P-Dog shoot ???

[techshooter]

All:

I am going to contact Trophy Ridge Outfitters in Carlile, WY regarding a PDog shoot next year. My buddy in Virginia has talked to them, and he is fairly impressed. I'll let you know how my conversation goes.

My buddy and I usually try and hook up at a SD shooting location so we can shoot together, but we missed at the Garnos Ranch this year. I had to delay my trip by two weeks due to work interrupts. However, he had the same basic experience - great hosts, but the shooting was so-so, with little long range opportunities. We are hoping that this location may be much better.

 

[chuckw2]

Chris,
I've have heard some good things about those guys, from a guy in LA, Lower Alabama)


Chuck

 

[patchhound]

long range is no problem out here on most BLM land, i got two spots i go where the town extends past where i`ll even try to shoot with my 6br. so far my longest shot is about 800 yds and i`ll try at longer shots but with the wind it`s not worth waisting ammo. once i get my 7rm project done i`ll reach out a little further:comp:. i`m really hopping to find something big between here and Casper, it would be worth it to come out this way when i do- get a good motel, buy a lot of bottled water and have a blast.

 

[chuckw2]

Patch,
I haven't ever shot on BLM land. Is it crowded. The reason I stopped going to Rosebud years ago is everyone was on 4-wheelers and it was not safe. You would have bullets whizzing by you....

Chuck

 

[patchhound]

hey Chuck, i just got home from a good shoot about forty miles north of my town, on my way home from the 600yrd. range in Worland ) and the only soul in 10 square miles was me! i nailed 50+ p-dogs in three hours rangeing from 20ft. to between 550&600yrds. hunting season will start soon and that time of year makes me nervous, not as much for my safty but someone deer hunting over the hill i`m shooting. i stop useing match bullets and stick to V-Max only. i gueuss if i saw a deer standing next to me i`de start to be nervous LOL. to answer your question... i almost never see anybody out on BLM, if you didnt know, WY is the 5th largest state and our population is less than 500,000 so there`s lot`s of space in between everybody! also, if i do see any signs of anyboby else around i just go somewhere else...Shoot Safe!!!

 

[mikeinct]

now were getting somewhere...

 

[chuckw2]

Patchhound,
Which areas should I request BLM maps for? I looked on both the DNR and BLM sites and really could not tell whitch end is up. Where is the easiest place to buy maps???


Chuck

 

[patchhound]

Check out plicmapcenter.org/WY/. I just found this site and havent tried it yet but it looks like neat stuff. You can buy a map book of all WY BLM land here at almost any sporting good store.

 

[patchhound]

in my general area i`de look at lysight,sp),Casper,and other areas close to them. i`ve worked out that way and it looks very promising to find very large p-dog towns there. I just havent needed to go that far to shoot yet, but i`ll have a chance to scout it in a few weeks and by fall i can have something really good to come and see. when did you guys want to go here?

 

[chuckw2]

Mike,
My schedule is very flexible, I would like to make this trip at the very best time in 2007. Early spring would be great for me. I will have my shooting partner with me. We will fly because it is just too far to drive from GA.

When do you suggest we come? What month and which week of that month would you recommend?

I can go this year, if Mikeinct wants to go, but would rather wait until spring.

Mike what are your toughts?

Chuck

 

[mikeinct]

my thoughts were just as soon after labor day as is possible to not conflict with any big game hunters...I'm not sure of the seasons dates out there..but any reasonable chance to go west this year I'd sure like to try..I'll have to drive cause no way I can fly all my junk...Maybe fly..not sure, this is my first trip west to hunt...Fly fishing junk is bad enough on a plane..mike in ct

 

[patchhound]

hey Mike in ct, i don`t know if you want me to even get started about the fishing here! i`ll just say, if you come, you`ll want to take that fly fishing junk too. i live 10 miles north of the Wind River canyon and i know it well. i consiter a trout under 18``s small...i`ve seen ones over 10 lbs but my biggest is a 7lb, 26.5" cut-bow,she`s still there too!) wanna meet?

 

[mikeinct]

I'm going to hate myself for starting this thread...mike

 

[chuckw2]

Anyone shoot any dogs lately???

 

[techshooter]

No dogs lately, but I am about to pull the trigger on next years trip, in mid May. I'll be going to Carlile, WY, and staying at Trophy Ridge Outfitters. Besides a good chat with Ralph at TRO, I called a couple of his references, and it looks really good. I'll have my 6 Dasher up by then, and will get the 6.5-284 straightened out as well.

 

[chuckw2]

Chris,

What time of the year are you going and about what does it cost per day at TRO?


How did you find out about them?

 

[techshooter]

Chuck:

I'm planning on the middle of May, so that the weather is OK, and the grass is not too tall. Once the grass gets over about a foot tall, it is hard to spot the dogs crawling around outside the mounds, especially at 1000+ yards. I have found that a hit out in the open is much better than one on the mound, as the dog often does not DFO,dead fall over), but crawls to his hole and dies there if you hit him on or near the mound. Out in the open allows a better chance of a corpse, and a recorded kill. I am going for my 1500 yard VHA award this next trip.

The search for a new place was on right after returning from Presho this year, and Chris,the other Chris) out in VA has been looking as well. We found TRO via the VHA magazine, and after a few calls to Ralph at TRO, plus some calls to a few references,all excellent BTW), we decided to go with TRO. As a plus for me, it is about 4 hours less driving than mid SD, but worse by that amount for Chris. Ralph assures me that 1500+ yard shots are easy and there are lots of dogs. There is little PDog shooting around his area.

Cheers,

cdl

 

[techshooter]

All:

Against my instincts to keep this place a secret, here is an update on my prairie dog trip to Wyoming this month. I went to Carlile, WY, and enjoyed the hospitality and services of Ralph and Lenora Dampman at Trophy Ridge Outfitters. The trip was fantastic. I could not have asked for a better time. The shooting was great, the accommodations were great, the weather was great, and best of all, that part of the country is spectacular. The amount of game in that area was incredible.

Almost no targets available past 1500 yards due to very tall grass, but got one at 1330, and missed one,twice!) at 1650. Lots and lots of hits at ranges of 1100 yards and below. Maybe next year for the 1500+ …

A full report on the trip can be found here:

http://www.the-long-family.com/2007_TRO_hunting_trip.htm

I can, without hesitation, recommend TRO to anyone that is looking for a quality experience.

Cheers,

 

[tuck2]

Before comming out west to shoot prairie dogs check with the state Game and Fish Commision to find out in which areas the prairie dogs have died off by the plague whiich is carried on the prairie dog fleas. There are a number of prairie dog towns that have died off from the plague in the area I live. But, There is still some good shooting.