Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Hart Mountain



One more pronghorn story: This takes place on Hart Mountain in the extreme southeast corner of Oregon. I had read that pronghorn gather on Hart Mountain for the winter. On the way there I stopped at Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada where I found this wild burro nursing her colt. Then into Oregon where I spotted a small group of mule deer on the right side of the road in open terrain. As I approached it seemed evident that they would cross the road and hop this fence to escape into the mountain. So, I was ready with camera in hand, pulled close enough for a photo -- and, there they went and here is the photo. I thought this is going to be an outstanding photo trip: wild burros, mule deer hoping fences, surely there will be pronghorn at Hart Mountain. The rest of the day and early mountain proved me wrong -- temporarily. Then, in a moment I drive over a small hill, and to my pounding heart's (Hart's) surprise maybe six or seven hundred pronghorn divided on each side of the road. I drive slowly at first, trying not to disturb so I can get photos. But, soon they are on the move, each side running parallel to the road. I speed up driving with one hand on the wheel and one hand with camera taking photos - such as the one above. I am going 55 miles an hour on a dirt road with pronghorn passing me on both sides when the pronghorn on the right decide they want to join those on the left. Now it is a game of chicken. I stop, quickly get out and get my last photos of them crossing the road in front of me. I'm thinking, why go to Africa?

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