The Oregon High Desert takes up much of the state's southeast end. This area is a mix of both barren land and vegetation as the arid regions of the Rocky Mountains meet with the wilderness that the Northwest is known for. More than 300 species of animals live around the High Desert area.
A number of great cats prowl the desert lands, primarily bobcats and cougars. Carnivorous canines are also plentiful, which include red and gray foxes and coyotes. The number of predators has grown substantially since hunting them was banned in 1994, particularly the cougars, and this has led the Oregon Cougar Management Plan to start hunting again in an attempt to reduce their numbers.
Large herbivores can reside in any part of the region where plants grow. A large amount of pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep and mule deer reside in the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, a nature preserve located about 65 miles from the nearest town. The National Antelope Refuge was actually founded in 1936 to help preserve the pronghorn antelopes residing in the desert area. Deer and elk frequently are hunted in other parts of the desert.
Several different types of rodents litter these lands. They feed on whatever plants can grow in the harsh region, but they can also be prey for the carnivores in the region. Squirrels are among the most plentiful, with golden-mantled, antelope, speckled, Belding and Townsend among the known types. Multiple species of rabbits live in the desert, including black-tailed jackrabbits, cottontails and pygmy rabbits. Chipmunks and gophers are also plentiful, along with numerous mouse species that include pocket mice, grasshopper mice and deer mice. Many of these rodents also live around the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, where sage brushes and hardy grasses grow.
Birds make up the most abundant animal type in the desert; there are nearly 240 species within the Hart Mountain Refuge alone. These include birds of prey such as bald eagles, prairie falcons, owls and hawks. There are also many smaller bird species that include warblers, chickadees, towhees, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
