There have been some weird predator changes up here on the Range, george76. Coyotes have been hanging around longer and getting closer. There aren’t as many red tail hawks, but there are way more rough-legged hawks and golden eagles. They’re always around close. Daytime mountain lion sightings are more common, too. Maybe it was the drought. Not sure. And BTW, I’ve only seen elk herds that are much smaller than usual and haven’t seen them often. Antelope are more scattered and in smaller numbers, too—quite a few lone ones sighted.
The closing of the spring bear hunt season resulted in an explosion of higher numbers and more aggressive bears. Bears now think that humans are the easy source of food as there is no hunting going in the spring. [ Utes and others hunted year round ].
Second, the vacating of grazing allotments and new lion study areas [ no hunting allowed ] has destroyed deer, elk, antelope ... populations. Thus smaller herds and your lone antelope example.
Not a water problem. The drought hype [ like AGW ] is just another government program designed to raise our taxes & fees while turning citizens into slaves.