Prairie dog info needed please

[IndianaGTI]

OK, my buddy and I have the prairie dog itch. We are going to go this year. Where is a good place to go? What is a good caliber? I have some AR's but sold my 24" RRA upper. I didn't like the length or weight.

So what would be my best option for shooting them? A 204 Ruger upper or just a 16" or 18" varmint barreled 223 upper? I have a nice tactical 308 lefty bolt that is great, but probably a little overkill.

 

[TriggerWork]

That's something my brother and I have always wanted to go do. Let me know how it works out for you.

 

[gunbunnies]

22's are the name of te game out there for dogging. If you cut loose with a 308 your gonna have more issues with collateral damage to the ranchers cattle or property and probably won't be invited back out anytime soon...

I haven't been out for a couple years now but there use to be a lot of dog towns throughout the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota...

If the permit thing is still the same you will need a out of state varmint or predator license from the SD DNR and then if you end up on Reservation land they have another permit your will need to hunt Res property also...

A good 22LR handgun for walking around in the field with for some of the Prarie Dogs up close and what ever rattle snakes you might scare up... A scoped 223/5.56 AR carbine or bigger will do just fine. If your using a bolt gun something in a 223, 204. or 22-250 will do just fine also... Along with a 1022 for the change in pace depending on how long you plan on staying out... Oh and a pair of snake chaps or boots would be a fine investment, and a spotting scope and binoc's that have good glass in them or you'll just have one heck of a headache for the whole trip....

You might contact or take a look at these guys also...

The Varmint Hunter Magazine | The Varmint Hunter | Varmint Hunters Magazine

Hope that helps....

PS a good GPS and compass plus make sure you look under the 4 wheel drive truck when you come back in and load up to go back into town or you could end your day with a snake bite....

 

[kingpin1779]

prairie dog

the .204 ruger should fill the bill. dont rule out rimfires. 22.mag and .17 hmr. what ever you choose take lots of ammo. and good shooting !!

 

[AccuRat]

Ahhhhh....one of my favorite topics this time of year. Prairie dogs!

I utilize a .17HRM and .223 mostly, simply because I love the .17 and reload for .223. .204 is excellent in any platform as well. Leave the .308 at home unless you just have to burn up some ammunition. I generally do 3 types of shooting on a dog town depending on it's size, the terrain and whether or not it has been shot up already.

First is a walkabout in which a 10/22 and Buckmark are favored. This is often most effective in widely varied terrain with lots of gullys, washes, tall sagebrush and the like for sneaking in to .22 range. Watch for snakes, always.

Second is the long-range setup. Find a big dogtown and sneak in from the high ground to get long shots out to whatever you feel comfy with. Set up behind a bush or sage with a bipod, a couple of bottles of water and lots of ammunition. Some guys use two rifles to keep either from getting overheated too much.

Third, and most common, is the .17HMR setup. My CZ 452 is good to 250 yards if the wind cooperates, but 200 is usually more realistic. Simlar to the long-range setup, find smaller dogtowns between short ridgelines, sneak over the top, shoot what you can see/hit and then move up/down the ridge and do it all over again.

A couple things I recommend you bring:

1. Boresnakes....ultimately handy, lightweight and easy to carry and relatively effective in keeping your bore reasonably clean. They're especially useful in dusty condtions.

2. A "boonie" hat to keep the sun off your face/neck. Some have a larger brim than others....get one of these.

3. Bipod(s)....really handy for longer shots.

4. Knee pads....trust me, after hours of crawling around in the prairie sod, you'll be damn glad you wore them. I grabbed a cheap pair of Mossy Oak colored pads at Lowes for like $15. Elbow pads will save your elbows too.

5. Water/gatorade.....no beer until after the rifles are put away. You will dehydrate fast in the dry heat and higher altitude.

6. Energy bars.....lightweight snacks to keep you going when you're a mile or two from the truck.

7. Goes w/o saying, but ammunition. DO NOT underestimate how much you'll need. If you get on a big dog town with only a couple of boxes of shells and run out, it's often a long drive back to town to get more. I once burned through 1500 rounds of .17HMR in a day and a half of shooting and had to "bite the bullet" and buy another 600 rounds at an inflated local price. You can always put unused ammo back in your stash if you don't use it.

Also, PLEASE be sure you have permission from the landowner to hunt. Figure out where the boundaries of his property and the adjoining landowners are and respect them. Stick to pre-existing roads/trails.....DO NOT go overland unless the landowner specifically approves it. Pay close attention to cattle, houses, other livestock or drilling equipment and don't shoot in their direction.

There are few things I enjoy more than a few days of chasing pasture poodles. Man. I can't wait until spring/summer gets here!

 

[451_Detonics]

A rangefinder is a great item to pack as well if you plan on any long range dogging. At 200-300 yards and beyond it is nice to know the exact range.

 

[DRob]

P doggin'!

We've been p doggin' in South Dakota, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Wyoming for several years. I went to SD 4 times last year. We use .223, .204, .17 Fireball, HMR, & WMR. Lots of guys use ARs of various configurations. We have three of them with 24" varmint barrels (2 are .204s) but would rather not chase the brass so we usually stick with bolt guns. I've found that I go through ammo much faster with a semi-auto. Probably reduces my "batting average", also. If you can exercise "fire discipline" ARs are just fine. I know a guy in CO who uses a .308 with 110 VMax. They completely ruin a prairie dog! I'm not sure I want to shoot 100+ rds of .308 a day, though.

I don't shoot prone. We use benches/tables and will take a walk now and then. It's good to remember where there are prairie dogs, there are rattlesnakes. They'll usually avoid you but we have strolled up on a couple. They wear really good camo! When I'm walking, I use a rimfire so I can get by without ear protection. I wanta' hear Mr. No Shoulders when he sends a message. My wife carries a Taurus Judge just for those meetings.

Cautionary note: If you shoot on a reservation, they all now require the purchase of a tribal permit and the hiring of a tribal member as a guide. If you're not careful to hire a reliable guide, you can find yourself jammed up with a Tribal Ranger. There are lots of guys out there who will take your money, lead you to a dog town, then give you a cellphone number and dump you. On the "Rez", which is for all practical purposes a sovereign nation, you can simply forget everything you know about the law. The law is what the Tribal Council decided today and the Ranger is "THE MAN"! I've shot on the Rosebud a lot but always with a guide who was arranged by the outfitter we use. You can find a "guide" in just about any bar near the Rez, if you're a gambling man. I'm not!

All good info in previous posts!

PM me if you'd like any more info.

 

[jd4320t]

Urban Dictionary: prairie doggin

 

[Bikerdad61]

This is where we stayed several years ago. Very reasonable price and had a great time. Charlie Moe is a excellent host ! We went in the month of September, weather was great. Also fo the Newbs, and I have not seen this mentioned on this thread yet, when you shoot the prarie dogs, leave them lay, the fleas on them can carry the Black plague. Thats what we were told before and after we got out there and I wasn't going to confirm or deny it on my own.
South Dakota Cabin Rentals, South Dakota Hunting & Fishing, Rosebud Sioux Reservation

 

[DRob]

Plague

The fleas on prairie dogs may carry a form of the plague but it's not the same strain which resulted in the ditty "Ring Around the Rosie" and wiped out a slew of folks. It can wipe out a dog town, though. Last year we were told that plague, and poisoning, had killed off a lot of the dogs on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The only impact on humans was increased shooting pressure on the Rosebud. About 4 years ago plague completely wiped out several dog towns which we used to shoot in NE Colorado. They haven't recovered yet.

Nonetheless, many people are hesitant to handle them even though some actually have them as pets. Here's the wife and I with her South Dakota 532 yard "trophy". Yep, she is wearing a glove for what it's worth.

We took that most unlucky p dog to a taxidermist. Here it is being inspected by Chief and Ruger.

Near as I can tell, none of us is dead yet!

 

[rem338um]

I went to Winner,SD a few years ago with my 24 lb 6 Ackley bench gun and found private land to shoot on...but only got to shoot out to about 600 yds. Out their,,,too many targets,,,not enough ammo. Remember they reproduce by about 6 million a year in the U.S.

 

[strahd71]

I've never done prairie dogs per say, but i have done plenty of gopher (small version) shooting where i used to live in north eastern Montana.

a .22 is all you need, too many cows out there behind
gophers are cannibals shoot one and wait they will come out and eat it
if your not getting any action drive over the field a few times gophers are very curious (only drive on land with permission ranchers get crazy)
and they don't like cold or too much wind.

i don't know if this pertains to dogs too, curious what others have to say

good luck

Jake

 

[DRob]

Cautious rather than curious

P dogs aren't quite that curious. Drive a truck through the dog town and you'll probably have time for lunch before they come back up unless the town has never been shot. I've driven up on a very active dog town and watched every one of them dive for cover. If the town hasn't been shot recently or there are a bunch of pups, it may be the exact opposite. They may not duck even when you start shooting. Splatter one and others that have been hit by parts don't go down! You've found a sweet spot when that happens. You'll need several guns and lots of ammo. I like to find an elevation that overlooks a dog town for 270 degrees or more. That way you can choose the wind conditions you prefer (you are going to have wind) and change directions when the shooting slows down. Most of the places we've shot do have some cattle but they've been spread out. We have had to stop shooting or change our set up while they ambled through. Shoot a cow, you've bought the cow!

Kinda' testy when we shot on a SD buffalo ranch. Those big critters completely ignored us. We didn't ignore them! They're more expensive than cows!

 

[nipprdog]

Video link;

Prairie Dog Be Gone! - Video Images

 

[lrwatson]

Sage rats

A .17HMR Savage BTV with a Leupold VXII 3-9X40 works out to about 230 yards for me in South Dakota. I have Leica 8X50 binoculars that make me want a rifle for longer range. A .22LR will work well for the smaller and less wary flickertails.