P-dogs The Truth about hunting them

Bowhntr6pt

Bowhntr6pt

Well-known member
OK... it's been years since I last investigated the idea of shooting prairie dogs but the kids are grown now, I've long since retired from the Army, and I'm half way to a second retirement.

I have the time but not lots of $$ so I thought I'd ask straight up questions here about going to SD or the likes to finally do something I've always wanted to do... shoot prairie dogs.

I'm in central FL and have the option of driving, taking in the sights on the way to/from, or fly.

To those who have done the guide thing and self-hunt thing, what's your recommendation? What state(s) should I consider?

Seems a guided hunt will be about $1,200 +/- for three days... looks like a good trouble-free option and not too pricy considering, or not?

Seems the days of just driving around hunting private land are gone, or so I've read, which I find understanding and not surprising... I hunt deer and hogs down here on my own property and private property I have access to so I get it.

It's June now, I'm late for this year I suppose so I'm starting to really look hard at next Spring.

Comments and recommendations welcome... thanks.
 
I have never hunted PD's, but always wanted to. Our situations are similar as far as retirement. The plan I have come up with is to go on a fully guided one day hunt to learn the basics as to what is needed and the "rules of the road". After that I will attempt to go it alone as to finding a place to shoot, lodging etc. That does not mean I won't have to pay to hunt, but I won't need a guide, transportation to the place to shoot, a bench or lunch. I am disabled, so I need to be able to hunt at my own pace.
 
Originally Posted By: cmatera I have never hunted PD's, but always wanted to. Our situations are similar as far as retirement. The plan I have come up with is to go on a fully guided one day hunt to learn the basics as to what is needed and the "rules of the road". After that I will attempt to go it alone as to finding a place to shoot, lodging etc. That does not mean I won't have to pay to hunt, but I won't need a guide, transportation to the place to shoot, a bench or lunch. I am disabled, so I need to be able to hunt at my own pace.

Kind of what my thoughts were... spend some time either pre-hunt or post-hunt getting a feel for other areas and opportunities.
 
Truth in some areas, even ranchers charging for pd shoots will poison towns for hay production. Usually happens when hay prices are high and the precipitation predictions are above normal.
 
Twenty years ago I would of drawn you a map and sent you on your way. Unfortunately things change and my old "hot spots" could be all dried up or charging for all I know. As a rule west of the Missouri in SD and you could find dog towns fairly easily.
Don't know what's like today.
 
I don't know what hay is paying, but If i was a farmer or rancher out there, and had a town, i might have to do the math really carefully if you have people showing up and for 3 people and a couple of days be allowed to shoot will pay $1,200 I might be hesitant to gas them out vs. charge for bed and breakfast and for field access to shoot a pest I don't have to feed.

if a big round bail is going for $41 and a ton of Alphalpha is going for $134 you would have to grow a lot of hay to offset what the shooters are willing to pay. Seems like a lot less work too.
https://www.google.com/search?q=price+pe...me&ie=UTF-8
 
I'm like you, retired from the Army but done with my second retirement. It's great!! Last Monday I went with 4 other guys to a ranch in western Nebraska just south of the South Dakota border and a bit east of Wyoming. We hunted for 4 days on three different ranches. We stayed at a ranch that caters to hunters. We had lodging with air conditioning, wifi, satellite television and a clothes washer and dryer. We paid for a cook to come in and make meals rather than try to cook for ourselves. He fed us well, very well and stuffed after each meal. The rancher also provided two atv's to carry us to the dog towns. Lodging, food and hunting rights cost us $300 a day and he charged us $125 for the atv's for the 4 days. The ranch also has a small lake where we fished and his wife asked us to shoot rabbits that were eating up her garden. Between 5:30 and 7:30 we shot rabbits, had breakfast and then shot dogs. The owners were friendly and very gracious. He also has camper spots with electric for a very reasonable price.
 
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41 dollar round bales? Jiggs bermuda goes for 65 to 80 here depending upon the field. A long time jarhead friend sells it to me for 60. Alfalfa will set you back 45 per 120lbs bale.
 
I live in Illinois, nowhere near varmints, and I've been out west for prairie dogs 11 times. The first couple times I took a friend who had never been, and wanted to go real bad, and we hired a guide from an advertisement in the Varmint Hunters' Association Magazine. We stayed in fleabag motels each time, pretty close to the ranches where we were to shoot in South Dakota. It was the right way to go to start out, because not only did we get into shooting right away without having to do any scouting, but the guide gave us a lot of tips on windage and elevation adjustment. Once you get the shooting and range estimation thing down, then you can start to venture out on your own. For the next few trips I took new partners, or even went by myself and found that I could get a fleabag motel close to US Forest Service land and then ask the District Ranger where the dog towns were. Some of the rangers actually had maps of where the towns were. A little extra work, maybe, but no guide fees! I also had good luck on the Indian reservations in North and South Dakota. There I just stayed at the local casino hotel and phoned the tribal headquarters for a guide. The guides and license fees are cheap on the reservations, and I even made friends with a guide, who I still contact from time to time.

So I guess I'm recommending going with some kind of guide service on your first and maybe second trip, just to get a feel for how it works, and so your first experiences are positive. Then you can do-it-yourself, or like me, go upscale and find a big game ranch with a luxurious lodge to stay in and have their guides take you out for shooting. They bring a nice lunch and some will even make you breakfast and dinner.

Also, since you've never been, you can only read about what calibers guys are using and for what reason. But you never really know what your favorite will be until you go yourself. I started with a .220 Swift and a .257 Ackley. They were incredible on range and destruction, but the barrels suffered, and so did the shooter after long sessions with big recoil. Then I went with a .222 Rem. Mag and a 6mm TCU. They had great accuracy, were comfortable to shoot and the barrels lasted a long time. However, they didn't have the splatter effect of the bigger cartridges. After trying .22-250, .243 Win. and .25-06, I've arrived back where I started: .220 Swift. I have learned to pace myself and keep the barrel clean.

You, however, may relish the high volume shooting, or you may really get into long-range accuracy shooting. I particularly like the cartwheels and acrobatics, which the Swift delivers.

Good luck!
 
Slancey, just do its clear. Since you memtioned District Ranger and US Ferrest land, I take it that a lot of the p-dog towns are on public land?
Me and a buddy are trying to plan a trip but we are green green!

For grins and giggles, what bullet and velocity are you shooting in your Swift?
 
A lot of public land has prairie dog towns, and most of it can be hunted. But there are also a lot of towns on ranch land, so for that, you need a guide or a rancher. You can do a search for varmint shooting on ranches, mostly the kind of ranches that offer big game hunting. It's easier to go on public land, but it's more effort.

I shoot the 50-grain V-Max, and right now I'm at 3900. My goal is a load at 4000, so I'm going to try H414/W760/AA2700 next. On one of my trips, I did a bullet test for explosiveness. I found the Nosler Ballistic Tip to be the hardest, so, less explosive. The old Barnes VLC and the Speer TNT were much more explosive consistently, and the Hornady V-Max and Sierra BlitzKing had the edge for most consistently explosive. All were 50 grains going at about 3475 in the .222 Mag. I think I'm partial to the V-Max, but the BlitzKing is a good substitute. The Nosler, though, may have been the most accurate, so if you're looking to get into the 500 yard club, try the Nosler.
 
Originally Posted By: slanceyThe Nosler, though, may have been the most accurate, so if you're looking to get into the 500 yard club, try the Nosler.

Or the 700 yard club for that matter. I took four prairie dogs between 680 and 705 yards in about 10 minutes using the 50 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips in my .223 AI. What a perfect day that was. The highlight of that trip to be sure.
 
Originally Posted By: slanceyA lot of public land has prairie dog towns, and most of it can be hunted. But there are also a lot of towns on ranch land, so for that, you need a guide or a rancher. You can do a search for varmint shooting on ranches, mostly the kind of ranches that offer big game hunting. It's easier to go on public land, but it's more effort.

I shoot the 50-grain V-Max, and right now I'm at 3900. My goal is a load at 4000, so I'm going to try H414/W760/AA2700 next. On one of my trips, I did a bullet test for explosiveness. I found the Nosler Ballistic Tip to be the hardest, so, less explosive. The old Barnes VLC and the Speer TNT were much more explosive consistently, and the Hornady V-Max and Sierra BlitzKing had the edge for most consistently explosive. All were 50 grains going at about 3475 in the .222 Mag. I think I'm partial to the V-Max, but the BlitzKing is a good substitute. The Nosler, though, may have been the most accurate, so if you're looking to get into the 500 yard club, try the Nosler.


Thanks for the land info Slancey.
If I may suggest, try the 53gr Vmax, its my favorite! I get some pretty exceptional velocities with the 53gr Vmax out of 3 of my .223 rifles now. They seem to like either a short jump (.010"-.015") or a longer jump around .060"
Give em a try, they have a high BC for their weight class. I have no problems with them at 500yds in a .223
 
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While I used to love to test the range on my rifles, the 500-yard club doesn't do it for me anymore. There isn't enough shock, even from a Swift, to cause as much damage at that range. And actually, I would rather make a sure hit at 250, than wing one and have it crawl back into its hole at 500. I tried the 55-grain bullets at 3600 in the 22-250 on an entire trip once, and they just didn't have enough expansion for me.
But, to each his own. It's why varminting is so much more complex than most people give it credit for. I like one aspect of it while others favor a completely different facet.
 
Slancey, the 53s do so much better in the wind than the 50s. I was playing with numbers a little. My .223 at 500yds delivers 488ft/lbs of energy and is running 2040fps with the 53 Vmax.
Your Swift with a 53Vmax at 3900fps would deliver 611ft/lbs.
Right now your Swift at 500yds with a 50 vmax at 3900 is delivering 452ft/lbs and is running 2018fps, (roughly).
These number are a little rough since it just basic velocity, BC, and bullet weight, plugged into a ballistic app., but its something to play with. I only memtioned 500yds because you mentioned the "500yd club", lol. I understand "pop" factor you are looking for.
Give them a chance and I think you will be satisfied.
Im a big fan of the Vmax also.
 
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Originally Posted By: slanceyWhile I used to love to test the range on my rifles, the 500-yard club doesn't do it for me anymore. There isn't enough shock, even from a Swift, to cause as much damage at that range.

A lot of truth there. The ones that I killed at the 700 yard mark showed little trauma. They were dead where they were hit but all just looking like they were taking a nap. A dirt nap of course.

I have since gone to a .243 AI for the longer pokes. A lot more powder and boom compared to the smaller rounds but without question the results at the "out chonder" distances are certainly more evident.
 
Lefty,
How does terminal performance with the 53 compare to the 50?
I definitely see the ballistic difference. Those 53s weren't available when I started shooting.
 
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