Drawn for Rita Blanca Pronghorn!!

[goofiefoot]

My dad just called to let me know we got drawn (after 27 years) for the Pronghorn hunt at the Rita Blanca grasslands in October. We are incredibly excited!

Doing some quick searches, there's not a ton of recent information on this hunt. I read through Hank's thread here on TBH from 2017, and I've reached out to him offline for his thoughts.

The 2021 draw was for 12 hunters, and there was a 100% success rate last year, so that sounds promising. Sounds like we'll want some decent glass and be comfortable on longer shots. Maybe a decoy or two?

If you have any info from the last few years on this place, or any general pronghorn hunting tips, I'm all ears.

I'll try to keep up a live hunt here on TBH, and will be recording video for my YouTube channel - The Goode Life Outdoors - so stay tuned!

[3rdCoastHunter]

Congrats bro!

[tdwinklr]

I probably got 15+ pref. points for that catagory.
Congrats!

[diamond10x]

Congrats, makes me happy to see someone drew it that’s been putting in for it for a long time!

[coop2564]

I'm at 9 yrs. Congrats.

[Killer]

Just show up! No research needed!

[bossbowman]

I'm at 18 years of points, I guess the points cubed thing worked for you
I did notice this morning they changed the hunt length from 8 days to 15, whats up with that?

[DJames]

Awesome news! Congratulations

[S-3 Ranch]

Holy smokes, congratulations!!
I gave up after 15 years, your the first winner since Doc may to hit a lottery

[goofiefoot]

Just show up! No research needed!

Care to expand? Do they have them tied up out there?

I'm at 18 years of points, I guess the points cubed thing worked for you
I did notice this morning they changed the hunt length from 8 days to 15, whats up with that?

Yeah, I was surprised it was so long! All the draw hunts we've done in the past have only been 3-4 days. Sounds like there's no staff or orientation or even all that many requirements. Just show up with your tag and start hunting.

[bigjohntex]

Congratulations!

[BTLowry]

Big congrats

Looks like I am about halfway there with 15 points

Make sure to do a live hunt or a recap for us

[Shane]

Congrats! I think I have 29 points and still waiting to draw. Another TBHer from Abilene drew it too (with 10 points).

A rifle hunt for pronghorn isn't terribly hard. They'll tolerate you within 150-200 yards pretty well. Getting closer than that will usually send them running. But getting inside 300 yards isn't too hard. Take good glass to "shop around" before you pick one out.

[jnd1959]

Good Glass. Get off the road on high bluffs to glass further (That's what we do in Wyoming. I assume the same at Rita Blanca.). They're not pressured so a decoy might bring them in closer. Sometimes just a hat on a walking stick will get their attention. Don't assume if they bed down that they will be there long. Pronghorn have A.D.D. I've snuck across a planted winter wheat field with only an 8 inch rise to hide us and been able to set up within 300 yards. That's the ticket though, being able to shoot the longer distances. I've also crept to within 20 feet of a doe when I had cover between us. Congrats and Good luck.

[careybirdwell]

Congrats on drawing the Golden Goose. Good Luck & I hope to see a great post on your hunt