900 series antelope hunting starts on Tuesday, August 15th here in Montana.  In honor of the start of hunting, here are a few facts about antelope to get you pumped.

• The pronghorn is a unique North American mammal. Its Latin name, Antilocapra americana, means “American goat-antelope,” but it is not a member of the goat or the antelope family, and it is not related to the antelopes found in Africa. The pronghorn is the only surviving member of the Antilocapridae family and it has been in North America for over a million years.
• Males have a broad black mask that runs from their eyes down their snout to their nose, black neck patches and pronged black horns that are 12-20 inches long. The male’s horns are lyre-shaped and curve in towards each other.
• Females do not have the black markings on their face and neck, and her horns are usually straight, short spikes between 3-4 inches long.
• The pronghorn is the fastest animal in the Western Hemisphere. It can run at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and it can run long distances at speeds of 30-40 miles per hour. It can make bounds of up to 20 feet when it is running. When the pronghorn runs, its mouth is open so it can breath in extra oxygen. Speed is important because the pronghorn lives in open areas, and there is no place to hide from a predator! It has to be able to run away!
• The fawns are almost odorless at birth. This helps protect them from predators.  They can also run faster than a human at just four days-old.

(Information via nhptv.com; Feature photo via pinterest)