Prairie Dog Hunt?

[gsharer]

I've never hunted, but I'm definitely curious about hunting prairie dog as I hear it's a great way to get into it and have a lot of fun in the process. Anyone know of any coming up? How does one go about getting into this, maybe with a group?

I have friends in South Dakota. They have a few towns on their property. They poison them to get rid of them. Last time i visited I took my rifle. It was **** cold! Too cold for a Texas guy to stay out and hunt long. It was a ton of fun though. My point is they want to get rid of them so if you find a town on a ranch more then likely they want them killed.

 

[william baird]

Wow. To me this would be "dream" hunt. Seems it has become so popular that is quite expensive (out of state license,&/or permits, etc). Good luck on your search.

 

[yobuck]

Wow. To me this would be "dream" hunt. Seems it has become so popular that is quite expensive (out of state license,&/or permits, etc). Good luck on your search.

Not all western states require a license for hunting prairie dogs.
And many ranchers will allow hunting them with no fee.
The smaller the number of hunters however, the higher the odds of gaining permission.

 

[myshootinstinks]

There are spotty populations of them on public land, mostly blm. As with most anything else we hunt, pdogs are becoming a cash crop with many ranchers requiring a trespass fee.
Another fun day is popping Richardsons ground squirrels. They are more common in western WY than on the eastern side. They look like a prairie dog but are about half the size, can be a challenging target.

 

[Mike Patton]

I've never hunted, but I'm definitely curious about hunting prairie dog as I hear it's a great way to get into it and have a lot of fun in the process. Anyone know of any coming up? How does one go about getting into this, maybe with a group?

We go 2-3 times each year, we all shoot 204 Ruger's, we all have DOA shooting benches as we are just to old to get down on the ground with bipods and such. It is fantastic. If you study and get good rifle, we each had one made but you can start with cheaper, you must have good scope we shoot up to about 500 yards. We go to Colorado we started on state ground and have since moved to private! Not much any better!

 

[Mike Patton]

There are spotty populations of them on public land, mostly blm. As with most anything else we hunt, pdogs are becoming a cash crop with many ranchers requiring a trespass fee.
Another fun day is popping Richardsons ground squirrels. They are more common in western WY than on the eastern side. They look like a prairie dog but are about half the size, can be a challenging target.

We hunt in a group of 3, no more and it only cost us a handle of Crown for the owner, lol

 

[Flea21]

We hunt in a group of 3, no more and it only cost us a handle of Crown for the owner, lol

Wow, that's awesome… I'd love to go with y'all sometime If you'll have me.

 

[dogz]

There are spotty populations of them on public land, mostly blm. As with most anything else we hunt, pdogs are becoming a cash crop with many ranchers requiring a trespass fee.
Another fun day is popping Richardsons ground squirrels. They are more common in western WY than on the eastern side. They look like a prairie dog but are about half the size, can be a challenging target.

Richardson's or as we call them gophers are a ton load fun and a lot easier to gain access for. Good day will find us walking pastures and shooting them offhand with 22's or lightweight walking .17's, 204's, 223's etc...a handheld clicker is the best way to keep track of the one's hit. Keeps you honest it this way...which helps when one's numbers is in the 100 range per hour

 

[myshootinstinks]

I've also heard them called "chislers".

 

[Hugnot]

Take care not to shoot the nice cute little burrowing owls. Should you see some creature sitting on a post or a weed sticking straight up it is not a rodent, also ranchers would not like their T posts shot up.

 

[Coyote01]

I can set anyone interested up with all the prairie dogs they can shoot as well as coyotes. PM me if your interested.

 

[George LS]

I can set anyone interested up with all the prairie dogs they can shoot as well as coyotes. PM me if your interested.

 

[Stew43]

Lots of them in Wyoming. I know some guides that take people quite a bit. There are plenty on public land too. I think onX has a layer you can select to show where the towns are.

 

[Kodiak Special]

Pdog shooting; some of my best vacations ever. If you have the time, go by yourself. Study satellite imagery for active colonies. Go to a town near by, the feed mill, and ask for ranchers that allow shooting. If that doesn't work out move on. I viewed it as great vacation either way. Newcastle WY is a great place to start. Mill is in the south west part of town. Pines motel 5 stars. Dont bother with the government agencies, they are a waste of time and clearly don't want you shooting the rats. Ranchers hate them by the way. I would shoot 6 or 7 days, ware out a couple of 22-250 barrels and have a great time. Couple of beers and a picknick lunch, be sure to have some shade and a chair suitable for taking a nap.
One of my favorite subjects.

You know, your description and comments have made think about doing this. Might be time to head up there for a solo trip. Thanks for sharing.