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Prairie Dog hunt

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I would like to give it a shot. I am looking to do this as cheap as possible. Anyone have relatives south or west, that need some varmint removed. Could make for a interesting NES trip.

PrairieDogCritterSeries.jpg
 
Moderator said:
I would like to give it a shot. I am looking to do this as cheap as possible. Anyone have relatives south or west, that need some varmint removed. Could make for a interesting NES trip.
Click to expand...

I've always wanted to do something like that...Count me in, BJ. I've been wanting to put my Marlin 917VS in .17hmr to use!
 
I have looked at some prices of farms and they are about 300-500 a day without room and meals. I would really like to find something cheaper....much cheaper.



And Dave my .17HMR is lonely as well.
 
Its called BLM land . Theres tons of it . They also have these things called tents . Better plan for next year as the dogs are going down now .

A .17 hmr is not worth a crap on PD's . Think .223 .
 
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4303560

Explosives a go for prairie dogs
FARMERS NOW ALLOWED TO BLAST PESTS
By Jeremy P. Meyer
Denver Post Staff Writer



Explosive devices can be used to kill prairie dogs, the Colorado Wildlife Commission decided Thursday - giving farmers one more tool to get rid of the burrowing animals.

"I'm tickled pink," said Matt Fickes, a Sterling farmer who has sought to use the devices. "I've got prairie dogs so thick I can't see straight.

"Ever see that Star Trek episode, 'The Trouble With Tribbles'? It's like that," he said. "They are born pregnant."

Landowners have been allowed to shoot, vacuum, poison and drown prairie dogs - but not blow them up.

Now they'll be permitted to use hand-held devices, such as the Rodenator and Varmitgetter, that ignite explosive gases to collapse the burrows.

"This idea was set up to give people another alternative," said Joe Lewandowski, state Division of Wildlife spokesman.

Use of explosive devices was sought by ranchers, farmers and organic-produce growers, who feared using poisons would affect their certification, Lewandowski said.

Jim Dyer, director of the Colorado Organic Producers Association, said he doesn't know of any organic farmers who have requested the use of the device.

Dyer said it is his understanding that using propane in the ground would violate the organic rules set up by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Conservation groups criticized the ruling.

"It's very depressing that they would go to this length just to have another way to wage war on wildlife," said Judy Enderle of the Prairie Preservation Alliance. "This is a milestone. It's disgusting."

Lauren Nolfo-Clements, wildlife scientist with the Humane Society of the United States, called the commission's decision "egregious."

"From a humane standpoint, it's a complete nightmare," she said. "A lot of times it won't work unless you do it multiple times. It wouldn't kill them. It would just explode their eardrums."

Still, on Fickes' 60-acre spread, where he raises cattle and pigs, the new devices will soon be booming, the farmer said.

"It looks like someone shot at my ground with a howitzer and came by with a Rototiller," he said.

Fickes has tried poisoning the prairie dogs and shoots about 20 a week.

"I'm losing the battle," Fickes said. "The prairie dog is a rat with a shovel. I would rather blow them up than poison them."

The 11-member commission on Thursday also established a seasonal closure period for prairie dog hunting from March 1 to June 14, during the breeding months for white-tailed, Gunnison and black-tailed prairie dogs.

The commission set a three-month period in which prairie dogs will be protected. But it lifted an eight-year ban on hunting black-tailed prairie dogs on public lands.

Staff writer Jeremy P. Meyer can be reached at 303-954-1367 or [email protected].
Click to expand...

It's okay to blow their heads off with a .308 round, but GOD FORBID you make them go deaf... [rolleyes]
 
I've always wanted to try popping prairie dogs and was thinking my Ruger M77 Mk2 target rifle in .204 would be ideal after hearing about a promo video for the rifle involving a shoot. At over 4000 feet per second with very little drop this is the ideal round for varmints.
Check out the image of the water bottle exploding in this article.
http://hornady.primediaoutdoors.com/HDstory8.html
 
Well that settles it, I'll just have to bring a few rifles. [wink]

There are many places that charge, but I am sure we could find somebody who will let us use there land for mutual benefits. Maybe we could camp out on their land or something. I can't imagine that we would find many hotels around the kinda place we need. I like spring/summer, it gives us a good lead time to plan.
 
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There are plenty of Farmers in South Dakota that will let us hunt for free all day, they will even make us dinner.

I'll call my old man and see if any of the Phesant land he hunts has dogs that need to be zapped.
 
I think you might arrange a prairie dog hunt at one of these farmer's ranches. Could be a NES Road-trip! [devil]
 
Dwarvin,

Depending on the type of dog town that it is, the reason you want a smaller cartridge is so that you can shoot more. Shooting 100+ rounds of .30 cal anything will make you feel beat up at the end of the day. However Hornady does sell .30 cal 110 grain V-Max varmint bullets that would work great. They shoot flat and have a lot less recoil.

B

http://tinyurl.com/gupd7
 
Oh yeah. Slugs will do it to you. I haven’t shot one of those contraptions in years but I do remember why they had that big rubber but plate on the thing. If all you have is an 06, it still should work though. Just load up some of the lighter bullets.


I just finished prepping about 2000 pieces of Winchester .223 brass and about 500 pieces of LC brass for next year. All it needs is primers powder & bullets. Should be enough for an extended week of shooting. [smile] This prairie dog hunt sounds more fun than going to Perry and sweating to death in a leather coat.
 

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