South Dakota’s highest pronghorn densities can be found in the northwest and southwest corners of the state, where the state borders Montana and Wyoming. Best bets for trophies and for larger herds include Harding, Butte, Perkins and Fall River counties. Mature trophies can also be found in Corson, Ziebach, Meade, Jackson, Jones and other low-density counties. Check out-of-the-way prairie areas for overlooked trophy prospects. Of all pronghorn hunts in 2004, nearly 66 percent took place on private lands, 19.2 on public lands, and 15.2 percent in walk-in areas.

NEBRASKA
Nebraska’s pronghorns can’t seem to catch a break. Residing primarily in the western half of the state, with the Panhandle and Sandhills units providing most of their habitat, they struggle with both the encroachment of agriculture and drought, a key factor in the stagnant population. But don’t get depressed just yet: Under a preference-point licensing system, pronghorn enthusiasts can bowhunt unlimitedly, as well as avail themselves of additional muzzleloader and firearm opportunities.

“We don’t know all the answers to pronghorn problems in the state,” stated Kit Hams, a big-game program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission with 28 years of experience, “but the most likely culprit is the extensive drought from 2000 to 2004. We believe the drought hurt both reproduction and recruitment of fawns, plus the survival of adults.

“We had a significant break in the drought about 18 months ago. Still, Nebraska is on the edge of the pronghorn range, so our habitat just doesn’t have the carrying capacity or the structure like you can find on the Wyoming side in their units.”

Hams rates the population as slightly improved over the status of last couple of years, but in nearly every unit the numbers for total population and overall age-structure among bucks are definitely below state objectives. Because of this sluggish population growth, Hams says, the Cornhusker State has seen virtually no pronghorn harvest for several seasons and will likely continue on that path until solid signs of major recovery are detected.

Nebraska also performs aerial surveys. Their objective being to count bucks, does and fawns, most flights take place in July, and are conducted in the Panhandle, whose populations are denser than is characteristic of the scattered groups in the Sandhills. Also, harvest data collected at check stations enables researchers to acquire numbers on age.

The largest population is historically found in the northwest; Sioux and Dawes counties are standouts. Hunting in the Sandhills region isn’t quantity-oriented. Low population densities and scarce permits (some area counties issue only 15, and the entire area offers barely 100) often cause people to shy away from the region -- but according to Hams, it’s the place if what you’re after is a relatively large buck.

It’s anticipated that the 2006 firearm season will run from the first through the third week in October. Though permitted to apply for firearm permits, non-residents have virtually no chance of obtaining one, as residents get first crack at the limited tags. In 2005, Nebraska firearm hunters took 419 animals, achieving a 63 percent success rate.