Prairie Dogs, some questions. . .

[CoGunNut]

Hey guys. I moved here from Indiana several years ago and have been wanting to go pop some of these critters for awhile.

Truth is, though, I don't know how to go about doing so. I hunted the area where I grew up, so I knew where I could go and where I couldn't.

Is there some way to find out where I can take the wife, who is looking forward to the same thing, and aid in the ridding of this furry pestilence?


Any help at all would be appreciated.

Thanks!

CoGunNut

[ncolz]

The easiest way is to drive around in the boonies, find a field with prairie dogs and politely ask the landowner if they'd mine you popping a few. If they say no, politely leave. If they say yes, agree on a date & time and be sure to clean up any brass and other trash you leave behind.

At least that's worked for me.

[sniper7]

most farmers are more than happy to have you take some of them out. always be nice. Hunting pheasants I have always offered to give them some of the meat, but with p dogs I would advise against it.

[wolffo]

finding good land to hunt east of denver can be time consuming, but it can be done, just need to knock on a lot of doors.

I spent two saturdays a few years ago driving around and scored access to two great pieces of property...so it can be done.

another option worth checking out is wyoming, over 50% of the state is BLM and National forest.
and the cool thing is that accoring to wyoming law even if a rancher has a lease on public land they cant keep you off it, yes they can put a fence up...but they have to let you have access to YOUR land.
and the best part is wyoming is infested with varmints of all kinds
anything smaller than a deer is pretty much fair game (a little exagerated, yes, but almost true, call WYO fish and game and they'll rattle off all the stuff you can shoot without a tag...all you need is a hunter safety card)

not so in colorado, however, a leased piece of BLM land can be restricted to public access, which is total bull$hit

[gnihcraes]

The further east you go, and the farther off the beaten road the better. Pick some small towns and ask the locals if anyone around is interested. I've shot on a farmers land for several years, only stipulation was "don't shoot the cows"... I think prarie dogs are like weeds, the more you kill, the more you get... ha.

some towns you might try, Akron, Wray, Holyoke, Yuma, Strausburg, Stratton, Burlington... all north and east (maybe a little south on a couple of them) Lots of dogs around Kit Carson where I shot lots, but all private land, some farmers not open to the shooting. (no other reason but for shooting themselves usually)

kc.

[GunTroll]

^ Prairie dog managing?? Greed? Trophy P-doggin? Hell I have seen ranches in WY charge to shoot p-dogs! Guided even!

[RRD3]

most farmers are more than happy to have you take some of them out. always be nice. Hunting pheasants I have always offered to give them some of the meat, but with p dogs I would advise against it.

P Dog stew anyone?

[sniper7]

P Dog stew anyone?

after me and guntroll went out on thursday, i think we could have fed all the homeless in denver at least 3 full meals.

[zombiehunter77]

I always get/have the owners mailing address, and send them a $20 bill for their
kindness, every time i hunt on their property, it may not be alot, but it will buy them some badly needed gas for their truck that week, and they really do appreiciate and remember it ...

[VDW]

I haven't taken the time to get into it, but wouldn't mind if I had a connection. Just be respectful and don't ruin it for the rest of us.

Just out of curiosity for those of you who do shoot dogs, what do you do with the carcass? Are landowners OK with leaving them out?

Oh yeah, I have to say it...aren't prarie dogs on the top of the list to be added to the Endangered Species Act as threatened?

(Seriously though, they are trying to get them added).