Most western South Dakota wildlife species appear to have weathered the blizzard last week in good shape, state Game, Fish & Parks Department official said.

But there were individual losses, including a pheasant kill of up to 90 percent in localized areas near Martin, and 10 percent to 15 percent in other areas across western South Dakota. There also were reports of multiple-vehicle strikes on snow-packed highways, including an incident near Wall in which a semi-truck apparently hit and killed 17 antelope that were on Interstate 90.

"That one was on I-90 over near mile marker 118 on the eastbound side," GF&P regional game manager John Kanta of Rapid City said. "We have a contractor who picks up these road kills for us, and he said there were 17, all females except for one buck."

Kanta said the antelope were probably on the interstate because it was easier to travel there and stay out of the deep drifts. Other big-game animals also find travel routes on roads and highways during harsh weather with heavy snow, adding to the risk of vehicle collisions.

"We also heard about a case where there were seven deer on the road and a gentleman hit three of them," Kanta said. "With the deep drifts up to the road, they just didn't have anywhere to go. In those kinds of conditions, I'd certainly slow down and use caution."

Pheasants in some areas of West River hit by the storm found themselves in a similar situation, but not on roads. They were in habitat that was suddenly drifted in and unable to provide protection from the driving wind and wet snow.

"Those kinds of losses were very localized, in some of those fields with short grasses, where the birds basically froze up and you had losses up to 90 percent," Kanta said. "But generally the losses were more like 5 or 10 percent."

The worst of the storm missed the best of South Dakota's pheasant country in central and eastern South Dakota. But the areas of western South Dakota that do hold birds suffered some losses. They included 10 percent to 15 percent near in parts of Perkins County.

Apart from the road collisions, there's no indication yet that big-game animals suffered any substantial losses during and after the blizzard. The fact that conditions improved, if slowly, after the storm helped prevent die-offs, Kanta said.

Kanta is double-checking with conservation officers and trappers across western South Dakota to get a more detailed report on wildlife survival.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com.