Help: Wanting to Prairie Dog Hunt

[centershot]

I believe they hibernate.

 

[Drolds72]

Seems like they wake back up and bring the pups out in mid-late March on the Western slope of CO. The little fellers are more of a challenge! If you are going in the summer on a DIY hunt, buy or borrow one of those tailgate tents for shade, so you don't cook all day.

 

[MislMan]

Varminter (magazine) .... for you folks that remember Varminter magazine, go to Varminter.com. That is the on-line version of the magazine (which is no longer in circulation. The website says “ est. in 1997”

 

[Wirelessguy2005]

Primetime for pdogs is late may thru June, if you go earlier you will likely encounter a wide range of weather and if you go later the Temps are extremely high. When the Temps get too high the majority of pdogs will go down Into their burrows. If you Google search prairie dog guides you will find a ton of them in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and the Dakotas. I would recommend using a guide service the first time and asking around while you are in town to lineup some landowner contacts/spots to shoot on for the following year.

Unfortunately, we have never been on a pdog hunt. is it best to go in Summer, or anytime? we were thinking about going in late June, early July. We would consider a guide, but was in hopes to locate a private land owner that would accommodate our adventure! any recommendations on guides or how to get in touch with private land owners? any information would be GREATLY APPRECIATED...
Thank you for reaching out to me on this forum

 

[centershot]

I went last year in Arizona, Not very productive. Did notice that they took a siesta about 2:00. Good time to eat your lunch. Came out about 3:00.

 

[drover]

Unfortunately, we have never been on a pdog hunt. is it best to go in Summer, or anytime? we were thinking about going in late June, early July. We would consider a guide, but was in hopes to locate a private land owner that would accommodate our adventure! any recommendations on guides or how to get in touch with private land owners? any information would be GREATLY APPRECIATED...
Thank you for reaching out to me on this forum

My .02 cents - I have lived in ground squirrel / PD country all of my life and I am frequently referred to as being "older than dirt", I have been shooting them for decades. I have been at the PD game for a long time and have worn out a lot of barrels doing it.

While some of the advice you are getting is good for it to work you also have to be a bit lucky.
Quite often on these threads the advice given is to stop at the cafes where the locals hang out and ask them, or go the feed mill, or knock on farm house doors. While this may work occasionally (if you are lucky) unless you have unlimited time you will burn up most of your trip trying to find some place to shoot. You could easily spend a 2 or 3 days just trying to find some shooting.

Google up PD guides find one that you can afford and has good recommendations and pay the money and get some shooting in, meanwhile study the country and the next trip you can come back better prepared for a self-guided trip. Many folks who have not been in PD country are under the impression that they are everywhere - not so. Quite often you may not have seen a PD for miles and then you pop over a hill and there is a town of them, you need to find an area where there is at least a possibility of some shooting.

Also be sure and take a 22 LR or 17 HMR because often where you find PD's there are ground squirrels and they can be just as much fun as PD's and a lot more shooting when you get into a colony of them.

drover

 

[STS]

I believe they hibernate.

P-Dogs don't hibernate. I've shot them every month of the year. If you get a relatively warm day in the winter there will be some out and about. They don't put up with a lot of shooting like they do in better weather but they will be out.

 

[L.Sherm]

Praire dogs don't hibernate the ground squirrels ( gophers) do. I have seen them come up as early as early March though.