Dang these guys are tiny.
On my first morning at Red Rock Lakes NWR last week as I was driving slowly on a narrow dirt road (not much more than a dirt track) I suddenly heard an incredibly loud bleating sound through my open window just out the driver’s side of my pickup. I immediately knew it was a newborn or very young pronghorn and I was terrified I’d run over it on the road because I’ve seen that happen before. A few years ago at the same refuge I came across a refuge biologist only seconds after he had run over and killed a newborn pronghorn that he hadn’t seen lying in the middle of the road. He was almost in tears over the incident.
They’re extremely small at that age and instinct tells them not to move while they’re trying to hide so they’re very difficult to see, especially in early morning or poor light. And I definitely had poor light on that morning (which will be obvious in my photos below) so I was extremely apprehensive that I’d find a badly injured baby pronghorn on the road as I backed up to find the source of the bleating. If I had I wouldn’t be able to sleep for a week.
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
But the little guy was just fine, though he was as scared as I had been but for different reasons. He was too tight in the frame but I knew I didn’t have time to switch lenses so I fired away and did the best I could in the poor light with my big lens.
He just stood there next to the road for a few seconds as he tried to figure out what that big metal thing was that had disturbed his peaceful rest in the grass. But when he decided it was best that he got the hell away from it he…
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
really turned on the afterburners. Believe me, these little fellers are fast, even at this tender age.
I like his tongue stuck out in determination to get away.
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
He found a nearby adult to seek security with but I don’t think it was his mother because he soon went wandering and then hid in the grass again. When I looked behind me I could see three more does racing our way and one of them was apparently his mama.
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
When they got there she sniffed him repeatedly to make sure he was ok as her companions warily kept their eyes on me.
At that point I knew that I hadn’t caused mayhem to the youngster so I left the area. I’d already disturbed them more than I ever want to.
Ron
Well I sure like the photos -my goodness, he is all legs, and happy that tragedy was averted.
Whew! I HATE it when I’ve narrowly missed an animal while driving. And while I don’t ever pray to any god, I have to admit to one of my neurotic but mandatory routines: for years now, every time I get in a vehicle, I silently say the following in my mind: “Dear god, please don’t let me hit or see any animals, either wild or domestic. Don’t let me hit, or see any avian creatures. Keep them all safe and warm and fed. Thank you.” Again, I don’t define myself as “religious,” but I’ll do just in case there’s a god listening, that’s all I could ever ask for. Keep them safe.
Thanks for indulging my sharing of at least one of my habits.
How tall would you sat this kid was, at back height? He’s absolutely adorable, and I’m so glad he’s safe.
“How tall would you sat this kid was, at back height?”
Any answer I could give you would be a wild guess, Leslie. But I will say this. These guys are all legs so any height would be misleading as to its overall size.
Poor little guy. I’m glad there was a good outcome. Sure is handsome. Glad his mama found him. Beautiful pictures!
Thank you, Jean.
Kudos for stopping to check. Good for both you and the fawn that it was unscathed. Seeing the bare legs, I checked Wikipedia. Didn’t know they moulted. Glad you got the photos before then; moulting ain’t pretty.
Pretty it ain’t, Lyle. Not in any species I can think of. And there’s a lot of it going on in the mountains this time of year.
Wonderful story and photos Ron!
Thanks, Pamela.
Ron, so glad your story has a happy ending. It would haunt you for a long time if this story had a sad ending [and many of us as well].
That little pronghorn is very cute indeed. The little pronghorn is about the same size as many human babies and much more agile.
Love the photos, especially the one where ‘mama’ is checking out her youngster. Thank you for the great photos and great story, Ron
Thank you, Alice.
I like the last shot because of the two does watching. “If you hurt this baby, prepare for the wrath of auntie 1 and 2!”
They look serious about it, don’t they.
I am so glad that both of you were scare (terrified) and unhurt.
And love the photo of the small pronghorn, and even more the one where he/she has found mama.
That was a pretty tender moment for all concerned, EC. Including me.
Pronghorns aren’t that big anyway…that fawn must have been really tiny…I tried to help a fellow teacher and a nearby naturalist hunt down twin fawn orphans once…their mother had been killed by a car….we could hear them crying, but could never close in…we were hoping to catch up with them went they went down and bottle feed them…they had been heard crying all night and all day at that point. Sadly they died of starvation before we could save them…their cries haunted me for a long time…
Oh Patty. How very sad. And of course you were haunted.
Patty, Pronghorn are about 125 lbs and newborns about 7 lbs.
I can only imagine how haunted you were by that experience. I would have been too.
Oh, Patty, I’m so sorry. I can only imagine.
Great post, excellent images, regardless of the light!
In the last photo is Mama the one sniffing the kid?
I believe so, Dick.
Scary us right! Sooooo glad the only thing you got him with was your lens. WHEW!!!
And now that I’ve stopped holding my breath, he is too stinkin’ cute! 😀
Marty, IMO there’s no cuter baby mammal out there than a very young pronghorn.
Love the “aunties” standing guard while Mama checks out the little one. Such a universal instinct to protect our young.
It sure is, Catherine. That’s my favorite shot of the series.
What a determined little guy. See that lip stuck out as he runs off, picture #2! He’s gonna do it! Great shots.
Thanks, Sallie.
Wonderful story Ron with a happy ending fortunately. They are about as cute as a youngster can be. Outstanding photos especially under the need to act quickly circumstance. Love the photos and love Pronghorns although the subject makes me very sad. When we first moved here 13 years ago Pronghorns were everywhere. All I had to do was walk about two blocks from our house and then climb a hill and there they were. Since that time we have seen hundreds of them relocated to other areas of Arizona due to seemingly never ending home building. We have been experiencing a significant building boom as a result of thousands of disenchanted Californians moving here. Of course progress will always be with us, and it would be hypocrisy for me to complain about new housing because I am sure Pronghorns were moved off the very land I live on. Thanks for sharing this neat post Ron.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
There’s a lot of habitat loss around here for the very same reason, Everett. Makes me sick.
Great experience and great photos. You handled the situation great.
I appreciate that, Art.
Wow ! I never imagined a baby would curl up in the middle of a track ! That speaks volumes about the isolation of the places you journey to for your work……..glad “he” was OK,
for BOTH of your sakes .
It isn’t uncommon for them to do that, Kris. Thanks.
Tiny may be an understatement! I couldn’t get a sense of scale until photo #3. So glad it worked out well for the both of you.
A sense of scale is exactly why I included that photo, Linda.
He’s one spunky looking little fellow. Glad everyone is fine. About how old is he?
Dave, My guess is less than a week old.
Super series Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Great pictures of the youngin and the others. Such a beauty. Thanks.
I am happy it was not hit. That would be so distressing and if it was injured but not killed what would you do with it?
I saw o ne curled up on the side of the Pony Express road, I stopped to see if it was ok. It sat frozen til I reached out to touch it and it jumped up and bounded off. The mother stood at quite a distance and snorted till the young joined her.
They really allow you to get close before they react, April. I’ve had similar experiences but only in my vehicle.
Thanks, Sarah.
They ARE tiny and well camouflaged! Working/spraying fields in the spring one has to watch carefully and when haying some are still small enough to get in trouble! 🙁 Glad it was a “scare” and not a hit! Nice photos – they’re all legs at that point………:) Farm ground is leased at this point and not easy to get to – they’ll let us know tho Joe is chomping at the bit to find out….. 😉
I’ll bet he is. Our farm was broken up into several areas and some of them could be impossible to get to after a hail storm.
That’s how it is with “gumbo” tracks………. 🙁
What a little beauty. And Wow! ! Did you get ‘the look’. There is no mistaking what they thought about you. I find it amazing that they just curl up anywhere and wait for the mother to return. I have seen baby white-tail deer in some pretty unusual places also. Any other mother would be called neglectful but I guess stillness and camouflague is prime for them.
Kathy, on the refuge they “curl up” on a road more often than you’d expect. You really have to be careful while driving, especially in poor light.
What a wonderful series of photos — made even more wonderful by knowing no harm came to the youngster. No matter how careful we are, those chance encounters come. I recently stepped on a snake that was curled up in the grass. The feel of a snake underfoot’s unmistakable, but I think he escaped unharmed, since he took off through the grass as fast I did, in the opposite direction.
Stepping on a snake will get your attention! It happens to me occasionally with garter snakes in my back yard and it always startles me.