Pronghorn Antelope, Prairie Ghost or Speedster of the Plains
Pronghorn antelope or Antilocapra and its five subspecies are only found in North America. At home on the range, it's short stocky body, long slim legs, tan body with creamy white belly and markings, strikingly white rump, striped neck, triangular black cheek patches and face markings and black curved horns framing the sky the trophy pronghorn antelope buck disappears in a flash through the sage and over the horizon like a ghost. The pronghorn antelope evolved on the western plains as the fastest mammal on the continent, a product of wide-open spaces and the hunting tactics of speedy predators such as the wolf, which once shared the plains with the pronghorn in the millions. One of a kind in the world, uniquely North American, the pronghorn antelope is challenging to hunt and makes a stunning trophy 

Pronghorn Antelope Unique and One of a Kind
An American original, the pronghorn antelope is the sole survivor of its family, Antilocapra and is a uniquely North American trophy. The scientific name originates from (Antilo = antelope & capra = goat) Often referred to as "antelope" the pronghorn is not closely related to any African antelope.

The name "pronghorn" is derived by the forward projection or pronged branch on each horn. Pronghorns are different from African antelope by nature of their horns. Pronghorns have horns that bear characteristics of both horns and antlers causing trouble for scientist trying to classify them. Having true horns, in that the horn sheath is made of fused hairs of keratin that covers a bone core, the pronghorn sheds the hollow sheath from the bone core each autumn after the rut unlike any of the African antelope. The pronghorn antelope is the only animal in the world to shed a branched horn annually.

Another distinguishing feature of the pronghorn antelope is that most hoofed animals have four toes on each foot, the pronghorn has only two lacking dew claws as found on deer. The two toes are padded to take the shock of running at high speeds over rough ground. Running speed is probably the most astounding aspect of the unique pronghorn antelope. Sustained speeds of over 40 mph over long distances and sprints of 60 mph are common. Relative to body size, pronghorn antelope have a very large windpipe, lungs and heart to take in large amounts of air when running. When combined with the small bone structure and padded feet the pronghorn can really move. When approached by automobiles they often accept the challenge for a race and keep pace with the vehicle just off of the roadway while appearing to actually like the exercise and challenge! Its been our experience that after blowing a stalk and busting an unsuspecting buck, the first time pronghorn antelope hunter is always amazed at the head down, high speed, hard driving gallop the buck breaks into often over the far horizon.

Another unique fact is that because of the structure of the pronghorn antelopes rear legs, it is more likely to crawl under a fence than leap over it. When the fence arrived in the west it presented a challenge to the pronghorn in which many did not survive. It's bright white rump patches contrast with the background environment and are easily visible over long distances by other antelope and hunters. Pronghorn use the flared white rump patch as a warning signal to other animals in the herd when danger appears.

Pronghorn Antelope History
Antilocapra or the pronghorn antelope has survived in North America for over a million years! During the Pleistocene - 1.8 million year ago to 8,000 year ago Antilocapra appears in North American geologic fossil records. At the time of the Spanish explores (1540) first sought the fabled Cities of Gold in the current USA, they noted the "berrendos" or "two colored" referring to the pronghorn antelope as being as numerous as the buffalo- probably in the range of 30- 40 million pronghorn antelope roaming North America at the time. Through out the west in the native range of the pronghorn antelope, European settlement that brought market hunting, fences, roads and settlement to the one-time wide open lone prairie, the millions were reduced to just a few straggling bands. By 1908, only 20,000 pronghorns were surveyed in both Canada and the United States. At this time most western states started game protective associations and law enforcement of game laws with hunting seasons and bag limits and the recovery programs started.

In 1937, Paul Russell, a wildlife biologist with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, invented a method of trapping to transplant herds of pronghorn. Using a wild horse trapping method, he set up a winged trap along regular pronghorn routes and used cars and cowboys on horseback to ease the herds into the trap. The first few attempts ended up in a wild west rodeo scene with the terrified herds rebounding off the back of the trap sprinting back into the drivers, wrecking on cars, cowboys roping them, and general melee resulting in few if any captures. The system was revised by a hidden trap door to be closed behind the herd once past and the walls of the trap being covered with tarps for sight proof and padding. Today this system along with aircraft for driving the herd into the trap is in used throughout the west to capture and transplant a growing herds of pronghorn into native ranges.

Home on the Range
The most important factor in pronghorn populations is quality habitat. Wide open prairie with a diversity of vegetation with enough cover to hide a fawn but not so much to hide the horizon from a pronghorn's wary view is required. Winter snow melt and spring rains are critical to produce a high quality forage for fawn survival and growth of the herd. If conditions are right, the twins that most does carry after a gestation of 252 days can survive. An average of 40 percent of fawns survive through the first two months of life. Predation on the herd has little effect except on the fawns. Coyotes taking as high as 60 percent are the most destructive with bobcats, golden eagles taking a secondary role.

Very large eyes, about 2 inches in diameter are set well out on the side of its head allowing the pronghorn to have a wide field of view. Along with the very wide field of view, biologist believe the pronghorn vision is roughly the same a looking through 8 powered binoculars enabling the pronghorn to see predators or danger coming from the horizon. This being the case, they usually see you if you can see them. The pronghorn is mainly diurnal, most active in mornings and evenings, but may be seen moving at all times of the day. They are nomadic with seasonal movements often occurring over large areas.

During the winter pronghorn antelope form into large mixed herds and if snow covers the ground will usually be found grazing along behind cattle on newly exposed ground. In the spring, bucks form bachelor groups or roam as loaners. Once mating season starts (July - October depending on location) dominant bucks aggressively defend collected harems or territories in which possible harems collect. The female pronghorn selects the best looking dominant buck to breed with. When a younger or less dominant buck appears in the area controlled by a dominant buck, the dominant buck will chase the new arrival a long way off before returning to his harem. Does go off on their own to give birth and then regroup into doe/fawn herds soon afterward. Females are smallest averaging 75- 105 lbs. Both sexes have a distinct two coloration pattern of brown back and creamy belly markings and neck stripes.

Females sometimes have small (up to 4 inches) horns that do not usually extend higher than the ears.

Bucks average 85 - 130 lbs, have black triangular face patches and face markings and have stout black horns with forward facing prongs. The average horn length is 12 inches or twice his ear height and may be as long as 20 inches. Boone and Crocket Club records accept trophy animals that score a minimum 80 total inches for awards and 82 inches for all-time recognition. The world record (a tie with two holders) is currently a whopping 95 inches! Both have horns over 17 inches in length, circumferences over 7 inches and prongs over 6 inches.

Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Tips and Techniques
I am a professional outfitter providing pronghorn hunts here in New Mexico to a limited number of hunters desiring a quality hunt that will provide both a high trophy potential and a pronghorn hunting experience to remember. Following you will find some of my tricks of the trade, and philosophy used in choosing the right locations and how to provide a quality hunt with the total pronghorn hunting experience. Some of these concepts you will be able to apply to your pronghorn antelope hunt planning and execution.

Hunt Locations and Trophy Quality
In New Mexico, most pronghorn antelope are found on private lands and you will need to get permission for access, draw a coveted lottery permit or find an outfitter with good access into areas holding the numbers and quality of pronghorn that you are looking for. As an outfitter, I operate on chosen properties that have guaranteed landowner antelope authorizations in which the NMDG&F issue depending on annual aerial antelope surveys. I control the harvest of trophy pronghorns in conjunction with the game department and the landowners.

I select my areas for potential harvest quality based on ranch location and resources. Areas of warmer climate, that have little hunting pressure, stable cattle ranching operations combined with a slight mix of agricultural output are what I look for. It is a fact that the pronghorn used to follow the herds of migrating buffalo, nibbling the forbs that sprout after the tall grass mast has been eaten or stomped down by the passing herds. Today, without the buffalo in the equation the cattle have taken this role. Good ranch management is very important. Ranching operations with good grass management providing long term sustainable cattle growing even through drought periods are very important for stable or growing pronghorn populations. Along with grass management, the cattle growing operations add permanent water supplies to areas that may have had intermittent or no water in the past thus adding to the pronghorns habitat.

To increase the potential for trophy harvest I locate the right ranch properties located near farming operations. The farming brings added nutrients required in better than average health and horn development. Areas growing peanuts (a legume), wheat that is green in the winter, milo and corn are all very beneficial to growing above average pronghorn populations with trophy sized horns. Most pronghorn ranges from the Canadian provinces, through the northern Rocky Mountain and high plains states and into northern New Mexico grow pronghorn bucks with horns that average 12-14 inches. In our hunt locations, by using teeth for aging we consistently find that our harvested bucks 2 ½ to 3 ½ years old have horns in the 13 - 15 inch range, mature bucks 3 ½ - 4 ½ years of age have 15 - 16 inch horns and if allowed to fully mature will grow into the trophy 17 + inch class.

When to Hunt
In New Mexico the rut occurs between July and October and hunting seasons are usually conducted during this time. At this time the dominant bucks collect harems or await harems to arrive in an area in which the dominant buck controls. Viewed at long distances, the buck is always distinguishable by its posturing, defined horns and its actions amongst the herd. He will either be running around rounding up the does, chasing off other intruders or if the herd is moving following with his head down.

Hunt Philosophy to get the Total Hunt Experience
We conduct and guide our hunts to provide a total pronghorn antelope hunting experience. Many hunters have harvested a pronghorn by the "drive by shooting" technique so often employed during hunts and in turn not been allowed to experience the excitement and challenge the eye wary, speedster of the plains can provide. During all of our hunts we attempt to employ spot and stalk techniques and a few other tricks of the trade to add to the total hunting experience for each client.

Tips for Rifle Hunts
Flat shooting rifles in .24 caliber and up are preferred to hunt the wide open spaces on the prairie. Good range finders assist in discerning difficult to judge distances in the flat featureless plains. Shooting skills are required to take advantage of the flat shooting rifles capabilities, shooting sticks always help and a day of shooting practice in one of our prairie dog towns before the hunt brings it all together.

First I locate windmills to climb and use as spotting towers to scout out bucks and watch their regular daily movements within their controlled area. Once you have located your trophy and studied his patterns, the windmills are handy to plan a stalk that will take advantage of every fold, bump and bit of cover to get you within very close range of the buck. Remember, with 8X eye sight they don't miss any movement on the horizon so always keep solid ground between you and your trophy.

In times past, flagging with a bandana proved the pronghorn's legendary curiosity and often his demise. Today this works on the most remote ranches where the intruder buck decoy employed at the right time and distance can really make a dominant buck charge within easy shooting distance on a regular basis. If you choose to employ a decoy, a couple rules to remember, the pronghorn cannot see you coming in and you must get within his comfort zone before you erect it to surprise him to bring on a charge.

Tips for Archery Hunts
If your plan is to take a trophy pronghorn with your bow take these techniques into account. The first popular and successful method is setting a blind near a regularly used water hole. In my experience and in conversation with many other professional archery pronghorn guides, the blind is responsible for the highest number of pronghorns harvested by client archers.

A far second in success, is the decoy when deployed by a guide or hunting companion well behind the archer who successfully stalked closer to the buck. The pronghorn uses distance to his advantage and rarely approaches less than 100 yards of a decoy after figuring out that it is not a real intruder buck. The attempt here is to get the buck to trot towards the decoy and past the hidden motionless archer for a passing shot.

One of my favorite techniques when the opportunity presents itself, is to get set up on a trail that a dominant buck just took while chasing off an intruder. Many times the dominant buck will chase an intruder a lot farther that you would expect thus giving you time to get to a likely hiding spot on that trail and await his return to the harem. He will actually follow the same exit trail right back to where he left is harem. This sounds like a long shot but if you observe enough pronghorn you will see this exact same occurrence over and over.

For more information on pronghorn antelope, trophy hunting opportunities, ranching programs for pronghorn antelope, and guided hunts please contact Bob King at the Santa Fe Guiding Company LLC ph. (505)466-7964 or contact western state game departments for web sites and publications on the pronghorn antelope. 

PH (505)466-7964

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