My experience last year in WY, granted I didn't do much homework, was in an easy to draw unit, where there's limited public land (hey we had just moved here and I found a few large blocks - what's the worst that could happen!)
Here's what I experienced, take it or leave it, but it is shaping where we apply and plan to hunt this fall:
- Yes, all summer you can walk/drive and see pronghorn in easy access spots on public land, from the truck or short walk.
- Archery opens (I tried spot and stalk, or as my wife called it "pronghorn scaring", so you can guess the end result): I had multiple stalks, usually started from the truck, each day (exception was a walkin area, but even there, short walk = stalk).
- Day before gun season (last day of archery): trucks start showing, helping to blow stalks, tents start showing etc.
- Opening day of rifle, we went up, gave up at 10 when EVERYWHERE we went, truck or walk we saw orange. Saw one small group of pronghorn, running at about mach-3
- Next day, no pronghorn, lots of hunters.- we gave up
- End of week 1 we went out again. Still trucks/tents, we found a single pronghorn doe 1.5 miles from the nearest access point. doe #1 in freezer
- Week 2 I went elk hunting, people had thinned out, but pronghorn no where to be found (except all the private land we drove past)
- Week 3, all the people have been gone for a week. Found a group of 5 about 1 mile from truck. Doe #2 in freezer
- Beginning of week 4, find a single buck on private (we had doe tags), same day, wife takes her first on public land, actually saw it from the truck, stalked in and she took it. 1/2 mile pack to truck
- Last day (end of week 4), wow, they are back! Find a large group right next to the road, two stalks, later, wife takes second doe. all tagged out.
We are adjusting this year to try to get private land access or change zones to more public land. The one we picked, the "type 1 - any pronghorn" tag was only good 10/1-10/15. Changing areas this year to more public, plus earlier/longer seasons.
Yes, it can be "drive around til you find the one you want", but as Big Uncle said, in an easy to draw, limited public land area with pressure, that's rare. Especially at the beginning of the season when the weather is nice (wife shot her last one when it was 9 degrees out)
Regardless of all that, I LOVE pronghorn hunting! I don't think we hunted a single day without at least seeing some.