| A few years ago I had the opportunity to put in with | | | | these little guys fast, you can tell they evolved for |
| my dad for an antelope hunt in Wyoming and we | | | | maximum predator evasion through running. Through |
| drew out. I had often seen the large herds of | | | | more reserch I've found it is generally accepted to |
| pronghorn off the highways when I was traveling, | | | | be the fastest land mammal in America. Their top |
| however I'd never been out on a hunt. I learned alot | | | | speeds range anywhere from 40-50MPH which |
| about them before I went on this first hunt and it | | | | makes it the 2nd fastest land mammal, second only |
| became one of my favorite big game hunts. I | | | | to the cheetah. |
| thought that I'd like to share what I learned with you. | | | | But what makes these guys exceptionally tricky is |
| I never knew how small they actually stood in | | | | that a pronghorn can sustain high speeds much longer |
| stature, an adult male pronghorn only stands about | | | | than cheetahs. The pronghorn probably evolved its |
| three feet to the shoulder and only weigh about | | | | running ability to escape from the recently extinct |
| 100lbs give or take. Each "horn" of the pronghorn is | | | | American cheetah, since its speed greatly exceeds |
| comprised of a flat blade of bone which grows from | | | | that of other North American predators. |
| the frontal bones of the skull, which makes a | | | | It has a very large heart and lungs, and their hair is |
| permanent core. Skin grows over the bony cores, | | | | hollow. Although built for speed, it is a very poor |
| but with the pronghorn it turns into a hard sheath | | | | jumper. Their ranges are often affected by sheep or |
| which is shed and regrown on an annual basis. Unlike | | | | cattle ranchers' fences. However, they can be seen |
| the horns of other antelope, the horn sheaths of the | | | | going under fences, sometimes at high speed. |
| pronghorn are branched, each sheath possessing a | | | | In the end all six hunters that came with us where |
| forward pointing tine (hence the name pronghorn). | | | | successful and it was a great trip that i highly |
| The horns of males are usually nice in form and easy | | | | recommend you take if you have the means and |
| to recognise, however in the females they are either | | | | opportunity. |
| small, non-typical, or not even there. And man are | | | | |