CORVALLIS — For about six years, Amos Parks has noticed the unusual herd near his home outside Corvallis.
A pronghorn is mixed in with mule deer in the Bitterroot Valley, far from its typical habitat.
"One spring I've seen, I thought, an albino mule with that herd," Parks said. “And when I took my binos out and looked, I was like, 'It's a pronghorn.'"
Parks, a local business owner and amateur photographer, began asking others about the pronghorn.
Many did not believe him because pronghorn are not usually found in the valley.
"Everybody's like, 'There ain't no pronghorn around,'" he said. "Thankfully, she stayed with that herd for long enough, and I've been able to take numerous pictures and videos of them, and then decided to share one this year, just because everybody debates whether there is or not. And so proof in the pudding."
Pronghorn are most commonly found in central and eastern Montana.
They typically prefer open spaces over narrow valleys like the Bitterroot.
However, they occasionally wander outside their usual range.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks receives occasional reports of pronghorn sightings in the valley.
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Education program manager Vivaca Crowser said the animals likely travel from nearby populations in the Big Hole Valley or the Drummond area.
"In terms of it hanging out with deer, I talked to our biologist, kind of curious about that behavior, and they're all herd animals," Crowser said. "So, most likely they just found some friends, wanted to kind of hang out, and are being tolerated."
After watching the herd for several years, Parks keeps an eye out for the pronghorn.
"Somehow they took her on, adopted her or whatever, I don't know," he said. "She's been able to stick along and feel like she's part of them. Every once in a while, she'll wander off by herself, but I was like, 'Hey, don't get lost here.' She always ends up coming back."
For Parks, watching and photographing wildlife is a chance to slow down and capture the moment.
He said each moment is like a stamp.
"Now, I capture these postage stamps," he said. "There's so many people who go to zoos to pay for what we get to see in our backyards."
Parks said the sighting is a reminder that people may see something rare if they look closely.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks encourages people to report unusual wildlife behavior.
"Don't necessarily disbelieve anything that you might think you know. A pronghorn with a mule deer. And don't ever hesitate to go out and experiment and see what you see," he said. "A thing about photography for anybody is that your perspective is not wrong."
