About the Pronghorn Antelope
General Information
The pronghorn antelope is an iconic, deer-sized mammal indigenous to the western and central plains of North America. Despite being called the “American antelope” or “speed goat,” it is not closely related to true antelopes.
A highly distinct physical feature of the pronghorn is its unique forked horns. Both males and females grow these horns—which feature a forward-pointing prong—making them the only animals in the world that feature branched horns and the only horned animals that shed the outer keratin sheath annually. While perfectly adapted to the open prairies, modern human development has introduced challenges; their inability to leap over fences frequently forces these remarkable speedsters to squeeze underneath them, making them vulnerable to habitat fragmentation.
Description of the Pronghorn Antelope
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 to 3.5 feet tall at the shoulder.
- Length: 3.25 to 5 feet long.
- Weight: Adult males weigh between 88 to 150 lbs.; females are slightly lighter, ranging from 75 to 106 lbs.
- Coloring and Markings:
- Body: Cinnamon to reddish-tan fur on the back, upper body, and outer legs.
- Underparts: Strikingly bright white patches on the cheeks, chest, belly, inner legs, and throat (which typically features two broad, white bands).
- Rump: A prominent, circular patch of white hair. When alarmed, the guard hairs on this patch extend vertically, making the white flash visible to alert the herd.
- Facial Markings: Males feature a distinct black patch on their jaw and a broad, black band from their large eyes down to their snout.
- Horns:
- Both males and females have horns, but female horns are usually small and stunted (rarely more than 4 inches).
- Male horns are 10 to 20 inches long and uniquely lyre-shaped. They curve backwards and slightly inwards.
- Their namesake “prong” is a broad, short protrusion that juts forward midway up the horn shaft.
- Unlike true horns or antlers, the dark sheath is made of keratin (the same material as hair and hooves) which sits over a permanent bony core. The keratin sheath is shed and regrown annually.
- Vision and Speed:
- Eyes: They possess some of the largest eyes relative to body weight of any land mammal, giving them an expansive 320-degree field of vision.
Suitable Weapons
A flat shooting center fire rifle from the .243 or larger is a good choice for pronghorn.
Hunting Area
Pronghorn are hunt in the USA in states such as: Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Idaho, Texas, etc.
Wyoming has the most pronghorns of any state.
