Prairie dogging checklist?

[ssv1761982]

Any things that are must haves to go prairie dogging? I hunt ground hogs in Ohio in jeans, a tee shirt, and sneakers.


Are tennis shoes good enough or are boots recommended?
Is 4 wheel drive a must?




Sunscreen and lots of water I am sure.

 

[waterfwlr]

Yes, sunscreen and water. I prefer boots because of possible wet grass and rattlesnakes. Rangefinder, bino's, spotting scope, tripod, sand bags, etc. Depending where you are going, a 4 wheel drive might be a must. The dirt out there when it gets wet, is SUPER slick. Much different than here in the east.

 

[areaone]

Cooler with ice, chair to sit in and observe your buddy miss.

 

[Prairiedogger]

If you have a shooting bench, you might bring it. Shooting mat, I found an old umbrella off some patio table that helps with the sun. It all depends on how much "stuff" you want to pack. Driving in is great but you may have to walk to the next hill.
4 wheel drive is not always needed. Driving off road--2 track is not smiled upon by land owners, and is technically illegal on public land. If your hunting private land, ask your host.

 

[pdog2062]

Where I go lip balm and sunscreen as well as some eye drops are nice

 

[strut64]

Load up at least 300 more rounds of ammo, Maybe 500 just in case.

 

[mmcu]

Boots, shooting bench, range finder, eye drops, ice chest for your ammo to keep it "cool" and an EZ-up (or similar) canopy.

 

[LCazador]

Take along a cleaning rod and cleaning paraphernalia. Also enough tools to take your rifle apart or tighten stock and scope screws. If you have a bench, take along a shooting rest or a good pair of shooting bags. For shooting standing, a good extension bipod or tripod will also add a lot of shooting you won't see from prone or a bench. I use a BogPod tripod and a Cabela's gobbler lounge and " take the shooting to them". I get near benchrest accuracy from the tripod and the gobbler lounge and the gobbler lounge puts me down close to the ground where I'm not so obvious to the prairie dogs.

 

[DogBuster]

rifle cleaning stuff....extra ammo/rifles....shootin' table & rests

No fun laying on ground with snakes & ants..table will give needed

elevation...cooler with ice/water/gateraide etc...food/snacks

sunscreen...first aid kit....Chapstick...wide brim hat & shades...

longsleeve shirt of some sort....jacket/coat....hearing protection

Tool kit...for rifle & truck.........remember too some western states

have seasonal closure Apr 15-June 15 on public land

 

[SBS]

If shooting off bench, be sure to bring a couple of different height back bags. Sometimes the elevation changes a lot, plus different stocks require different back bags. Be sure to check out your hearing protection vs. the headgear you wear to make sure it's compatible and comfortable for all day wear. When the sun is out, have some way to protect the back of your neck from it -- either a large hanky tucked under your cap or a cap/hat with a back extension. A light jacket is quite often needed for cool early mornings, particularly when the wind is up; have used a field jacket some mornings in June. Best to have a 4WD, but not totally necessary, just might limit your options. It is nice to have at least 6 ply tires (C rating). Have seen quite a few flats on passenger rated tires (tires with P prefix), what with the cactus, rocks, pieces of barbed wire, etc. Many pickups these days are outfitted with passenger tires (size with P prefix, 2 ply rating), and owners don't realize it. Not much in the way of tire service in many of these out of the way places.

 

[drover]

#1 item - find a place with some prairie dogs without them all other suggestions are for naught.

drover

 

[dsandfort]

I always take a revolver loaded with bird shot rounds. Never know when a "bird" might slither by..

 

[DogBuster]

Yea......no kiddin'......reminds me of this hungry guy..... ;D

Cute........but these guys are VERY ballsy....another reason not to

lay on the ground....right up your pant leg he'd go.......... :-[

 

[John from MN]

Not having a 4wd may mean carrying your gear in some circumstances. Even if you prefer to shoot from a bench, I would recommend bringing the essentials for comfortable prone shooting. The shooting mat Midway sells under their own name has saved me many cactus and insect problems.

I agree with the others that have recommended leather boots. I've come close to rattlers before. Always happens to me early in the day while they're sunning.

 

[searcher]

Aside from what others pointed out - I'd take some pre-moistened towelettes for wiping your hands off after cleaning firearms - and to wipe gunpowder residue off your face so doesn't go into eyes after hours of blasting and sweating. If you know somebody that has a satellite phone you can borrow - take it. Broad-berimmed hat.

 

[SBS]

Seems we all forgot insect repellent. Get the strongest you can find; sometimes the biting flies are fierce. I have soaked my socks in Deep Woods off and doesn't deter them a bit -- another reason to wear boots. My clothing is the old ripstop cotton jungle fatigues, pretty well insect proof and yet breathes well.

 

[DogBuster]

we have no bugs in Utah.........

>>>>haha<<<<<<<<<<

 

[bheadboy]

this is my son on a rig we use, you see the bench, chair, rest, etc, plus in the 4x4suburban, c rated tires, ice chest with water, food, damp hand towels to place on neck, chest for ammo, cleaning gear, and when the shooin is good and sun bad, a pop up awning that we move the shooting bench under -
+1 on boots, sun screen, lip balm, hat that muff don't conflict with

Bob

 

[Witchhunter]

Don't forget lunch. I use binoculars more than anything other than my guns. But our squirrels are a lot smaller than the Pdogs on the plains. I usually range spots and when the wind comes up, I check my wind meter to give me an idea of how much to lead em. I take a couple of towels and a jug of water too. Soak a towel and lay it on a hot barrel when that gun is cooling off. Barrels will get hot if they are left in the sun even without shooting them. I have been known to take a cigar or two, you know, to check the wind direction.....

 

[A_Gamehog]

1). No pets or children.
2). Most 2wd cars are fine if you stay on the beaten path.
3). I perfer to walk from my truck to shoot. The best dog towns can't be reached from a road thus the road hunters miss them.
4). Back pack for liquids and food. Extra ammo. Compass, most good areas are out of cell range. GPS are worthless to me. (Batteries) the compass always works. Sunscreen, bug juice.
5). Shooting mat, these dog towns are loaded with cactus. Laying down on a soft dirt mound with a mat blocks the hole and I feel safer.
6). Don't pick up these dead critters, the fleas harbor the bubonic plague in some areas. Most dog towns are infected every few years with population die outs. It's natures way of population control.
7). 2 rifles minimum , one spare, one to carry. One solid cleaning rod for a possible stuck case (don't ask how I know) a bore snake is a useless item for a target rifle. 100-200 shots and clean with a rod at the rig.
8. Non FMJ ammo. Unless you know what's over the hill it is always best to play it safe. (cows humans)
9). Sling, and bipod 9"-13"
In the ideal setups described before yes a good swivel bench and sandbags are great. But by June these road hunters have educated and eliminated the dumb dogs already. Try not to ever shoot alone.

Walking, I have shot 100-200 max each day with a single shot rifle.
Heat is also a factor, I perfer a long sleeve shirt and long pants, boots.

Good luck!