(prongbuck, pronghorned antelope and American antelope)

Found throughout all 4 deserts of the American Southwest, from Saskatchewan, Canada south to Mexico the pronghorn is unique on this planet, the Pronghorn's scientific name, Antilocapra americana, means "American antelope goat." But the deer-like Pronghorn is neither antelope nor goat -- it is the sole surviving member of an ancient family dating back 20 million years. It is not related to the Old World antelopes. The Pronghorn has a deer-like body weighs between 90 and 125 pounds, and stands about 3 1/2 feet at the shoulder. It has large, protruding eyes and a white or buff, 4-inch tail. The horns are lyre-shaped, with the female not exceeding 3 or 4 inches. Male horns may grow to 20 inches with a short prong jutting forward and upward halfway from the base. Unlike any other animal, however, the Pronghorn sheds its horn

The Pronghorn is the only animal in the world with branched horns (not antlers) and the only animal in the world to shed its horns, as if they were antlers. If that weren't enough, the Pronghorn is the fastest animal in the western hemisphere and the second fastest land mammal in the world, after the cheetah running in 20-foot bounds it can attain speeds of over 53 miles (86 kilometers) per hour. The Pronghorn can run for hours at quite a fast pace.

Hunting/Care
Most antelope hunts occur in mild temperatures. For this reason, meat should be properly cared for from start to finish. Antelope, more than most other big game animal have a wild taste. Whenever possible, eviscerate, skin and de-bone the meat as soon as possible after the harvest. Antelope are small and you'll typically end up with a similar amount of meat that you'd get from a whitetail doe.   Easy to pack and easy to cool down quickly, field care is straightforward but critical so have a cooler with plenty of ice nearby when possible.

Current Status
Pronghorn cannot leap fences, like deer can do, so fenced rangeland has hampered their migration and survival in the past century. It is estimated that in the mid-1800s, Pronghorn numbered in the many million, second only to the American Bison. By the 1920s, the U.S. population had been reduced to about 20,000.

Since then, efforts to preserve the Pronghorn have helped revitalize the general population. Pronghorn are still a highly prized game animal, and limited hunting is permitted in some prairie states.