Finding PD hunting "cheap"

[thumbs]

We are headed west at the end of the week. We will be all over, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Iowa and states north. How should I go about finding places to hunt? If it can be done and if there is any good shooting I would like to hunt on public land. I don't know where or when we will be in any particular area so outfitters would be tough, and expensive.

Anyway is there a way to find public and private land to hunt prairie dogs on without selling my first born male child?

Thanks for the help

Gary

 

[tt35]

I'm certainly no expert on the subject, Gary, but we went to Wyoming blind a couple of years ago to hunt. We stopped into the local BLM office to ask about hunting. They wouldn't give any specific locations of towns but pointed us in directions of areas that had plenty of public land and towns in the general area. They also gave us general ideas of areas population trends. We just cruised the back roads and two-tracks until we came upon a town big enough to shoot. I'm sure there were bigger/denser pd towns than we shot but it kept us happy.

 

[Joe King]

Stop at the local sporting goods stores and ask, folks come in all the time tellin about yesterdays hunt. So the guy behind the counter is sorta like a repository for whats where and how good it is

 

[jackem]

Get a mapping GPS and load http://www.longrangehunting.com/store/gps-hunting-topo-maps.html.

That way you can see what the legal status of the land you are passing through is, private or public. If it happens to be private it shows the name of the owner and often they will let you trespass to help them control PDs.

Jack

 

[Nimrodmar10]

Thumbs
Shoot me a PM. Maybe I can help.
Nimrodmar10

 

[thumbs]

Thumbs
Shoot me a PM. Maybe I can help.
Nimrodmar10

Thanks I'll send one off this evening.

I have done searches on line and have learned quite a bit about this stuff. Yep local knowledge is the way to go for sure. My problem is we are "kinda" passin through. Not to say I can't take a day or two but I can't take a week or so. I am goin to try to stop in a few places and see what I can find out. Talked to an outfitter and they were talkin shots of 200 yards and more. That kinda tells me the area is pretty well hunted. They may be trying to prepare me but I was thinking most shots would be up to about 200 with some longer and some shorter. Idono this is my first time. LOL The problem is for the amount of time I may have an outfitter is way to expensive.

 

[tt35]

If you're strapped for time, an outfitter may be exactly what you need. You trade some time and trouble for an area to shoot and first-hand knowledge.

 

[thumbs]

If you're strapped for time, an outfitter may be exactly what you need. You trade some time and trouble for an area to shoot and first-hand knowledge.

Yea your right. My problem is I really don't know where to start. I guess I'll just ask around and see what comes up. I have a little time but not a ton of it. From what I have read there are outfitters and then there are outfitters. Hard to tell the good from the bad. The prices are all over the place. All I want is a place to hunt. I don't need the "full" experience. I know that is how they make their money but I have all my lodging and meals with me.

 

[thumbs]

Thumbs
Shoot me a PM. Maybe I can help.
Nimrodmar10

Nimrodmar10

Pm sent

Gary

 

[WildRose]

Yea your right. My problem is I really don't know where to start. I guess I'll just ask around and see what comes up. I have a little time but not a ton of it. From what I have read there are outfitters and then there are outfitters. Hard to tell the good from the bad. The prices are all over the place. All I want is a place to hunt. I don't need the "full" experience. I know that is how they make their money but I have all my lodging and meals with me.

PD's are a scourge to ranchers. If you see a town on land that is private find the owner and just ask. Most will welcome the help as long as someone hasn't come along before you and screwed it up trashing the place or shooting his livestock.

The mapping program mentioned on the previous page would be awfully helpful if you have GPS system that supports it.

Local Feed Stores, Restaurants and sporting goods stores can be great resources too.

Expect your first trip to be one of mostly scouting, meeting people, and shaking hands.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

Thumbs
Your 200 shots would be pretty easy. Don't limit yourself. I start with a 17 HMR at close range and work out to about 250 yards with that. Then I start using the 17 Remington Fireball or 223 Remingtons from there to about 400 yards. I then switch to the 22-250 and work out to about 750 yards where it goes subsonic. Beyond that range you can use anything you choose as long as you don't mind the recoil and you have someone to spot your shots. Once you get bigger than the 22-250 It's almost impossible to see your hits because of recoil. And believe me, in the constant 15-20 mph crosswinds in PD country, you definitely want to be able to see where you hit.

 

[old seadog]

Try feed stores where farmers and ranchers buy their supplies and hang out.

 

[thumbs]

Yeah ya see where I come from 100 yards is a long shot. LOL 200 seems a mile. Most of all my hunting shots are well within 100 yards. Heck around here you can't see more than that if there is an open field. LOL

Thanks for the help guys. I should be in the pd area in about 3 to 4 weeks. I went though Wyoming but where I was it wasn't to promising and I really didn't have the time to check it out much. When I did I found just about the areas were closed to pd hunting. This was in the eastern part not the west.

 

[thetravlor]

Check out my post reply to the Englisher. We had a ball on the Reservation. The Game and Fish head walked up while we were buying our permits at the casino quik mart and told us to come to the main office. He had one of the guys sit down and go over the whole map and explain what the map meant.
After finding a perfect spot at the first try, there was no need for us to look any further. We were 5 miles from the lodge and there were plenty of dogs to shoot at. Ranges from 150-450 yards with most shots at 200. At the most, our wait for a shot was 3-5 minutes. There was a period in mid-afternoon when they seemed to take a nap.
We were stopping to clean rifles about every 10th shot. That gave the dogs about 5 minutes to regroup. We were both shooting .223 and factory ammo because our rifles are both kinda new and not enough brass to do our own loads. That is no longer a problem. It's amazing how close you can come to one of those little buggers and not get a hit. We lifted many into the air with close misses.
Please plan a trip and thin the herd so they don't have to use poison in the fall.