Some questions about Prairie Dog Hunting

K

kersmack

New member
I'm planning a prairie dog hunt and have a some questions. What is the best time of year to hunt them?
Can you have productive hunts in the winter?
How much should a no frills, semi-guided, hunt cost per day?
Can anyone recommend an outfitter?
Any other pertinent information you could give me would be appreciated.
Thanks for any input.
 
Just from limited observations, PDs love the sun & low wind.

Some of the guys that have local areas, have reported cold doesn't really affect them but I would have a hard time spending the time and expense, taking a chance on winter shooting as I have to drive at least 700 miles to get to them.

If you don't have any place to go, or know someone in the locale, a paid guide or shooting priviledge, is a lot more productive than trying to find some place 'on the fly' as you will spend a lot of time trying to gain permissions.

Where we have been going, we pay $25 per night for excellent lodging and access to about 75,000 acres, but no food or guide so we still have to find the towns, but that property is secret, as will be most of the locations that people regularly shoot.

I know of an outfitter in Montana that charges $150 per day for Lodging, Food, and guide/transportation services and will probably be trying there next year.

Not to sound unfriendly, but good shooting locations are getting fairly scarce, so most keep their location pretty tight.

PS... Welcome to the board, if you search some of the archives, you will find a lot of information on a variety of subjects and maybe get some good ideas about starting out. If you list your location in you personal information, you might find someone close to you to help get you started.
 
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Depends on how far you have to go. I can go shoot them any time the sun is shinin. If you are making a trip out of it I would go in May.

Only if you can shoot in the winter. Anyone who lives in the midst of pds will tell you they don't give a rats axx what time of year it is, they still come out. I am going next weekend (I can assure you it is still winter in CO)and I wouldn't bother if I thought I wouldn't get to shoot.

What is a 'semi guide'....a guy who only takes you half way ?
You don't need a guide (when it comes to prairie dogs, a guide is a joke). Remember you aren't "hunting"...hunting implies you are looking for something, you are shooting.

Nope....don't know anyone who does that
 
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May is when all the young, stupid ones are out. You can shoot a lot of ammo. Memorial Day weekend is about the best time of year to shoot in my opinion. The targets are a lot smaller, but they will let you shoot at them several times usually before they go down the hole. 2 or 3 kills on the same mound are not uncommon. They are out in the winter also but a lot more educated. I just shot some the weekend after thanksgiving and got some pretty good shooting but not like in the spring. Good luck.
 
Ditto on the notion of a guide. However, sometimes it makes sense to pay to get on certain shooting grounds. There are a couple of ranches that have been worth the fee and paying to hunt the Rosebud is $$ well spent anytime, IMHO. Don't know where you call home but if you are traveling any distance, I feel that a few bucks to get you shooting right away is well spent unless of course you have someone that is going to share their private "honey-hole". You can spend a lot of time and $$$ finding a place to shoot.

The "pay-for-sex" conversation surfaces regularly around here.
 
All the above is pretty accurate. Dogs come out as long as there is sun. However I got a local upset at me because I said I was going out in April. He thought I should wait till mid May or June to let the pups wein from momma, so that is up to you. As far as paying for a guide I understand the concern to go so far and not find anything to shoot at, it would be a real bummer. As far as the comment "Paying for sex" , we all got married didn't we /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Tell ya what send me $300 and I'll draw you a map /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif If you make it out as far as south western Wyoming let me know. We'll have a cup of coffee and bust a cap.
 
Ditto on paying to hunt the Rosebud Rez.

There's an outfit down in Clovis, NM that gives pretty good value too reputedly, but I can't find the link or remember the name (help me here guys).

I don't see anything at all wrong with someone who is coming from a long ways away and is on a schedule, paying to be able to spend his time shooting, instead of driving around looking for shooting ground.
 
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As far as the comment "Paying for sex" , we all got married didn't we?



Had to think about that for a minute or two. All I can say over 30+ years I've gotten more for my money in PD shooting.
 
Here's some important info......I think..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

Colorado Halts Springtime Prairie Dog Shooting on Public Lands by Josh Pollock

on Thursday, September 07, 2006

Today the Colorado Wildlife Commission voted to close public lands in Colorado to all prairie dog shooting between March 1st and June 15th. Now Wyoming is the only state within the white-tailed prairie dog's range to allow unrestricted recreational target shooting of prairie dogs while they are breeding and nursing their pups (Montana closed federal lands to white-tailed prairie dog shooting year-round beginning in 2002, and Utah adopted April 1st-June 15th closures on public lands back in 2003).
 
I shoot the little bastxrds for my sister on farm property....letting them reproduce or grow up is not on the agenda. Every year they spread farther and farther out into the wheat fields. Every year my brother in law threatens to poison them ....one day he will. Cyanide takes NO PRISONERS....it kills them with out regard for 'where they are in the cycle of life'. So much for waiting.........

The CO DOW requires farmers who are leasing state lands to "control prairie dog" depredation thru the use of poisons. So their little game of letting them grow up or closing the season is a friggin joke.

I have a list of names of farm owners who are leasing state lands who will be more than happy to confirm this and give locations of where this is currently being done, parcel/lot and GPS coordinates.
 
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Dang SKB......... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I didn't mean to tick you off..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Seriously, I understand your point. Lots of regs here are questionable. Makes you think they are playing politics with the Humane Society, huh? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
No prob...Hil
Its just that as a family member with a sister who helps scratch out a living on the prairie farming it is absolutely insane to suggest she or anyone else wait to kill them.

It would be like you waiting to kill the rats ("let's let them grow a little bigger") in your house or waiting to get rid of a case of the crabs....that ain't happenin.

And the state government rulings for public land are such a joke to private land owners and to anyone in the farming community that leases state owned land. I know I listen.......

PS we don't wait for coyotes to grow up either...they kill all other small animals.
 
CO has been Kalifornicated to a large degree. It's OK to use taxpayer money to poison them, but O'MGOD, don't let those nasty subhuman hunters shoot them, that would be cruel. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif

Point of interest. It only takes 10 p-dogs to eat (or kill) as much grass as will feed a steer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angry-smiley-055.gif
 
One other thing to remember about Colorado. You are prohibited from hunting black-tailed prairie dogs, virtually everywhere on the eastern plains of the state....

White-tailed & Gunnison prairie dogs*; Wyoming (Richardson's) ground squirrels; European starlings; English or house sparrows Year-round Statewide; *Note: As of printing, the Wildlife Commission was considering regulations that could place seasonal closures on the take of prairie dogs on public land. A final decision is expected in Sept.


Black-tailed prairie dogs Hunting prohibited east of I-25 and in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Custer, Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, Jefferson, Las Animas, Larimer, Pueblo & Weld counties. Note: As of printing, the Wildlife Commission was considering changes to prairie dog seasons. A final decision is expected in Sept.

Call (303) 297-1192 for information about lawful damage control methods.
 
Meaningless law

Consider this.......you can shoot pds on private land in eastern CO. So what ...I need a note from my sister.

99% of eastern CO is private.
The parts that are not private are leased by landowners from the state making them essentially private.

I do it all the time. Don't even need a license at my sisters place.
 
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The CO DOW requires farmers who are leasing state lands to "control prairie dog" depredation thru the use of poisons. So their little game of letting them grow up or closing the season is a friggin joke.



Hey SKB, what about "lead" poisoning?
 
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