Pronghorn

I was stuck in Casper, WY for work the other day. After waking up from a 3 hour nap (at 5pm!) I realized the only way I would get to sleep that night would be to get some exercise. I grabbed my camera and went for a hike. In the hills north of town I spotted some Pronghorn.

The Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) looks like an antelope, but in fact is neither an antelope, goat, or deer. It's the sole surviving member of the 20 million year old Antilocapridae family and is the fastest land animal in the western hemisphere. It can reach a top speed of 60 mph and unlike the cheetah it can sustain that pace for quite some time.

The pronghorn were on a steep hill side and I was trying to get in close without provoking them. I only had one lens and it wasn't a zoom lens so being close was critical. I spent about an hour inching my way closer while trying to be as silent as possible.

Finally, I got with in about 20 yards of this female.

Just as I was about to get the killer shot, I stepped in a spring. I was looking though my camera and not paying attention to where my feet were. Down I went, it was like a 30 foot slip and slide. I slid the whole way down the hill into a mud pit. The pronghorn ran but I managed to save the camera and was covered in a chalky mud. I looked up in time to catch the pronghorn I was stalking looking down at me. You can almost see the smile on her face!

I walked back to town cold and muddy, but I did manage to get a shot of this hawk on the way.