Colorado Pronghorn Hunting: Tags, Best Units, and What a Guided Hunt Costs
Colorado Pronghorn Hunting: Tags, Best Units, and What a Guided Hunt Costs
The pronghorn is North America's fastest land animal, capable of sustained speeds of 55 mph across open terrain. It's also one of the most challenging and most rewarding animals to hunt on the continent — and Colorado gives you more options to chase them than almost any other state. With 90,000+ animals and a mix of draw, OTC, and landowner voucher opportunities, Colorado is a must-consider for any pronghorn hunter.
The Numbers: Why Colorado Matters
Colorado's pronghorn population consistently ranks among the top in the US, alongside Wyoming and Montana. The state's diverse geography — from the flat shortgrass prairie of the southeast to the sagebrush flats of the Western Slope — creates multiple distinct hunting environments. More importantly, Colorado manages a significant landowner voucher program that makes OTC pronghorn hunting possible in some of the best units in the state.
With the right approach, a hunter can be in the field chasing pronghorn in Colorado without ever entering a draw.
Unit Breakdown: Where to Focus
Units 87/88 — Southeast Plains (Bent and Prowers Counties)
These two adjacent units in southeastern Colorado near Lamar hold the highest pronghorn tag allocations in the state. The flat agricultural landscape supports large herds, and public BLM ground is accessible for DIY hunters. Buck quality is solid — 60–68 inch bucks are realistic — though the best private-land animals exceed that. Draw odds here are relatively reasonable (1–2 preference points in most seasons), and landowner vouchers are available for hunters who want to skip the draw entirely.
Unit 93 — Bent/Prowers Counties (Big Buck Country)
Unit 93 is where serious trophy hunters focus in southeast Colorado. The combination of limited tags, large private ranches, and low hunting pressure produces bucks that routinely hit 70–76 inches. This is a draw unit — expect to burn 2–3 preference points — and landowner voucher tags are available but scarce and competitive. If you're targeting a record-class pronghorn, this unit deserves serious attention.
Unit 128 — Mesa County (Western Slope)
The Western Slope pronghorn hunting in Unit 128 offers a completely different experience from the plains. Sagebrush benches, pinyon-juniper breaks, and dramatic canyon country replace the flat prairie. Buck quality is good, and the limited tags keep hunting pressure manageable. This unit attracts hunters looking for a combined elk/deer/pronghorn Western Slope trip — proximity to excellent mule deer and elk units makes the logistics appealing.
Landowner Vouchers: The OTC Shortcut
Colorado's landowner preference program allows private landowners in pronghorn units to receive a fixed number of voucher tags each year. Hunters can purchase these from the landowner and bypass the draw entirely. The catch: premium units with the best buck quality have limited vouchers, and outfitters often secure them in bulk through long-term ranch relationships. If you're booking a guided hunt, ask specifically whether landowner vouchers are included and whether the outfitter has exclusive access to the ranch.
Draw Odds and Point Accumulation
The majority of Colorado pronghorn units are draw-only. Here's a realistic outlook:
- Most populated units (87/88, 105, 106): 0–2 preference points for a reasonable draw probability
- Trophy units (93, 128, limited-entry plains units): 2–4 preference points typical
- Premium limited-entry units with big-buck history: 3–6 points, occasionally more
Apply every year even when you're planning a guided hunt via landowner voucher. Preference points accumulate at a rate of one per year, and banked points are valuable for future hunts. Colorado charges a $10 application fee with no wasted cost since you also get a point for unsuccessful draws.
License and Tag Costs
- Resident license + pronghorn tag: $58
- Non-resident license + pronghorn tag: $415
- Application fee: $10 (applies to both residents and non-residents)
- Landowner voucher tag: Purchased directly from landowner or outfitter; often bundled into guided hunt pricing
Best Time to Hunt
Late August — Archery Season
The archery season opener in late August is arguably the best time to hunt mature pronghorn bucks in Colorado. August heat drives animals to predictable water sources — tanks, seeps, and stock ponds. A hunter who identifies water, sets a blind or ground tuck nearby, and exercises patience can encounter bachelor groups of bucks multiple times per day.
Spot-and-stalk is also effective in August on open terrain. Bucks are in bachelor groups, not yet rut-driven, and while they're wary, they can be approached with careful glassing and wind awareness.
September — Rifle Season
The September rifle opener coincides with the beginning of the pronghorn rut. Bucks start gathering does and establishing herd territories — this is when dominance displays, chasing, and decoy/calling tactics become effective. A half-silhouette buck decoy positioned at 200 yards while you set up prone or behind a low rise can produce dramatic close-range encounters with rutting bucks.
The rut also means bucks are less focused on predator detection and more focused on competitors. Some of the most aggressive buck responses to decoys happen in the first two weeks of September.
Tactics: What Works
Spot-and-Stalk Over Water (August)
The most reliable August tactic. Identify active water sources with trail cameras or glassing, then set a ground blind or natural cover within ethical shooting range (50–80 yards for archery, 200–400 yards for rifle). Water hunts require patience but produce consistent results on mature bucks.
Spot-and-Stalk on Open Ground
Pronghorn live in open country and rely on their eyesight — some biologists estimate they have 8× magnification equivalent vision. Successful stalks require using every terrain feature available: washes, ridges, sage clumps. Move only when the animal's head is down. Plan for wind direction obsessively. A stalk on a mature buck across flat ground can take 2–3 hours.
Decoy and Bugling (September Rut)
During the rut, a mounted or silhouette decoy positioned 150–300 yards from a dominant buck can trigger a confrontation response. Pair the visual with a bugling or challenge call from the rear. Bucks that accept the challenge will often come at a trot or run. This is heart-pounding hunting.
DIY vs. Guided
DIY on Public BLM
Units 87/88 and several other southeastern units have accessible BLM ground where self-guided hunters can find pronghorn without private land access. The deer are there — but so are other hunters, and public-land bucks in pressured areas tend to be younger. If you're newer to pronghorn hunting, a DIY public-land hunt is an excellent learning experience at low cost.
Guided with Landowner Access
Guided hunts shine because outfitters secure private ranch access — and in pronghorn country, the best bucks live on private land. Ranches in Units 87/88 and 93 that haven't been pressure-hunted produce 70–76"+ bucks that you simply won't find consistently on public ground. If you're targeting a true trophy animal or want a higher-odds hunt, guided is worth the premium.
Guided Hunt Costs
| Hunt Type | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Rifle hunt (public land access) | $2,800–$3,800 |
| Rifle hunt (private ranch, landowner voucher) | $3,500–$4,500 |
| Archery hunt (private ranch, water blind) | $3,500–$5,500 |
| Combination pronghorn + mule deer (rifle) | $5,500–$8,500 |
Most packages include guide services, licenses (or guidance on obtaining them), field care, and lodging. Non-resident license fees are typically extra.
Find Your Colorado Pronghorn Hunt on WildTag
WildTag lists vetted Colorado pronghorn hunting outfitters across the eastern plains, San Luis Valley, and Western Slope — with landowner access, transparent pricing, and available dates.