Wyoming has by far the most antelope. This means it is most likely going to be cheapest and easiest to draw a tag in Wyoming. Visit the Wyoming Department of Fish and Game web site and find out information about draw probabilities for various units. Some units have 100% probability of draw -- based on last year's results -- others have 7% probability of draw. These probabilities are for non-residents.

You will need to decide what your goals are. If you want big horns, you will have to pay big bucks, typically. The better areas will have been leased by outfitters who will then charge big bucks to guide hunters to the big horns. If you want a quality hunt but are not particularly obsessive about horn sizes, you can do a pretty inexpensive hunt. My son and I put in for Unit 23, just South of Gillette, where the draw probabilities were 100%. Of course, we both drew. We paid $100/per gun to hunt a 1,200 acre ranch for two days. My son took a 12.5" buck. Not too shabby. I took a doe because I was in a hurry to tag-out and move on to meet a committment to visit a relative in another part of the state. 12.5" is not a trophy in anyone's book. But the hunt was fun and the meat tastes damn good. I'll leave it to others to pay $3,000 to go home with 15" horns.

Many units will have landowners who are happy to let you hunt pronghorn on their land for a modest trespassing fee. Call the local field office of the Wyoming Fish and Game office to get a list of landowners to call. Again, the better properties will be leased by the outfitters. Your ..30-06 will be fine for pronghorn. My son took his at 150 yards; I took mine at 240 yards. The .30-06 is adequate out to 300 yards for pronghorn. Beyond 300 yards the .30-06 drops quickly, but I for one am not the kind of marksman to be shooting at game beyond 300 yards anyway.

Get on the web and get the phone number for the Wyoming Fish and Game office in Cheyenne. Call them up and ask them to send you a big game hunting bulletin for 2006. The deadline is in early March, so you have plenty of time now. If you plan to hunt with others you will want to put in for a "party application." Success rates in Wyoming are 90%. The hunt is pretty easy, in my opinion. A lot of fun, and pronghorn that is well cared for -- field dress immediately and then get the meat cooling (either skin and quarter immediately or hang in cool to cold weather and then cut up after a day's hanging -- most people recommend instant skinning, quartering, and cutting up, though). Pronghorn backstrap is excellent.

A very fun hunt.