Picking A Pronghorn | By Lisa Ballard

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Content Warning: depictions of hunting

Some experienced big game hunters believe pronghorns are “easy,” the animal a first-time hunter should seek. I beg to differ. Pronghorns are the fastest animals in North America, able to sprint across the prairie at 55 miles per hour. Their oversized dark eyes pick up a finger wiggle, and when it’s windy –– as it usually is in this open landscape dominated by thigh-high sagebrush, sprigs of grass and ankle-high prickly pear –– they are even flightier than usual. And there’s often little cover to sneak up on them.

It was opening day, so the herd we targeted had not been shot at yet, a small consolation when approaching an animal that’s in the next county at the slightest hint of danger. With my husband, Jack, as my guide, we quickly covered a half mile in a hunched trot to a small hump of earth that would briefly shield us. The herd was moving, but casually, feeding and likely looking for a place to bed for a while.

“Cactus,” whisper-warned Jack, as we dove to the slanted ground. “Don’t move.”

Luckily, the spot where I landed was between clumps of thorns. While my  LOWA Tibet GTX W’s are tough enough to withstand a jab, my camo clothing is not.

“Wait for the second buck,” urged Jack. “It’s the best one.”

I lay on my side, trying to be still yet needing to get in a steady shooting position. I inched this way and that, finally bracing my uphill elbow on the leg below it such that I could see through my scope. A second later, a pronghorn buck sauntered into sight from behind the hump about 150 yards away.

As we watched, another pronghorn wandered past, and yet another, both does. Then the second buck walked into the crosshairs of my scope, and I pulled the trigger.

Sometimes it takes multiple days afield to harvest an animal, and sometimes the whole experience unfolds in minutes, like this year’s pronghorn for me. I felt uncharacteristically calm considering I hadn’t touched my rifle since the previous fall. My LOWA’s get some of the credit. They keep my feet comfortable on all types of terrain. And a sure foot is sure helpful for a sure shot!

Photos and content courtesy of LOWA Ambassador Lisa Ballard.