Pronghorn

Copyright © 1995, Don Baccus

All images copyright © 1995, Don Baccus

FINDING PRONGHORN

Pronghorn are fairly common in sage-steppe habitat throughout the area, and occasionally in the rich fields of the Malheur Refuge.

Many folks call these creatures "antelope", but they are actually relatives of the goat - there are no true antelope in North America.

Springtime is an especially great time to watch pronghorn, as the females normally drop their kids just before Memorial Day Weekend. I've had the pleasure of watching a mother lick her wobbly newborn with an Elderhostel group, and never fail to find groups of mothers and kids. Young pronghorn are a kick to watch, tiny creatures that run so fast their feet are a blur. Pronghorn are the fastest native land animals in North America, and nothing can catch them except by surprise.

PHOTOGRAPHING PRONGHORN

Pronghorn are wary creatures in southeast Oregon, as they're hunted. Despite this, photographic opportunities do arise, though I've been stimied due to a string of stupid mistakes! My "misses" are, perhaps, instructive so I'll run down the list:

1. One fall, while walking in the refuge near P Ranch in late afternoon, I startled two pronghorn perhaps twenty feet away as I rounded a willow thicket. We stared at each other for at least fifteen seconds before they ran off.

   My camera, of course, was back at the Frenchglen Hotel. I had decided to take a break from photographing that afternon.

2. Driving to the Malheur Field Station one spring to spend two weeks teaching an Elderhostel session and photographing, I had my "big gun" - my 600/4 - mounted on its shoulder stock in the passenger seat, ready for quick action. I got to the Refuge just as the light was turning a rich golden color, and came across a pronghorn buck perhaps fifty feet from the road. I fired several frames before he moved off - and before I realized I'd forgotten to load the body with film before leaving home!

3. The next morning, arising before dawn in order to reach the southern half of the Refuge in good light, I came across the same buck mentioned in the previous episode. In this case, I'd yet to unpack my telephoto as I'd promised myself I wouldn't stop to shoot anything until reaching my destination, though I hadn't figured on this very nice buck being in the same place twice.

   Needless to say, I saw no pronghorn within a hundred yards for the rest of my stay.

I am sure, though, that you will be prepared and able to take advantage of such opportunities when they arise.

FAVORITE SPOTS

There are often pronghorn hanging out along the Narrows-Princeton Road near the Field Station and Refuge Headquarters. In most springs, groups of several adult females and extremely cute kids are often seen near the "Raptor Alley" portion of this road, too.