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  #1  
Old 01-07-2020, 11:45 PM
Couch_hound Couch_hound is offline
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Location: Mystic,Ct
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Default First prairie dog hunt

Not sure if this is the right place to discuss this but here goes. I’m in the planning stages of my first prairie dog hunt. Plan to make it a nice road trip with my 21 year old son. Will be traveling from Mystic Ct looking for some helpful hints or opinions on how to go about it. What to bring, how many shots to expect to take rifle choices and so on any info would be much appreciated. I’ve got one shot at this would like to make the most of it.
Rifle choices at the moment are.
250-3000AI Mauser custom
22-250AI Ruger MK II
222 Rem Anschutz 1740
22 K Hornet Ruger 77/22
20 Killer Bee Ruger #1
17 Mach IV Cooper 21
Also suggestions on the best place to go I would like to do a one stop outfit which includes food lodging guide and so on. Thank you for all your help in advance guys. Lobsters I can find no problem but don’t no anything about PD’s.
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  #2  
Old 01-08-2020, 12:48 AM
Gary in Illinois Gary in Illinois is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Couch_hound View Post
Not sure if this is the right place to discuss this but here goes. I’m in the planning stages of my first prairie dog hunt. Plan to make it a nice road trip with my 21 year old son. Will be traveling from Mystic Ct looking for some helpful hints or opinions on how to go about it. What to bring, how many shots to expect to take rifle choices and so on any info would be much appreciated. I’ve got one shot at this would like to make the most of it.
Rifle choices at the moment are.
250-3000AI Mauser custom (NO - overkill & tiring to shoot)
22-250AI Ruger MK II (NO - overkill & tiring to shoot)
222 Rem Anschutz 1740 (ok)
22 K Hornet Ruger 77/22 (ok for short range)
20 Killer Bee Ruger #1 (excellent cartridge but loading is problematic from bags)
17 Mach IV Cooper 21 (best overall choice in my opinion)
Also suggestions on the best place to go I would like to do a one stop outfit which includes food lodging guide and so on. Thank you for all your help in advance guys. Lobsters I can find no problem but don’t no anything about PD’s.
See my (opinionated) comments above

PM me about location
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  #3  
Old 01-08-2020, 05:14 AM
georgeld georgeld is offline
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Couple things.

Forget a guide! Spend that chunk on more ammo and
drinks etc.

Take 500 rnds for each of those guns and take 'em all.
Once you get into a big town you'll get to shooting so rapidly
it can and will burn barrels up. Shoot about ten rounds, open the bolt
and set it aside and use another one about the same and save your
rifles.

Get some USGS, and or county maps of where you decide to go.
Locate BLM, or National grasslands. 80% of Wyoming and most
western states are public land free to use and shoot on and camp on.
IF you'd rather camp out than rent a motel.

Dakota's, Wyoming, I think some of MT and Nebraska would be places to
check out.

Bring both suntan lotion, cold weather clothes as you never know what
it's going to be like out here even in summer. Decide if you'll be shooting
prone, bring a mat and bipods for each gun. An empty bucket for brass for
each shooter. AND IF you can, get a shooting table that makes it much
less an ordeal.

I don't know about those states, CO you'll have to buy a small game license
I think will run close to $80 these days from what I was reading the other
night.

IT would be good if you have a 4x4 just in case it rains while you're out in
the grasslands. Mud can get deep. Make sure you have a big cooler full
of eats and drinks at all times just in case you get stranded somewhere for
a couple days.

Best wishes, hope you make it and have a good time.
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"Gun Control is NOT about guns,
it's about CONTROL!!"
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  #4  
Old 01-08-2020, 01:11 PM
Gary in Illinois Gary in Illinois is offline
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Location: Taylorville, Illinois
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Default Prairie dog shoot

Based on the (somewhat limited) shooting I have done, I would offer the following suggestions:

Bring the best pair of binoculars you can afford (not spotting scope) - 8-10 power works well
Variable power scopes work very well, fixed moderate power power scopes work well, above 14 - 16 power, not so much
Bring a brimmed hat, sunscreen, long pants, long sleeve shirts, lots of water, layers of clothing, leather boots (cactus thorns can penetrate tennis shoes!)
Hearing protection, shooting glasses / sunglasses
A rotating shooting bench is very useful if available / affordable
Rimfire rifle useful for closer shots (17 WSM or 17 HMR are good choices)
3 or 4 suitable rifles are likely enough to rotate
Bring as much ammunition as you can; you can always take it back with you
If you plan to reload there, it will be MUCH easier to do in the cabin rather than in the field as it is usually VERY windy

Others experiences may differ but these are things that have worked well for me.
Enjoy!

PS - While I am sharing opinions, I will say that a 20 VarTarg or 20/222 with a 10 or 11 twist barrel is the perfect prairie dog cartridge.
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Gary

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Last edited by Gary in Illinois; 01-08-2020 at 01:18 PM.
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  #5  
Old 01-08-2020, 02:16 PM
Bill K Bill K is offline
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Location: N.E. Kommie Kalifornia
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I would say put your plans into action along the lines that Gary outlined, they will work and you will have a lot of fun enjoying the trip and shoot. Bill K
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  #6  
Old 01-08-2020, 02:39 PM
jimreed1948 jimreed1948 is offline
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Location: Clarksville, TN
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A lot of folks will tell you not to use a guide and talk with the different land owners in the area you want to hunt. What a crock of information that is. Picture going to a state you have never been in, driving around trying to find somewhere to hunt. You might as well be looking for the arc of the covenant. I think you will find it a waste of your time and money. Look for a reputable guide in the state(s) you may be going to. Also check the Fish & Game or Wildlife departments in the state you want to go to. They sometimes have listing of guides. Continue to Google prairie dog hunting by different search names. A lot of the big hunting services do prairie dog hunts in their off season.

I plan on doing a hunt in Wyoming or the Dakotas this year and don't know anyone up there, so I'll rely on a guide to at least get me in the right area of the state. I've used Tim Titus to hunt sage rats in Oregon and it was a great hunt, No-Off-Season.

Ultimate Prairie Dog Hunting - This is a good place to start. Also check out the Long Range Hunting Forum-Varmint Hunting. I've seen some post over there with guys that have had good hunts with guides.
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  #7  
Old 01-08-2020, 03:06 PM
df06 df06 is offline
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Default PDs

I’ve gone after them 25 plus times in Sodak and Wy.
If you have lots of time to waste, drive out, get a map, and see if you can find a place to shoot. In my view, a total waste of time that could be used for shooting. You might find a place to shoot, or you may spend days looking for a place to shoot. In the good old days free PD shooting was easy to find. It has become more commercial, like it or not. Spend a couple hundred bucks a day and have place(s) to shoot upon arrival.
I’d bring at least 300 rounds per day, 500 is better.
I bring a 22-250 but don’t shoot it much. You don’t need anything bigger.
My preferred cartridges are a combination of these, 223, 22PPC, 204R, 17 Rem, 17FB, 22H, 17H, 20 VT.
Bring clothes that can be layered for temps from 35-85 degrees.
Binoculars, 8-10x a must.
Shooting benches a must, the ones that rotate are preferred.
Sunglasses, big brimmed hat, insect repellant, sun block are very useful.
Have fun.
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  #8  
Old 01-08-2020, 03:19 PM
drover drover is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: central Idaho muntains
Posts: 266
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Couch_hound View Post
Not sure if this is the right place to discuss this but here goes. I’m in the planning stages of my first prairie dog hunt. Plan to make it a nice road trip with my 21 year old son. Will be traveling from Mystic Ct looking for some helpful hints or opinions on how to go about it. What to bring, how many shots to expect to take rifle choices and so on any info would be much appreciated. I’ve got one shot at this would like to make the most of it.
Rifle choices at the moment are.
250-3000AI Mauser custom
22-250AI Ruger MK II
222 Rem Anschutz 1740
22 K Hornet Ruger 77/22
20 Killer Bee Ruger #1
17 Mach IV Cooper 21
Also suggestions on the best place to go I would like to do a one stop outfit which includes food lodging guide and so on. Thank you for all your help in advance guys. Lobsters I can find no problem but don’t no anything about PD’s.
I strongly advise you to stay with your plan of a guide,lodging, etc, it is easy to be within a quarter of mile of a great PD town and not know it's there because it is just over the rise and you can't see it. Or what is worse is seeing a PD town where there are no houses around for miles and you have no idea who the owner is or how to go about getting permission to shoot it. You can burn up a lot of time trying to find a place to shoot, or even finding a place that has PD's to shoot. Try Googling PD guides for the area you want, get references and check them out.

As far as the rifle list - I would not bother with the 250/3000, load up some rounds for the 22-250 for the extreme long shots otherwise concentrate on the smaller calibers, you will find them less tiring and more fun because you can see the action through your rifle scope - something that is not always possible with the 22-250.

I have shot PD's and ground squirrels for decades and anything more than 300 - 350 rounds per day total becomes tiring and less fun, since there will be two of you shooting figure somewhere around 600 rounds per day per gun for ammo. A good pair of binocs is a great asset. Take lots of sunshade and a good cap or hat to keep the sun off as much as possible.

I agree with Gary's advice, he pretty well covered it.

It should be a great trip for you and your son - I hope you enjoy it.

drover
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  #9  
Old 01-08-2020, 03:54 PM
moorepower moorepower is offline
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Last summer the Pdog population in the Wyoming Thunder basin national grass lands, were still hurting badly from the plague that went through a couple of years ago. Some friends got me on a couple of towns and shots were 200-600 yds. I think this year I am heading further north up into Montana to shoot where the plague has not been. Don't overlook South Dakota and North Dakota.
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  #10  
Old 01-08-2020, 04:37 PM
TinMan TinMan is offline
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I will add to bring a decent laser rangefinder, since nobody else has mentioned it yet. Shots will typically be 200-600yds. I brought a 22WMR once and never had a chance to use it in early June, and haven't bothered to bring rimfires since.
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