{"id":81726,"date":"2021-03-19T05:50:38","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T11:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=81726"},"modified":"2026-03-02T13:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:38:18","slug":"pronghorn-buck-and-west-desert-sky-island-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/19\/pronghorn-buck-and-west-desert-sky-island-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Pronghorn Buck And West Desert Sky Island Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PronghornPronghorn buck and West Desert sky island mountains \u2013 Nikon D810, f8, 1\/8000, ISO 800, Nikkor 18-200mm at 105mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I found and photographed this Pronghorn buck in Utah’s West Desert after photographing birds at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a> in April of 2019. After a long winter it felt terrific to feel the warmth of the sun and to see the wide views of the desert playas and sky island mountains again. The Covid-19 pandemic prevented me from feeling safe about going out to see this location last year.<\/p>\n

This area was once the bottom of Lake Bonneville<\/span><\/a> which covered most of western Utah and parts of Nevada and Idaho. Only the tops of the mountains in the background would have been above water back then.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week I found this Pronghorn image in my archives while I was looking for another image. I decided that to process it and share it today. Part of the reason is that I wanted to show that a compelling and visually interesting wildlife photo can show sweeping vistas when the bird or wildlife subject is smaller in the frame.<\/p>\n

Yes, I did take this photo with a pro body DSLR but it actually could have been taken with a point and shoot camera or even a cell phone to produce similar results.<\/p>\n

I did take images of this pronghorn using my longer lens that day but since it was after 11 am in the morning and the sun was high in the sky I had a hard time getting a catch light in the eyes of the buck. The absence of the catch light would have been and was extremely noticeable in those photos but in this image the lack of a catch light isn’t critical since the wildlife subject is small in the frame.<\/p>\n

What balances out this image is the contrast between the fresh green growth on the playa, the craggy peaks of the sky island mountains, and the softer patterns of the clouds in the sky.<\/p>\n

Just looking at this photo makes me want to head out to the West Desert as soon as I can. I am so very much at home<\/em> there.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Pronghorn photos plus facts and information about this species and here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my West Desert photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I found and photographed this Pronghorn buck in Utah’s West Desert after photographing birds at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge in April of 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[548,183,358,26,1314,99],"tags":[4004,4096,4184,4101,4098,5672,4109,4062,4069,185,4855,4018,10452,4043,165],"class_list":["post-81726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-juab-county","category-pronghorn","category-tooele-county","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","category-wildlife","tag-adult","tag-antilocapra-americana","tag-buck","tag-clouds","tag-desert","tag-flats","tag-grasses","tag-male","tag-mountains","tag-pronghorn","tag-pronghorns","tag-sky","tag-sky-island-mountains","tag-small-in-frame","tag-spring"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pronghorn-west-desert-spring-mia-mcpherson-9980.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-lga","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8447,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/05\/27\/pronghorn-buck-on-antelope-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":81726,"position":0},"title":"Pronghorn Buck On Antelope Island","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 27, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I hope the Pronghorn we do have continue to flourish because they are majestic creatures and the western landscape wouldn't be the same without them.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pronghorn buck on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pronghorn-buck-mia-mcpherson-0292.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pronghorn-buck-mia-mcpherson-0292.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Pronghorn close up, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pronghorn-buck-early-spring-portrait-mia-mcpherson-4137.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pronghorn-buck-early-spring-portrait-mia-mcpherson-4137.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pronghorn-buck-early-spring-portrait-mia-mcpherson-4137.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pronghorn-buck-early-spring-portrait-mia-mcpherson-4137.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14233,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/02\/07\/a-pronghorn-buck-in-winter\/","url_meta":{"origin":81726,"position":2},"title":"Pronghorn Buck In Winter","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It has been quite some time since I have photographed Pronghorn on Antelope Island State Park because it seems that the Pronghorn have kept mostly to the west and south sides of the island this winter.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pronghorn buck in winter, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pronghorn-buck-winter-mia-mcpherson-7188.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pronghorn-buck-winter-mia-mcpherson-7188.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2015","format":false,"excerpt":"As many of my readers know I like to take portraits of the birds and animals I photograph but I also like to take images that show my subjects smaller in their native habitat.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pronghorn Buck, wild sunflowers and the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island State Park in Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pronghorn-buck-mia-mcpherson-2619.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pronghorn-buck-mia-mcpherson-2619.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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