Washington state and pronghorn may not be a combination that you think about all that often. However, after several unsuccessful attempts, pronghorn were successfully reintroduced into Washington state.
Back in 2011, the Yakama nation released 99 pronghorn from Nevada onto their reservation. That pronghorn herd along with other newly reintroduced herds has continued to grow. As a result of this herd growth, several small bands of pronghorn have now migrated off of the reservation and reside on Washington state land and/or private land within the area. This now means that the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife now jointly manages the herds with the tribes in the area.
There are currently no hunting seasons for pronghorn. The Yakama Nation and the WDFW are working together on future management plans for this herd. In 2019, The WDFW conducted an aerial survey. The purpose of this survey was to obtain a minimum population estimate of pronghorn in the area. The survey found that a minimum population of 248 pronghorn is living in Washington state. It is believed that there are likely more pronghorn than what the count found. However, the population is still quite low, due to the low population, hunting seasons are expected to be several years away.
The sagebrush habitat in southeastern Washington state has the capability to hold more pronghorn. As a result, the WDFW expects the population to grown steadily as long as good conservation strategies continue.
Historically, pronghorn occupied the sagebrush habitat in Washington state. However, the region was considered to be on the western edge of their historical range. With proper conservation efforts from the tribes and hunters, hunters may be able to chase these amazing critters in Washington one day down the road.
