Pronghorn are curious, but do not hesitate to place plenty of distance between themselves and possible danger. When in flight, bucks normally run with their noses pointed toward the ground while does tend to hold their heads high. Does generally lead the herd with a buck bringing up the rear. At long range, these behavioral characteristics help distinguish between sexes. Coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, golden eagles, and wild dogs prey on pronghorn.
Coyotes are the primary predator of fawns in Arizona.
Pronghorn losses due to predation vary with pronghorn and predator numbers, habitat type, and availability of alternative food sources for predators. Speed and exceptional eyesight are the pronghorn's best protection from predators. A fawn's best defense from predators is to choose good bedsite cover and to lie motionless. Pronghorn are less widely distributed today than in the mid-1800's when numbers probably reached the tens of millions. Under pristine conditions, pronghorn ranged west of the Mississippi River from southwestern Canada through the Rocky Mountain region south to central Mexico.