forever tied to the enigmatic figure of Death Valley Scotty and the enduring allure of hidden gold in the desert.
Silver Star Mine
The Silver Star Mine is a small mine site located off of the Zinc Mountain Road in San Bernardino County, California. The site rests at 4931 feet above sea level in the Ivanpah montains. The lonely site features a small humble cabin the miners used to survive and beat the heat. There is also a wrecked automobile near at the site, which has long since given up the battle against rust.
There is not much information available for this location on the Internet and hopefully I will be able to find some eventually. The mine site is also know as the Lucky Lode deposits. The route into the area is reasonably passable and should be suitable for most cars, provided the driver is used to operating on the back roads of the desert.
Some places claim that this mine produced lead, copper and zinc. The fact that this mine is found just off of Zinc Mountain Road offers some credence to a zinc mine. Other online sources claim this is a tungsten mine. A shallow mine shaft is located near the cabin. The shaft contains an old wooden ladder used by the miners and appears to be filled in, collapsed, or suspended after about 20 feet of workings.
This stark hole in the ground reminds us what a challenges the life of a miner must endure. Hot, dry deserts, narrow, dark tunnels in a hostile landscape.
Silver Star Mine Trail Map
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Coyote Melon (Cucurbita palmata)
Coyote Melon (Cucurbita palmata), also known as Coyote Gourd, is a flowering plant common in the desert southwest and known to produce spherical yellow – green melons. The vine like plant is commonly found is loose, sandy or gravely, dry, well drained soil which is common in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and exclusively in Washington County, Utah. The primary characteristic is the growth of a green melon or gourd which is quite startling when you first see them in the hot desert climates.
The gourd was first described in 1876 by Sereno Waston who was a Yale graduate with a degree in Biology, The Coyote Melon features a sprawling stiff vine with rough, stiff-haired stems and leaves. Cucurbita palmata produces a large yellow bell shaped flower, while the melon itself is smooth in appearance. The striped yellow – green colored gourd is known to be quite hard, however, also thin when mature. The melons are very bitter and not edible. This hearty planet can survive the harsh desert landscape through its use of a large and hearty tap root. This root system can extend several feet into the dry soil to supply the plant with nutrients and water required for survival.
The Coyote Melon (Cucurbita palmata) is extremely fibrous and although not edible to humans is known to be on the coyotes diet during the fall, hence its name. It is quite common to find the seeds of this plant in coytoe scat during the fall months.
Despite the fibrous melon being inedible by man, the native american tribes were known to consume the ground seeds of this plant. Additionally, they used the dried gourds as rattles in various dances and other ceremonies. They also utilized the plant was as soap for cleaning.