Cash Crop Prairie Dogs

[Medic505]

OK Medic, l am about 5 miles from the Augusta National Golf Course. Being literally forced to make the area my home almost 50yrs ago by Uncle Sam's Army l have visited the course a couple times during the MASTERS watching guys whacking a little white pimpled ball with a stick. Also listening to the crowd ooooh
and aaaaah over those whacks. No comparison to MY WHACK on a Prairie Dog with a 40gr VMAX@3800fps!

I would pay good money to just walk Augusta. I'm not a golfer, but that has to rank pretty high amongst the prettiest places in the world.

 

[EvanB]

Just returned from a ranch in Kadoka, SD. Was going to stay 4 days at $200 a day per man but the lodge (old ranch house) was real nasty and he had in dog town that I would call "fair" at best. Shot one day and headed home to Georgia. Looking for next year opportunity. Anyone got a place they want to share?

 

[sdbob]

You can still find places to shoot but the numbers are down this year in South Dakota. The continued drought and more ranchers than ever are poisoning. Lot of cows will get sold off if the rain doesn’t come soon.

 

[markT]

I would pay good money to just walk Augusta. I'm not a golfer, but that has to rank pretty high amongst the prettiest places in the world.

Back years ago ( mid 90's ) my cousin had Masters tickets.. I was able to go with him to the Wednesday practice round... It was such a beautiful place and the golfers would be joking around with each other and BS with the crowds. Afterwards we would go to the "Gin Mill" just across the street and have a few beers.. Everyone there was polite, well mannered and there to have a good time.. Fast forward a few years and well we know what crowd just took a crap on us folks.. Anyway, very found memories of Augusta Nationals..

 

[jpx2rk]

Wife and I went to Augusta for a practice round back in the late 80's, before they implemented the lottery for getting tickets. A beautiful place, I walked the entire course, wife would take short cuts where ever possible and wait on me. I followed Jack, Arnie, Lee and Gary for one hole, what a sight to watch, all 4 of them would chat with the gallery, and Lee was constantly cracking jokes. Wife watches the Masters on Saturday and Sunday for the flowers, etc. If you ever have a chance to attend, don't pass it up. Don't pass up a chance to shoot a pdog either.

 

[snert]

Got hooked on shooting PD’s when doing a few Wyoming deer and antelope hunts, After you had tagged out, the guides would take you to the PD towns to burn the rest of your ammo where many “bets” were made among the hunters. I made enough money once to pay for my mule deer shoulder mount! Anyway, the PD shooting was intriguing so a buddy and I booked with a “guide” who was the teenage son of an outfitter earning summer money. After the first year, I started talking with a local on one of these forums who invited us to come hunt with him. We had a blast that year and have gone every year since except for the 2020 pandemic fiasco. We have met enough ranchers and had enough invites to come back that we can hunt a different ranch about every day. Our trips have been fine tuned from driving across country to now flying to Denver, rent a SUV and stay in a motel. This year, I found a deal on an Air BNB which will cost us about half of our usual motel charges and we can now cook our own meals to defray costs. Overall, it is somewhat pricey but it is also my vacation!

How did you transport the guns and ammo and benches?

 

[ken158]

To the question of transporting, we pack all our ammo and cleaning accessories, boots, etc and send FedEx Ground to my buddy’s house where we also have our benches stored in his large garage. We take 2 guns each with us in SKB cases and just jump through the TSA hoops which is not too bad. We ship our empty brass and usually some ammo back home at the end of our trip with our other accessories. FedEx is close to $2 a pound so you need to be aware of that.

 

[redrockranger]

speaking of kadoka, what is so hard about hitting a pdog???


View attachment 1255572

I thought that placed folded up years ago ?At one time was there not a small dog town part of it and you could feed the critters ? Rattlesnake i a box cage with hardware cloth inside and outside to keep stupid from getting bit ?

 

[vonb]

I spoke to my rancher buddy in West SD this week. He said the plague has been rough on the dog towns the last couple years.

 

[pcmacd]

Last thread I saw on the rising costs of Prairie dog shooting was in 2018. It has gone through the roof and has become a cash crop for many ranchers that have established "trespass fees" for shooters. No need to rehash the good ole days, I have been shooting them for 15 years. Was, free access most anywhere, "get them all". Now, after my rancher has "eradicated" his in effort to increase cattle production, I have searched for other grounds. Lowest price for package is $200 a day per shooter. Package includes use of old ranch house and exclusive use of ranch for booked days. Acreage over 10,000, most dogs right at ranch house or within 1 mile.

What really spurred this thread, I was quoted from $300 to $800 (called guided) hunts without lodging, and starting at $400 depending on lodging. All inclusive with meals was over $1000 per day per person.

I live in Georgia so adding fuel and ammo even at $200 a day, it really bites. It used to be fun but I think I am being priced out of the game, sort of like Pro Baseball, Football and NASCAR.
View attachment 1252849

These fools should be PAYING YOU for eradicating varmints that make holes in the ground that break a steer's legs?

I mean, seriously? That's just stupid. They should advertise and let people on their land for free.

Further, it is my understanding that a dog town can decimate an alfalfa field.

This is mind numbing. Whatbuncha short sighted F****its.

 

[Jtate]

Just returned from a ranch in Kadoka, SD. Was going to stay 4 days at $200 a day per man but the lodge (old ranch house) was real nasty and he had in dog town that I would call "fair" at best. Shot one day and headed home to Georgia. Looking for next year opportunity. Anyone got a place they want to share?

This why I would never pay. You went though the pain and expense to get to SD and planned on spending four days there, once the outfitter hunt was a bust why not spend the rest of the time looking for a free honey hole to shoot? You shoot prairie dogs you hunt for a place to do it.

 

[markT]

What is interesting is after a dog town has been whiped out how nice the grass comes back. Those dogs do a good job on aeration and fertilization.

 

[wildcat3d]

The rich are getting richer. I don't know a poor person who owns 10K acres...

68W40

I don't know a poor person who owns even one acre!

 

[redrockranger]

These fools should be PAYING YOU for eradicating varmints that make holes in the ground that break a steer's legs?

I mean, seriously? That's just stupid. They should advertise and let people on their land for free.

Further, it is my understanding that a dog town can decimate an alfalfa field.

This is mind numbing. Whatbuncha short sighted F****its.

Why would any fool want live in KOMMIEFORNIA ???

 

[markT]

Why would any fool want live in KOMMIEFORNIA ???

There’s 39 million that live in CA. Lots of good people there but governed by fools. Really sad that such a beautiful state is in the state it’s in.
It’s really a case study to examine what has gone on there. No cars being mfgd there. Elon musk grew a brain and left. Ernest and Julio Gallo just bought 400 acres in SC ( of all places) to produce wine for east coast. You think taxes has anything to do with this decision? “Holly Weird” economy will wise up and leave too at some point.

 

[outasite`08]

OSB is now $48

https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/panel-products/osb-sheathing/1-2-x-4-x-8-osb/1242809/p-1444422395209-c-13330.htm?tid=-4532356866885713159&ipos=2

$52 here in Delaware. $10 for a 2x4x8 that could be used for a rocking chair. Jeff

 

[spencerhenry]

These fools should be PAYING YOU for eradicating varmints that make holes in the ground that break a steer's legs?

I mean, seriously? That's just stupid. They should advertise and let people on their land for free.

Further, it is my understanding that a dog town can decimate an alfalfa field.

This is mind numbing. Whatbuncha short sighted F****its.

Really? I'm guessing you are not a landowner.

Letting people on the land can be a can of worms. Some people don't watch their backstop and send bullets all over. Some people drive where they shouldn't. Some show up when you are not around and help themselves to some big game hunting. Some people just don't respect the property.
Break a steer's leg? not likely, they are damn tough animals with big heavy bones. Sure, ground squirrels and prairie dogs can make a mess, but the average shooter is not going to eradicate them.
I manage a 640 acre property with 220 acres of hayfield, I hit them hard and repeatedly, yet every year there are a couple hundred more to kill. It is all but impossible to exterminate them by shooting, especially when the grass gets taller. I can go out right now and only find a couple, but a week from now it will be the same thing. I suspect that most shooters, like me, would only kill the easy pickings and when the numbers got a little low would move on to somewhere else, leaving plenty more animals to tear things up and repopulate.

 

[redrockranger]

There’s 39 million that live in CA. Lots of good people there but governed by fools. Really sad that such a beautiful state is in the state it’s in.
It’s really a case study to examine what has gone on there. No cars being mfgd there. Elon musk grew a brain and left. Ernest and Julio Gallo just bought 400 acres in SC ( of all places) to produce wine for east coast. You think taxes has anything to do with this decision? “Holly Weird” economy will wise up and leave too at some point.

I agree up to a point. I admit i have family in Kommiefornia. This Marxist type thought has been taught in that state for decades. Good people have been dumbed down or brain washed in a subtle way. This process has extended north to Oregon and Washington state.

I would guess the same thing is happening on the east coast, where you live ? New York would be the epicenter and it extends more north but is working it's way towards you ?

Over time seeing blogs on these sights i have drawn the conclusion that many states have concerns of Kalifornia people relocating to their state and bringing their Marist views with them.

 

[markT]

People are moving to my state in droves. They come here to escape high taxes, crime and other reasons. But they will vote for same BS they left. How much sense does that make? All you have to do is strike up a conversation with one of them, play your Trump card and watch knees start jerking. They got money but Nothing between their ears.

 

[Pheasanthunter]

2018 we shot near TexLine Tx/NM. Ranch we were on was 110 sections. We asked about his neighbor. Rancher commented his neighbor was poor with only 26 sections. Section is a mile square or 600 acres

Actually a section is 640 acres