Prairie Dog shoots

[norton]

I have never done this but know people who do every year.  They travel out West and spend the week shooting "dogs". 

If you are a dog shooter, what type of gun do you use?  Where do you go?  What recommendations would you make to someone who has never tried this? 

I have even seen video of air gunners shooting Prairie Dogs. 

[Atomic Punk]

i have a few friends in utah that have started an annual coyote hunt. besides the distance from me, i cant see going hunting for something im not going to eat. livestock harassment is different.

 

more on topic. they use a variety of .308 rifles. couple AR10's and a few bolt guns. one of them has a remmington with a neat looking triangular barrel. 

[mbogo]

South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana have many large prairie dog towns.

You don't need to go on an organized shoot.  Bring a .17 HMR, a .223 Rem. and 1000 rounds for each.  You will learn more about your ability to shoot under field conditions - wind, heat, direct sun, range estimation, etc. - in two hours trhan you would in a year on a range with static targets.  you'll need a high ground clearance vehicle of some sort (with 4WD), plenty of water, snacks, and sunscreen.

Ranchers and farmers out west need help controlling these rodents.  They eat all the grasses and/or crops  in the vicinity (depriving the landowner of revenue), then expand to new areas.    They make holes that cattle and horses step into and suffer broken legs.  Don't bring out the cacasses; prairie dogs are cannibalistic, and will eat their own; the raptors, badgers, and coyotes will appreciated the free meals.

Gaining permission to shoot them is fairly easy, even for visiting shooters.  You must honor the rules they lay out for you - leave gates the way you find them, keep to the tracks, don't shoot the employees, cattle, hoses, buildings, et al.

 

mbogo

[Sharp Stick]

Never done it myself, but my father did for many years. He used a TC .223 pistol and bolt action rifle for the close ones, a 6mm ppc for the medium-distance ones, and a .22-250 for the far ones. His longest shot was just over 900 yards with the help of a spotter. Lots of ammo is necessary...he would bring 4000 rounds or so, although I don't think he ever used all of it. You just don't want to run out as there may not be places close enough to buy ammo. He also always brought good optics (binos and/or a scope.)

It took him and his friends a few years to find good places, but they were always private ranches that were looking for help controlling the prairie dog towns. I think there are on-line listings of areas and ranches. They got some good leads in the local towns where they found other hunters in the local diners and restaurants at lunch and dinner. As mentioned, following the rules is important if you ever want to return. Also, don't handle the dogs, they carry bubonic plague. Let the hawks, badgers and coyotes have 'em.

[Valmet]

This is something that has always been on my list. I have all of the equipment, just need to find the time and a place to go. Unsure how to approach it- is it like a guided trip like I've done for ducks or fishing? 

[mbogo]

You can hire a guide, but inquiring locally is a great way to locate spots. 

[Lazy R]

Mbogo is right on.

17 for closer ones, 223 for longer ones. I shoot a 700 Classic in 223 and have shot them out past 300 yards. Fun practice out to 500 or so, seeing what a little wind does to your point of impact.

As stated, you'll learn more about shooting in an afternoon of prairie dog shooting than you will in a lifetime of deer hunting.

There are prairie dogs and (smaller) ground squirrels. In Montana they tend to call ground squirrels "gophers." Some places you'll get into millions of them and shoot all day, not make a dent in the population.

[BigBull 301]

You may want to checkout OnXMaps, they have a filter for prairie dogs. I think it's $10 or so. I have the yearly subscription which give me 5 states.

 

We mainly shoot sage rats (bending ground squirrels) and rock chucks. 17HMR, 223, 22-250, 204 Ruger.

[Boogieman]

I use a Kidd Custom Delta Elite with a 9x25 Dillon barrel.  Up to 100 yards it makes prairie dogs and coyotes explode.  After 100 yards I use a Colt H-Bar. 

[jmax]

I have shot them outside Casper WY a couple of times. I used a Rem 700 BDL in 22-250, a 243 and a 10/22. We reloaded at night and I ended up shooting the barrel out of the Remi because there were so many. Now I would use a 223 in several flavors and a 22. Take loads of sunscreen and you will get burned. 

Edited July 13, 2018 by jmax

[jmax]

Just now, jmax said:

Also take more ammo.

Edited July 13, 2018 by jmax

[willie-pete]

Did it for a few years on a friend's fathers land in Colorado and Nebraska. Had to buy permits from both states.  We took 5.56 and .22=250 and  about 4000 rounds of ammo for each of us. We had four or five guns each. After a week we were out of ammo. I was making hits more often than not out to 600 yards with the .22-250. A small fast bullet is what you want to use.

[Colin1230]

Shooting prairie dogs was a favorite pass time growing up in southwest Kansas along the Colorado border.  Ruger 10/22 was my rifle of choice because we could get so close.  Most places you could get within a hundred yards and still be on the road.  The relatively quiet report of the .22 would not scare them down into their holes.  A friend tried with his AR, only got about one shot every 30 minutes while I was getting shot after shot with my 10/22.  Nothing like seeing a dog do a back-flip when hit by a 40g hollow point.  We weren't there for the 'mist factor', we were there for the 'body count'.

[Squeeze]

We shoot in WY, while we wait for our antelope to be processed.  P-dog towns aren't hard to find, on public land, and ranchers, once they size you up, will welcome you to help them eradicate the vermin.

I take a lot of ammo, and most often I still run out of ammo for some of my rifles.  I have switched to all AR-15s, since rapid second shots, help when walking in hits at long ranges.  For cartridges, I shoot 204 Ruger, 223 Rem., and a wildcat called 6mm WOA.  Given wind never ends in WY, better BC(typically longer/heavier) bullets help a lot.  For the 204 Ruger, I shoot 39 gr. Blitzking, 223 Rem. 55 gr. Nosler BTs, and for the 6mm, a 65 VMax.  Not exactly VLD bullets, but still decent BCs, that will help with wind guesses.  Some tips are, switch rifles after a few rounds to keep heat down in the rifles.  It is easy to shoot out rifle barrels, if one lets barrels get hot.  Get a good shooting mat(cactus spines aren't fun), and put a good bipod on each rifle, or invest in a good portable shooting bench.  Problem with shooting benches, is they aren't as portable as just unrolling a shooting mat, and in winds, they do wiggle enough to make long range shooting have another issue to deal with when making those shots.

One day on a P-dog town will be a great experience, to determine what you will do differently next time.  There will be a next time.  And given the volume of shooting, one's shooting skills may improve substantially.  If you are already a skilled long range shooter, you will still make some fine grained improvements to your skills.

 

Squeeze

[Dog Soldier]

Please excuse me for posting on this old thread. But Prairie Dog shooting is a Big summer past time in Wyoming. The flat shooting highly tuned varmint rifle is a must. My preference has been the .220 Swift Mdl 70 Varmint Target with the Leopold 20 Power  Dot. This is the summer rifle. The Fall winds begin blowing in late Sept. My Ruger #1 HB accurized .25-06 with the screaming  75 grs HP is my rig. 

We would never use .22 rimfire rifles and never shoot any dogs under 250 yards. The code of the West says don't shoot these critters until after Memorial Day and never on the Winter snow. Shooting before late May kills the feeding females that have not delivered the litter. One shot mother is a dozen dead pups. 

My long range rifle this season will be the .224 Valkyrie it is deadly at 600 yds. We are blessed with millions of square miles of public lands in the West. 

[Moshe]

Small caliber, LD rounds.  They are wary by nature.  But, they are hell on cattle breaking their legs.  That is the main reason people pop their little grapes at distance.  Thus the term "varmit round."

[Dog Soldier]

50 minutes ago, Moshe said:

Small caliber, LD rounds.  They are wary by nature.  But, they are hell on cattle breaking their legs.  That is the main reason people pop their little grapes at distance.  Thus the term "varmit round."

On the open Range there are  great expanses of desert of no grazing value. The Prairie Dogs are carriers of Bubonic Plague. From 1347-1351 the Black Death killed 200 Million people. It is active in many Western States even today. Never pick up or touch a dead P'dog the carrier lice can infect very fast. Never sit down in a P'dog town.  They are rodents and carriers of many diseases. 

The Prairie Dog is not particularly weary.  Except when the sun is clouded. They are the prey animal of the Eagles. They watch the ground for shadows of Eagles over head. The Eagles come in fast when they here the rifle shots. It is their dinner bell.  Anyone shooting these varmints at close range is  able to approach  the females and pups. 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Dog Soldier

[Moshe]

22 minutes ago, Dog Soldier said:

On the open Range there are  great expanses of desert of no grazing value. The Prairie Dogs are carriers of Bubonic Plague. From 1347-1351 the Black Death killed 200 Million people. It is active in many Western States even today. Never pick up or touch a dead P'dog the carrier lice can infect very fast. Never sit down in a P'dog town.  They are rodents and carriers of many diseases. 

The Prairie Dog is not particularly weary.  Except when the sun is clouded. They are the prey animal of the Eagles. They watch the ground for shadows of Eagles over head. The Eagles come in fast when they here the rifle shots. It is their dinner bell.  Anyone shooting these varmints at close range is  able to approach  the females and pups. 

The Black Death exists in NM, and is carried still by rats and mice, along with the Hantavirus.  Prairie Dogs were not responsible for the Original Black Death, it was flees on mice and rats that were on them in cargo ships.  So, the virus was spread throughout Europe in trading vessels.

[Dog Soldier]

Just now, Moshe said:

The Black Death exists in NM, and is carried still by rats and mice, along with the Hantavirus.  Prairie Dogs were not responsible for the Original Black Death, it was flees on mice and rats that were on them in cargo ships.  So, the virus was spread throughout Europe in trading vessels.

Yes there are no Euro-Prairie Dogs as far as I know. That said, the P'Dogs are cousins to the rats. The early explorers and Mtn Men ate the dogs considered a delegacy. They set fishing lines in the P'dog towns with baited hooks. They could catch hundreds of dog to eat. The Hantavirus/Navajo Disease is deadly. Some one it seems die near here every year. 

[PNWguy]

Prairie dogs are big bucks in Japan...  258,000 yen at the local pet shop, or around $2600.  For a dang prairie dog...

 

[Valmet]

A prairie dog “hunt” is something I’ve always wanted to do I’ve just never taken the time/spent the money. I’m not much of a hunter anymore but that’s still on my list. 

[Dog Soldier]

3 hours ago, Valmet said:

A prairie dog “hunt” is something I’ve always wanted to do I’ve just never taken the time/spent the money. I’m not much of a hunter anymore but that’s still on my list. 

I don't know where you live?  But if you are serious, I will help you live that dream. We are located in SW Wyoming. 

[Valmet]

40 minutes ago, Dog Soldier said:

I don't know where you live?  But if you are serious, I will help you live that dream. We are located in SW Wyoming. 

That is very kind. I’m in Richmond, Va but am hoping to get out your way sometime in the next year or two...

[Dog Soldier]

Well if you decide to come West? Just drive to the Rocky Mtns and turn right. I am sure we can provide you with some Varmint shooting. 

[jmax]

When I lived in CO used to go to the prairie grasslands East of Ft Collins to shoot the darlings. They got poisoned out so I tried the grasslands near  Casper WY with some friends and in two days seriously degraded the throat on my 700 BDL with hundreds of clean shots. Had a 223 and 22 LR for backup and had to leave with no ammo and great memories. Had to go back into Casper to a local grocery store to buy powder, primers, bullets and steak after the first day to reload that night. My shooting partners had presses setup for neck sizing so I was able to stay in the game. If you ever get to go you cannot have enough ammo or rifles. ?