Prairie dog hunts?

[fullmetaljesus]

Has anyone done a prairie dog hunt?

Do you have a favorite place or state?

Any good ranches to look at for a hunt?

 

[Bigtanker]

Tagged for interest.

 

[gregkl]

I have not but would like to. I have family friends that live in Wyoming. They hunt them. I have a standing invitation to come out and visit. If I ever make it out there, I hope they will be able to take me out for a hunt.

 

[roscott]

Private land in Colorado.

It is a blast! More like an arcade game with guns than actual hunting, but it’s a great way to hone your shooting/spotting skills.

I used an 18” Faxon barreled AR with Barnes 70gr 5.56. Was making hits at 300 pretty regularly.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Damn thats a beautiful rifle.

 

[red_zr24x4]

National Grasslands in South Dakota.
2008 ish I went out there with my cousin and brother, it was a blast.
We were out by Wall SD. At that time licenses were $40 and a map from the BLM was $10. They had a master map on the counter, you bought your map and highlighted all the towns you could shoot on.
There's a hotel in wall we stayed at if it rained or we needed a shower. Other than that there was a primitive campground we stayed in.

 

[Another Bad Habit]

I found a ranch once that did guided dove hunts at sunrise and sunset and had you shooting dogs in between. It was near the Colorado/Kansas border. Its on my bucket list to pay them a visit

 

[ditcherman]

Had a friend take me out to NE Wyoming, he and his father had hunted the same ranch for years.
I absolutely could not believe I could have so much fun sitting on a 5 gallon bucket all day.
We were there right before Elk season opened, actually overlapped it a day or two, it was foggy the last day so we were just driving around the dirt roads, landowners were very suspicious until they met us and could tell we weren't elk hunters (big difference in equipment, dress, and seriousness) and then were actually very inviting to having us hunt on their land, just maybe not during elk season.
My friend and his dad used 22-250, and were about 80-85% kill rate. I used a Savage .223 bull barrel and was maybe 60%, probably shot 150 rounds max per day. Also snuck over a hill and used the PS90 and got a few, just for fun.
I've heard some people like to go in July/August, and some later in the fall, I guess both may work, but the dogs come out best in the sun.
Major goal to go back out.

 

[MRockwell]

I've been going to South Dakota since 1999. Missed this year due to jobsite obligations, so in total I have missed about 4 years going.

My main area is the Ft.Pierre grasslands, and then out on the Buffalo Gap Grasslands(Fall River District). Camping at the Oahe Downstream State camgpground has worked well, and they have a great gun range(free state-owned) right across the street. There are plenty of acres available within 30 minutes of Ft.Pierre.

I have always gone out the week before Labor Day, then on out to the Black Hills for L.D. weekend. Allows for shooting and fly fishing. My Dad and I went out late June a few years ago. Got woke up one night due to thunderstorms and hail. Soaked everything. Sitting in the truck at 7a.m., looking at the weather, we decided to cut the trip short because they were calling for rain every day. Rain on the grasslands is not a good thing- they call the soil out there prairie gumbo, when wet it will ball up on your tires and get you stuck. It almost happened to me once when I got into some tire tracks that were still muddy.

One thing to be aware of is road closures. From Aug.30-June 15 in some areas and Dec.1-June 15 in other areas, certain roads on the grasslands are closed to vehicular travel(thank you to the idiots that made this possible). Getting a Motor Vehicle Usage Map is a smart idea. We always stay on the designated roads(and these roads consist of a single-track, unimproved road) until we get to a good spot, then pull just off the road and take our gear to where we want to shoot from. We have always taken our booger benches, a tripod chair, sand bags, guns, and ammo. This year we bought BOG fieldpods, but will have to try them out next year.

Out on the Buffalo Gap, I used to shoot at an area on the bluffs above the Cheyenne River with Pine Ridge Reservation across the river. In 2010, it got hit by plague, and has never recovered. A shame, because I could go back a half-mile off the road and still have 500+ yds to shoot. Last year we found a spot near the Wyoming border that was great. An out-of-the-way area that we could tell hadn't been shot at very much. There are areas on the grasslands that are great, sometimes you have to go looking for them.

I can't give any info on outfitters, because I have never used them. Shooting on Reservations are a whole 'nother ballgame, they have their own set of rules, so I have never went that route either.

The one word of advice I always pass on is this: STAY HYDRATED! Drink a half a bottle of water every 1/2 hour. I dehydrated myself one year, and that is no fun. It gets hot on the grasslands, and with the low humidity it doesn't seem hot(it's a dry heat!). That can sneak up on you fast. I even use the same rule when I'm standing in a trout stream in the Black Hills.

Any other questions you have, ask away. I am no expert, but I have learned a few things over the years. Most important is that I have a great time and enjoy getting away from everyday stress.

 

[JettaKnight]

My family owns some land in SE Montana, so I took my .204 Ruger out there for some Prairie Dog shooting. Lot's of wide open space (except the few oil wells).





Never saw one rodent.

 

[gregkl]

I've been going to South Dakota since 1999. Missed this year due to jobsite obligations, so in total I have missed about 4 years going.

My main area is the Ft.Pierre grasslands, and then out on the Buffalo Gap Grasslands(Fall River District). Camping at the Oahe Downstream State camgpground has worked well, and they have a great gun range(free state-owned) right across the street. There are plenty of acres available within 30 minutes of Ft.Pierre.

I have always gone out the week before Labor Day, then on out to the Black Hills for L.D. weekend. Allows for shooting and fly fishing. My Dad and I went out late June a few years ago. Got woke up one night due to thunderstorms and hail. Soaked everything. Sitting in the truck at 7a.m., looking at the weather, we decided to cut the trip short because they were calling for rain every day. Rain on the grasslands is not a good thing- they call the soil out there prairie gumbo, when wet it will ball up on your tires and get you stuck. It almost happened to me once when I got into some tire tracks that were still muddy.

One thing to be aware of is road closures. From Aug.30-June 15 in some areas and Dec.1-June 15 in other areas, certain roads on the grasslands are closed to vehicular travel(thank you to the idiots that made this possible). Getting a Motor Vehicle Usage Map is a smart idea. We always stay on the designated roads(and these roads consist of a single-track, unimproved road) until we get to a good spot, then pull just off the road and take our gear to where we want to shoot from. We have always taken our booger benches, a tripod chair, sand bags, guns, and ammo. This year we bought BOG fieldpods, but will have to try them out next year.

Out on the Buffalo Gap, I used to shoot at an area on the bluffs above the Cheyenne River with Pine Ridge Reservation across the river. In 2010, it got hit by plague, and has never recovered. A shame, because I could go back a half-mile off the road and still have 500+ yds to shoot. Last year we found a spot near the Wyoming border that was great. An out-of-the-way area that we could tell hadn't been shot at very much. There are areas on the grasslands that are great, sometimes you have to go looking for them.

I can't give any info on outfitters, because I have never used them. Shooting on Reservations are a whole 'nother ballgame, they have their own set of rules, so I have never went that route either.

The one word of advice I always pass on is this: STAY HYDRATED! Drink a half a bottle of water every 1/2 hour. I dehydrated myself one year, and that is no fun. It gets hot on the grasslands, and with the low humidity it doesn't seem hot(it's a dry heat!). That can sneak up on you fast. I even use the same rule when I'm standing in a trout stream in the Black Hills.

Any other questions you have, ask away. I am no expert, but I have learned a few things over the years. Most important is that I have a great time and enjoy getting away from everyday stress.

That sounds like a lot of fun!

 

[Jaybird1980]

I have a buddy that went to South Dakota and he absolutely loved it. I will see if he used a ranch or what, but listening to him definitely puts it on my bucket list

Edit: Turns out it was Wyoming, he pheasant hunted SD. He said they didn't use a outfitter, but one of the guys that was hunting with them had some kind of ties to Bar Nun Hunting. He said he couldn't recommend them because they didn't use them but that may be a place to start looking.

 

[MRockwell]

That sounds like a lot of fun!

It is!
Here's a link to the map I keep in my truck of the colonies on Ft.Pierre(PDF download). When we stop in at the ranger station at Ft.Pierre, they usually have an updated map we can look at.

The big one, Timber Creek/Cactus Flat, is over 300 acres. There is a stock dam at the end of a long swale. We will set up about 20-30 feet off the road and shoot down into the flat and on the other side of the flat. My rangefinder is useless past 250 yards, but using my scope to range I was shooting at p-dogs across the swale at around 600yds. Most of our shots are in the 250-350 yd range.

 

[gregkl]

It is!
Here's a link to the map I keep in my truck of the colonies on Ft.Pierre(PDF download). When we stop in at the ranger station at Ft.Pierre, they usually have an updated map we can look at.

The big one, Timber Creek/Cactus Flat, is over 300 acres. There is a stock dam at the end of a long swale. We will set up about 20-30 feet off the road and shoot down into the flat and on the other side of the flat. My rangefinder is useless past 250 yards, but using my scope to range I was shooting at p-dogs across the swale at around 600yds. Most of our shots are in the 250-350 yd range.

That's pretty cool. I did not realize it was so organized. I only have an AR but its set up for long distance shooting so I'm confident the operator would be the weak link in taking out dogs at those ranges.

I need to figure out a way to do this.

 

[D K]

It is!
Here's a link to the map I keep in my truck of the colonies on Ft.Pierre(PDF download). When we stop in at the ranger station at Ft.Pierre, they usually have an updated map we can look at.

The big one, Timber Creek/Cactus Flat, is over 300 acres. There is a stock dam at the end of a long swale. We will set up about 20-30 feet off the road and shoot down into the flat and on the other side of the flat. My rangefinder is useless past 250 yards, but using my scope to range I was shooting at p-dogs across the swale at around 600yds. Most of our shots are in the 250-350 yd range.

Wondering what you were shooting with for the 600yd shots?

We went out to Mitchell about 7 years ago, absolutely loved it, and each year that goes by, I regret not going again. Still hoping to get back.

We did stay with an outfitter, (Buffalo Butte) we flew out and left our rental car at the "camp", they gave us a Suburban and took us out to the place where we'd hunt (they had leases with some farmers). They set up a 360-degree shooting benches for each of us, and when we were done for the day (we shot ALL day), we'd throw it all in the 'burban and head back to camp for some of the best food I've ever had in my life (and an open bar, but were pretty beat each day). They're charging $700 a day now. Like most outfitters, they could be difficult to get in touch with at times, but they took very good care of us, and "camp" overlooked cornfields full of cackling cock birds.

The next time we go, it'll be a cheaper trip, like those other posters have described above, but I thoroughly enjoyed that trip. If money's no object, you won't regret it, either. We figured it was a good way to get out in the area, scope things out and get a feel for what would be the best way to go the next time.

We were nailing them out to 450yds with a 22-250, and I was 2nd-shot accurate out to 270 yards with a .17HMR. I'll be taking the .17 and a suppressed .223 next time. The 22-250 was great for the long-distance shots, but they all hide after each "bang", and the louder the bang, the longer they duck for cover. Our problem was hitting the ones that would occasionally pop up at 30-40 yards. Since we were sighted for 150 yards, and just couldn't hit the close ones! The outfitter's longest shot record is 1,644yds with a 6.5 Creedmoor, and there's plenty of open space if you want to try some of those shots!

We weren't sure if we could take a badger that popped up on us, but after a quick call to the outfitter, we dropped one at 270 yds, and then when his buddy came out to check on him, we dropped him within a couple feet of the first. I still wish we kept those to mount.

I'd like to find someplace a bit closer, too, maybe Iowa or Kansas, but not sure what the populations are like there.

Another thing about the outfitter, or having someone in the area - they can tell you when they start to see young. Before that, they apparently don't come out much. We went 3rd week of June, so you might look into what the best time of year is to go for wherever you end up.




So, MRockwell, do those USFS colony maps show public land, or mostly private?

 

[gregkl]

Those Badgers are pretty cool! It would have been cool to have one or both mounted.

I'm going to need to find a friend to take me or hook up with my friend in Wyoming. $700/day is too rich for my budget, lol.

 

[roscott]

D K that looks like a hell of a time! We didn’t have shots that far, but hitting a little prairie dog at 600 is really impressive!

I totally agree with the suppressed aspect. We really regretted not bringing something subsonic suppressed. When we would take a break, we would have a dozen pop up within 50 yards, but as soon as we shot they all disappeared.

 

[MRockwell]

Wondering what you were shooting with for the 600yd shots?

I was using my Savage 12BVSS in .223(also have one in 22-250). I mostly shoot a 50gr Sierra Bltzking handload. For the 600 yd shots, it would take a couple trys before connecting... I'm not good at calculating wind.

We weren't sure if we could take a badger that popped up on us, but after a quick call to the outfitter, we dropped one at 270 yds, and then when his buddy came out to check on him, we dropped him within a couple feet of the first. I still wish we kept those to mount.

I had a badger pop up after a shot one time, I was shooting on the area above the Cheyenne. I was still looking through the scope when it popped up. Mean looking buggers.

So, MRockwell, do those USFS colony maps show public land, or mostly private?

That one I linked to just shows the p-dog colonies on the grasslands. A full grasslands map($14 online) will show private and public areas, the one I have is like a road map, with grasslands shaded green and it also has topo marks. The Motor Vehicle Use Map(free) also shows private and public land areas, with the grasslands shaded gray. The colony map I linked, I picked up a paper copy at the Ft.Pierre ranger office. The Buffalo Gap office in Hot Springs has a big map on the countertop, and they are usually nice about giving direction as to where productive colonies are located. They don't have a colony map like Ft.Pierre.

.
*edit: One other thing about the grasslands maps: ownership of land can change between private and public, and a list of updates can be picked up at the ranger office. I have never noticed any of these changes effecting the p-dog colonies.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

So some of you are just driving out and camping and then shooting in public land? That makes the trip much cheaper I would imagine.

 

[MRockwell]

So some of you are just driving out and camping and then shooting in public land? That makes the trip much cheaper I would imagine.

The first year I went out, I shot on a ranch that was outside Custer- a friend that worked out there set that up. Had a ~30 acre pasture that was good shooting. I stopped by a few years later and the guy that was renting the place let me shoot. The p-dogs had expanded into the oat field next to the pasture, so it had grown about 5-10 acres. Most ranchers in that area poison the p-dogs.

Every other place I've shot is on the National Grasslands. I like to camp, and the state campground is pretty nice...and only about $20/day. It does take extra prep- coolers for food and water, storage tubs for dry goods and cooking supplies, etc.- but I like it so it is worth it.


Back in '08, I contacted a farmer that is northeast of Pierre and worked stacking hay a couple days in exchange for pheasant hunting. I may get in touch with him next year to see if he has any p-dog issues. I have also heard feed stores are a good place to inquire about finding private property to shoot. I've never tried that.