Pronghorn Triumph in the Tablelands

Science has repeatedly shown that humans have a clear negativity bias. Our brains process negative emotions differently, and we tend to remember bad experiences more vividly than positive ones. The death of a loved one. The end of a relationship. Moments of extreme physical pain. Financial blunders. Trying setbacks. Abject failures. All are recalled more clearly, and longer, than happy moments or successes.

Perhaps this explains why, crouched behind a rolling hill in northeastern New Mexico, I was still hung up on a bad shot I’d made on a pronghorn buck two years prior in Wyoming. That had been my first pronghorn hunt and my first time hunting big game in vast, wide-open terrain. I’d stalked a decent buck for some time, even crawling on hands and knees the last 50 yards to get a shot. The buck, mixed within a herd of other antelope, separated from the group briefly and stopped, giving me an opportunity just past 200 yards. Then two things happened simultaneously: The buck lurched forward to start trotting again, and I jerked my trigger press. The bullet struck the hindquarters, immobilizing the antelope but failing to kill it. A second shot dispatched the pronghorn for good.

Although I know misses and bad shots are an unfortunate reality of hunting, the memory of that poor hit became a fixture in my mind, a familiar ghoul endeavoring to erode confidence. It revisited me often in the weeks leading up to my hunt in New Mexico. I ruminated on it during my flight west and again on the drive from the airport to the hunting area. Now, as I stalked another pronghorn buck, the memory had reared its ugly head once more. Creeping around the side of the rise, rifle in hand, all I wanted was to cleanly kill a decent New Mexico speed goat and avoid repeating the failures of my last pronghorn hunt.

My guide, Brett Taylor with Kennedy Hunting Services (kennedyhuntingservices.com), motioned me forward as he set up shooting sticks. Earlier, while glassing from one of the 5,600-acre property’s highest hills, we’d spotted a nice buck with long horns curving back into hooks. Fellow hunter and writer Tony Jenniges told me to go for it, so while Brett and I made a move on the buck, Tony and his guide, Ryan, ventured off to hunt a different part of the property. The rest of our crew, Casey Diefenbach and David Farrell, who had tags for another unit and were there simply to help and watch, continued glassing from atop the hill.

Placing my rifle on the sticks, I heard Brett whisper that the hook-horned buck was a little more than 500 yards away. I took a deep breath and found my quarry in the scope. Maybe I’d get things right on this hunt. There was possibly no better place to try than in New Mexico.

PRONGHORN PARADISE

Owned and operated by Kirk Kennedy and his son Colby, Kennedy Hunting Services is based near Des Moines, N.M., and offers guided hunts for various big-game species in New Mexico and southern Colorado. While the elder Kennedy started the guiding business more than 45 years ago, the family’s history in the area goes back even farther. According to familial lore, Kirk’s great-great grandfather ventured to the Land of Enchantment from Ireland in the late 1800s and settled briefly in Mora. However, after an uncle was shot during a poker game, he traveled into northeastern New Mexico in pursuit of the alleged shooter. He found instead a captivating land and decided to build his life there, opening a store with a bank and slowly acquiring more than 380,000 acres.

One can easily see northeastern New Mexico’s allure. Des Moines falls in an ecoregion known as the Southwestern Tablelands, characterized by a semi-arid climate, rolling plains, and shortgrass and midgrass prairies with bluestem and grama grasses, among other shrubs and vegetation pronghorns love. Spread throughout are also pinyon-juniper woodlands and savannas. To the east lie the high plains and to the west, the southern Rockies. A large volcanic field covers nearly 7,500 square miles of northeastern New Mexico and parts of Colorado and Oklahoma, with small, dormant volcanoes peppered across the landscape.

When we sighted in rifles at the lodge the evening before our hunt, several volcanoes were visible among the vast prairie. They gave the environment an otherworldly feel, like we were looking at land left untouched for thousands of years. It was a fitting setting for pursuing pronghorns, which have endured the test of time as one of the few unchanged North American terrestrial mammals from the Pleistocene Era, dating back more than 11,000 years.

While pronghorn populations have no doubt changed dramatically since then, New Mexico’s herds are still robust. According to the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, the state holds roughly 64,000 pronghorn antelope. Even better, the northeast region—where we were hunting—is estimated to hold about 60 percent of the state’s entire population. Annual harvests from game management units in this region typically rank among the highest in the state, as do success rates, especially on private lands. For example, Unit 56, for which I held a tag, has led the state in pronghorn buck harvests for at least the past five years.

Beyond solid numbers of pronghorns, New Mexico has earned a reputation for producing trophy bucks as well. In fact, the state claims 57 Boone & Crockett Club entries within roughly the top 200 from the U.S., or about 29 percent. The only other states close to having as many in the top 200 are Arizona (46) and Wyoming (40). Restricting entries to the top 100 and top 50, Arizona gains the edge, but New Mexico is always among the three most productive states. Some have suggested that the area’s milder winters allow bucks to use less energy for survival and contribute more toward horn growth. Whatever the reason, while states like Wyoming and Montana have more pronghorns overall—382,000 and 155,000, respectively—New Mexico may be capable of producing more impressive bucks.

Although southern and southwestern counties like Socorro, Catron, Grant, Lincoln and Cibola figure prominently atop New Mexico’s state pronghorn records, the northeast is represented, too. Standouts here include Mora and Colfax counties with 163 and 92 trophy pronghorn entries in the state book, respectively, though Union and San Miguel counties also have double-digit entries. Although I didn’t travel to northeastern New Mexico specifically for a record-book pronghorn, the area is certainly capable of producing them, along with plenty of very nice bucks that fall short of making the book.

FLEETING CHANCES

Unfortunately, my first opportunity at a solid New Mexico pronghorn didn’t pan out. Even from beyond 500 yards, that hook-horned buck noticed us almost immediately once we cleared the rise we’d been tucked behind. It was for the better. Despite having my rifle on the sticks, I didn’t feel comfortable taking a 500-plus-yard shot, and the buck didn’t wait around for me to change my mind. Pronghorns are renowned for their impressive eyes—roughly the same size as an elephant’s, offering a 320-degree field of vision and capable of detecting predators from a half-mile away—and this buck had seen us and had already determined we were a threat.

Joining a small herd of other bucks, he began moving, crossing between us and the folks we’d left glassing atop the tall hill. At one point, the bachelor herd slowed. Unfortunately, the buck stopped between us and the landowner’s house, so we couldn’t safely shoot. The pronghorns—evolved to outrun predators at sustained speeds of up to 55 mph and short bursts of up to 70 mph—resumed their steady gait, eventually leaving us in the dust scratching our heads.

Later, an unusual twist of fate gave us another crack at this buck, as the bachelor herd eventually circled back around. Brett and I put a hill between us and them, rushed down into an open field with knee-high grass, set up with the shooting sticks and waited. A small rise partially blocked our view, but I eventually spotted the buck—and the herd—running across the field ahead at about 250 yards. The buck paused a second or two between some trees, but as soon as I placed my crosshairs on him and readied myself to shoot, he took off again. He and the rest of the herd never stopped moving long enough for a shot, and we watched them cross under a distant fence and disappear into the rolling hills.

Walking back to the truck, I berated myself for my hesitation. For not getting on target quickly enough when the buck stopped. For not pressing the trigger the second I was on him. Silently, I wondered if my obsessive fear of making another bad shot had, in fact, prevented me from taking a good one. And, though we were only hours into the first morning of a three-day hunt, I worried whether I’d get another chance as good as the opportunity I had just missed.

My mind was churning as we neared Brett’s truck, but it didn’t prevent me from hearing a shot ring out, even though it was far quieter than normal (we were all using new Savage AccuCan suppressors on our rifles). As it turned out, the very buck we’d been pursuing had traveled over to where Tony and his guide were hunting. Moving up a draw, the pronghorn surprised Tony at about 60 yards, and he managed to turn and make an accurate, lethal shot before the buck could take off.

We joined them and celebrated what ended up being a great buck. Admittedly, I felt an initial twinge of envy when I approached that buck—the same one I’d had in my scope—lying dead on the ground. However, it passed immediately when I saw Tony’s admiring grin as he held the buck’s horns. After many congratulations and photos, our party disbanded. Casey and David hopped in Colby’s truck to head toward their hunting unit, and the rest of us departed for another property to the south in two vehicles. Hopefully, I would get another opportunity there.

SUDDEN SUCCESS

While the other property was only 7 or 8 miles south of the first one, the path to get there—as is sometimes the case in rural areas—seemed long and circuitous. Upon arrival, we began slowly driving the roads around the 1,200-acre parcel, stopping occasionally to glass areas more thoroughly. Tony’s guide, Ryan, had expected to see a bunch of antelope milling about in the fields and pastures. However, at every stop we came up empty—not just for bucks, but for any pronghorn.

Eventually, we turned into a pullout that led to a dusty, rock-strewn two-track climbing up a steep hillside. Ryan pulled his truck up next to Brett’s, and we chatted about what to do next. It was nearing lunchtime, and with Tony’s field-dressed pronghorn in the back of his truck, Ryan mentioned heading to the lodge to tend to the animal and grab a bite to eat. Because we were already out there, though, Brett suggested taking
the two-track up to scope out the top of the mesa. He said it had a bunch of grass that pronghorns often fed on, especially when grasses in the lower areas weren’t as lush.

Instead of taking both trucks up the steep track scaling its way to the top, Ryan and Tony piled into Brett’s Dodge Ram Rebel, and we began our ascent. Things quickly became a bit sporty. The grade was fairly steep, deep cuts ran across the track where water had swept through, and there was a precipitous drop-off to the right as we bounded up the switchback. However, Brett’s truck handled everything just fine, and the path gave way to a clearing at the top bordered by trees on two sides.

Almost immediately, Ryan called out a nice buck from the back seat. The buck was to our left, at the top of another hill, clearly with a herd but slightly separated from the rest of the animals. Brett tried slowly backing up the truck to where it would be obscured by the tree line, but the herd had already seen us and started moving from left to right. We watched them course their way across the hilltop until they passed behind a thick line of trees.

“Go, go, go, go!” Ryan urged, and Brett stepped on the gas.

We surged forward about 70 yards, slammed to a halt and all bailed out of the truck. I pushed the magazine into my rifle and chambered a round, and then we ran up the hill to the dense tree line 150 yards ahead. As a somewhat-out-of-shape Missourian, I quickly felt the effects of the added elevation. Brett positioned the shooting sticks on the corner of the trees, and I plopped my rifle into the yoke.

The buck was slowly moving along the hillside toward some does to the right, and as I found him in the scope, I struggled to control my breathing after the impromptu wind sprint. Brett ranged him at 210 yards. Suddenly, the buck stopped moving, offering a nice broadside shot as he stared at the does.

“Hurry up,” Brett whispered after a moment. “He’s going to move again. He’s getting ready to move.”

I flicked off the safety and settled the crosshairs a little behind the buck’s shoulder. Taking as deep a breath as I could, I exhaled slowly and smoothly pressed the trigger.

Immediately, I heard the echoing thump of the 143-grain Hornady ELD-X bullet striking—something I’d not experienced before having never hunted with a suppressor. The buck ran over the top of the hill, disappearing on the other side, and I suddenly worried about my shot. It felt good, but had it been another bad hit? Tony assured me that the impact looked and sounded solid, and when Brett saw the does looking back toward the field with the buck nowhere in sight, he smiled. He suspected the buck had probably gone down somewhere in the open field.

I walked up the hill, each footstep heavy with doubt. When I crested the top, though, my spirits lifted. Sure enough, just as Brett had thought, the buck lay dead in the field some 60 yards beyond where I’d shot him.

Holding the buck’s horns in my hands, I felt immense relief and pride. I’d overcome the pervasive doubt I felt after my last pronghorn hunt and managed to tag a nice buck in the process. Even better, since I’d succeeded on day one, I got to tag along as our group’s two other hunters pursued their own pronghorns. Watching both harvest solid bucks in New Mexico’s stunning landscape proved the perfect way to cap off an incredible hunt.

CARBON-FIBER CREDITS

The Savage Arms 110 KLYM is a lean tack-driver perfect for long stalks in open country and steep terrain.

In late 2023 and early 2024, Savage Arms introduced three new rifles: the 110 KLYM, Impulse KLYM and 110 Ultralite Elite. All were built as lightweight, accurate rifles hunters could easily tote up and down some of the gnarliest terrain on earth. I shot all three in August 2023 ahead of my New Mexico pronghorn hunt and the official launch of the rifles. I harvested my buck with the 110 KLYM, which is what I’ll focus on here.

To achieve its scant, 6.2-pound weight, the 110 KLYM utilizes a 22-inch Proof Research carbon-fiber-wrapped stainless steel barrel and a Fine Ballistic Tools (FBT) custom carbon-fiber stock and fore-end. Beyond being lightweight, the carbon-fiber barrel proved quite accurate on my hunt, and being threaded (5/8x24), it worked well with the new Savage AccuCan suppressor (see other sidebar). A barrel length of 22 inches hits a sweet spot; it’s not so long that the rifle becomes unwieldy but also not short enough for performance to suffer. The 143-grain Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X loads performed well through the barrel, with two of us making one-shot kills with the 110 KLYM.

The custom carbon-fiber stock and fore-end are equally impressive. The stock features an ergonomic thumbhole design with a nice palm swell in the vertical grip, which lends itself well to shooting off sticks, a tripod or a bipod. A single button adjusts comb height to ensure proper cheek weld while aligning your eye with the scope. The fore-end is slim, fitting nicely in the support hand, and features the popular MagnaSwitch system for easily attaching and detaching shooting supports. Sling-swivel studs also offer attachment points for a sling.

Like so many excellent Savage rifles over the years, the 110 KLYM uses a factory blueprinted Model 110 action. It ran beautifully for me in the field, and I experienced no issues with it or the rifle’s detachable box magazine. I especially liked the enlarged carbon-fiber bolt-handle knob, which was intuitive to find and operate when shooting. Savage’s time-tested AccuTrigger, which is user-adjustable from 1 1/2 to 4 pounds of pull weight, broke crisply and cleanly after a predictable amount of take-up. The rifle’s one-piece 20 MOA optic rail is a perfect choice for hunters who may take shots at longer ranges. While the 110 KLYM rifle I used was chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor, it’s also available in five other popular chamberings. MSRP: $2,699; savagearms.com

Get Quiet

Savage’s AccuCan AC30 suppressor is a great tool for hunters to protect their hearing, reduce noise and make better shots in the field.

Suppressors—now legal for hunting in 41 states—are becoming increasingly popular for big-game pursuits. Beyond reducing noise (and corresponding noise complaints) and protecting the shooter’s hearing, they also offer other benefits, like reducing recoil and flinch due to muzzle blast.

Among the latest suppressors developed for hunters is Savage Arms’ new AccuCan series, which comprises three models—the AC22, AC30 and AC338—and covers most popular hunting calibers. The rimfire-rated AC22 works with .22 LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR, while the AC338 handles up to .338 Lapua Mag. and .338 Win. Mag. The AC30, which I used in New Mexico, is rated for .300 PRC, .300 Win. Mag. and .308 Win., among others.

The AC30 performed exceedingly well in New Mexico. While the suppressor didn’t make shots whisper quiet—that level of sound reduction only happens in the movies—it dramatically reduced the brutal blast of a high-velocity rifle cartridge down to about 135 decibels. In fact, it let me hear my bullet’s impact on the pronghorn buck I shot, which is nearly impossible when shooting unsuppressed.

The AC30’s thread pitch is 5/8x24, and it has a direct-thread aluminum mount with a titanium thread insert. Machined from aluminum and titanium, the suppressor is both lightweight and compact at 10.8 ounces and less than 8 inches in length. Because of this, it didn’t make the rifle I hunted with front heavy or awkward while afield. The AC30 also features built-in self-cleaning carbon cutters and is field serviceable without requiring specialized tools.

Like many suppressors designed for hunting, the AC30 is not full-auto rated, with a recommended rate of fire of no more than one round per second up to 20 rounds before allowing it to cool. This is hardly an issue for hunters, though, as we rarely, if ever, need to shoot that many rounds that quickly.

There are many benefits to hunting with Savage’s new AC30 and the entire AccuCan line. These suppressors are lightweight, versatile, durable and affordable, and most importantly, they help preserve your hearing—important both in the field and at home. MSRP: $699.99; savagearms.com

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• This article was featured in the August 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.

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