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How many Prairie Dogs have you shot in one sitting?
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<blockquote data-quote="VarmintGuy" data-source="post: 473102" data-attributes="member: 10334"><p>BowElkStalker: Couple of things to add.</p><p>For decades I did much of my Prairie Dog Hunting alone.</p><p>I worked 6 day work weeks (and had 2 days off on each end) for funny "weekends" that came most often during the middle of a week.</p><p>So I would head out on 10 day Varmint Safaris alone with my bed in the back of the VarmintMobile and between 6 and 12 Varmint Rifles along.</p><p>I would sleep at the edge of the Prairie Dog Town I intended to Hunt the next morning. </p><p>I rose with the sun and shoot til sundown on countless Varminting days.</p><p>No trips to "town" for cafe meals - time was just to precious to waste driving and chasing waitresses when I could be "trigger timing" in a good Dog Town.</p><p>I would often have to pause at lunch time to set up and clean all the Rifles that were dirty (usually having 40 to 50 rounds down the tube) and I would eat and drink then. Then I would move on to the next shooting position and start dirtying my Rifles again.</p><p>I have had MANY 500 to 700 round days and some days I would average 85% hits - so I am guessing my best day would be around 560 Prairie Dogs killed!</p><p>Those days are long gone now due mostly to the popularity of the sport and my changing status from Hunting alone for 25+ years to now Hunting more often with 2 or 3 shooting partners (thank God for Suburbans!).</p><p>I am lucky anymore to fire 200 rounds in a days "rotation shooting" of Prairie Dogs - for a kill total of 120 to 150 Varmints being a great shoot.</p><p>On the last Hunt I did (last summer) I was with 3 Hunters and we shot mostly in rotation and ate our meals in small towns - and I fired about 100 rounds a day - but had an absolute blast doing so with some great friends.</p><p>In a 14 hour day of GOOD "alone" shooting my best day ever, about averaged "killing" 40 Prairie Dogs an hour! </p><p>That is an insanely industrious and rare situation!</p><p>I have had people tell me with a straight face they have KILLED 1,000 Prairie Dogs in a DAY!</p><p>I know how REALLY difficult that would be to accomplish - having never ever come close to that mark in 42+ years of Hunting Prairie Dogs.</p><p> </p><p>And this other item - one of the posters here mentioned that Prairie Dogs do not compete with cattle for range grass - I beg to differ!</p><p>I have seen Prairie Dogs take range grass down to DUST in huge areas!</p><p>The range cattle around these "dusty Dog Towns" simply do not even walk amongst these dusty dens!</p><p>The Prairie Dogs range outward from these dust areas by simply walking to edible grass and once full walk back to their dens.</p><p>These towns are rare anymore because of human Hunting and the rarity of finding a town that has not been "artificially" (by man!) population controlled!</p><p>Many folks do not know (or are not aware!) that Prairie Dogs easily "chomp down" on sage brush bushes killing them and turning the tiny bits they chew the sage brush into bits that are easily blown away by the wind! </p><p>Thus, expanding their potential "grasslands" and allowing them to leave their dens and feed in new and more directions - and, no where for Coyotes and Fox to hide and stalk up behind the sage brush bushes!</p><p>I have MANY remote Prairie Dog towns on my "secret list" where I don't take anyone but myself.</p><p>Most all of these secret spots of mine are "hike in" and long distances from remote roads.</p><p>Observing the Prairie Dogs in these natural and un-humanized habitats is VERY interesting and entertaining.</p><p>Once I have approached and "set-up" in one of these remote areas I always pause and pull out my binos to observe the Prairie Dogs and let them "settle down" a bit before I start to plunk the big ones!</p><p>I hope all the Prairie Dog Hunters here get to find a "virgin" Dog Town in their lives - its a whole nother world of Varminting fun - believe me.</p><p>Hold into the wind</p><p>VarmintGuy</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="VarmintGuy, post: 473102, member: 10334"] BowElkStalker: Couple of things to add. For decades I did much of my Prairie Dog Hunting alone. I worked 6 day work weeks (and had 2 days off on each end) for funny "weekends" that came most often during the middle of a week. So I would head out on 10 day Varmint Safaris alone with my bed in the back of the VarmintMobile and between 6 and 12 Varmint Rifles along. I would sleep at the edge of the Prairie Dog Town I intended to Hunt the next morning. I rose with the sun and shoot til sundown on countless Varminting days. No trips to "town" for cafe meals - time was just to precious to waste driving and chasing waitresses when I could be "trigger timing" in a good Dog Town. I would often have to pause at lunch time to set up and clean all the Rifles that were dirty (usually having 40 to 50 rounds down the tube) and I would eat and drink then. Then I would move on to the next shooting position and start dirtying my Rifles again. I have had MANY 500 to 700 round days and some days I would average 85% hits - so I am guessing my best day would be around 560 Prairie Dogs killed! Those days are long gone now due mostly to the popularity of the sport and my changing status from Hunting alone for 25+ years to now Hunting more often with 2 or 3 shooting partners (thank God for Suburbans!). I am lucky anymore to fire 200 rounds in a days "rotation shooting" of Prairie Dogs - for a kill total of 120 to 150 Varmints being a great shoot. On the last Hunt I did (last summer) I was with 3 Hunters and we shot mostly in rotation and ate our meals in small towns - and I fired about 100 rounds a day - but had an absolute blast doing so with some great friends. In a 14 hour day of GOOD "alone" shooting my best day ever, about averaged "killing" 40 Prairie Dogs an hour! That is an insanely industrious and rare situation! I have had people tell me with a straight face they have KILLED 1,000 Prairie Dogs in a DAY! I know how REALLY difficult that would be to accomplish - having never ever come close to that mark in 42+ years of Hunting Prairie Dogs. And this other item - one of the posters here mentioned that Prairie Dogs do not compete with cattle for range grass - I beg to differ! I have seen Prairie Dogs take range grass down to DUST in huge areas! The range cattle around these "dusty Dog Towns" simply do not even walk amongst these dusty dens! The Prairie Dogs range outward from these dust areas by simply walking to edible grass and once full walk back to their dens. These towns are rare anymore because of human Hunting and the rarity of finding a town that has not been "artificially" (by man!) population controlled! Many folks do not know (or are not aware!) that Prairie Dogs easily "chomp down" on sage brush bushes killing them and turning the tiny bits they chew the sage brush into bits that are easily blown away by the wind! Thus, expanding their potential "grasslands" and allowing them to leave their dens and feed in new and more directions - and, no where for Coyotes and Fox to hide and stalk up behind the sage brush bushes! I have MANY remote Prairie Dog towns on my "secret list" where I don't take anyone but myself. Most all of these secret spots of mine are "hike in" and long distances from remote roads. Observing the Prairie Dogs in these natural and un-humanized habitats is VERY interesting and entertaining. Once I have approached and "set-up" in one of these remote areas I always pause and pull out my binos to observe the Prairie Dogs and let them "settle down" a bit before I start to plunk the big ones! I hope all the Prairie Dog Hunters here get to find a "virgin" Dog Town in their lives - its a whole nother world of Varminting fun - believe me. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy [/QUOTE]
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