herchenx
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jul 5, 2013 22:23:47 GMT -5
Every year for a decade now I've been going to Western Nebraska, to a family ranch, and shooting prairie dogs with a couple friends from back in the Chicago area. These guys hunt and shoot all over the country. One is a nationally ranked competition pistol shooter, but they are great sportsmen and shooters, and good friends. My relatives run a cattle ranch and the prairie dogs are a nuisance and eat a fair amount of the grass that they rely on for their cattle. We did miss last year because 2 years ago a plague had nearly wiped them out. They were back in force this year. It's fun shooting, sometimes as far as a half mile if the dogs are spooky, but mostly it's good to spend some good time with good friends in some of the prettiest, wide-open country I've seen. I love it out there. I didn't do any hounding to speak of - his ranch is mostly sand and while you can find the odd chip or chunk of jasper or pet wood, pickings are pretty slim out there. Well here's my buddies' and my trip pics. I didn't take a bunch, but this gives a sense of the trip. some of the longer shooting, as far as around 700 yards. With the wind and mirage it's a bit of a coin toss even with the best gear, but hitting one that far is pretty cool.   My buddies once we shot all the closer ones and were throwing lead a little further  just a view down my scope, nothing in the viewfinder this time  I love the wide-open spaces - that's my crew-cab F250  we followed a model a Ford for a little while in Scottsbluff on the way home  Once we've shot a couple days we do a mountain brewery tour, this is Estes Park brewery. We went to another in Nederland - Wild Mountain Brewery and Smokehouse which was (quite frankly) better and way cooler, but the view is sure nice up there in Estes Park, Colorado   It was a good time with my friends, having not seen them last year, they are good friends and it was a fun trip. |
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 5, 2013 22:28:58 GMT -5
I had no idea that people hunted prairie dogs. Are they good eating? I hunt squirrels, which are delicious.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jul 5, 2013 22:32:12 GMT -5
the buzzards seem to like them... after one is shot with a .223 there is little left to work with. I hunt deer, I shoot prairie dogs.
I've had squirrel and it can be delicious.
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keystonecops
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2010
Posts: 957
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Post by keystonecops on Jul 5, 2013 22:51:53 GMT -5
John, if ya want I can check with my sis in Cheyenne. Last time I was home the dogs were gettn purty bad. Let me know. Its closer to ya. Later Clyde
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jul 5, 2013 23:00:10 GMT -5
PM sent Clyde!
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Geoff
spending too much on rocks
Please add 1074 to my post number.
Member since December 2012
Posts: 446
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Post by Geoff on Jul 6, 2013 1:20:43 GMT -5
Cool area! I have a Savage model 93 .17 HMR that I would love to take prairie dog shooting. The polymer tipped rounds punch straight through 1/4 inch steel.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 6, 2013 8:28:16 GMT -5
That would be especially handy if the the prairie dogs were wearing armor!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2013 11:45:32 GMT -5
Cool area! I have a Savage model 93 .17 HMR that I would love to take prairie dog shooting. The polymer tipped rounds punch straight through 1/4 inch steel. What is the range of that rifle? If it has that kind of speed and energy it must carry a long way. Is the accuracy of that small of a caliber good at long distance? I have been thinking about getting a .17 rifle because I have heard some good things about it. Jim |
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jul 6, 2013 13:09:24 GMT -5
We've tried 17hmr and they are great out to 100yds. Unless you are at a very long indoor range I wouldn't trust them any further. The wind plays havoc on the light bullets.
Sent from my phone.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,503
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 6, 2013 13:55:24 GMT -5
As wed' say here in Texas, them's some fine looking shooting irons you fellers have. Good looking scope too. Like those dots for ranging and windage. I've recently gone to a BDC scope on my Smith MP15 223. Really like it for bullet drop compensation...Mel
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Jul 6, 2013 15:00:38 GMT -5
are you & your friends using the .223 r .204 caliber for the dawg huntin'?? or is there another caliber you prefer? maybe a 22-250? or 6mm spc?
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Post by Rockoonz on Jul 6, 2013 19:59:35 GMT -5
Out in eastern Oregon the alfalfa farmers actually charge admission for groups to come in to shoot the "sage rats", Beldens ground squirrel. It's a winning proposition for them.
Lee
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cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 881
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Post by cardiobill on Jul 6, 2013 21:10:15 GMT -5
The view from your scope reminds me of caddyshack  Ourivior gopher ( or prarie dog) Bill |
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jul 7, 2013 1:51:45 GMT -5
We're thankful to not have to pay admission. We take care of our hosts, but they are genuinely happy to have the PD's gone.
Mario, I stick to .223/5.56 since (at least in the past) it was easy to find and cheap. Of course everything is overpriced and hard to come by now, but we have accumulated enough varmint loads over the past few years to be well supplied until things level out.
In a perfect world, at some of the ranges we shoot a 22-250 would be better, but that is a really expensive round to shoot and even with a faster, heavier, flatter shot at that range you are going to be burning enough ammo you want to keep your costs reasonable.
Mel, my buddies have had some nice hardware for a while. I only moved from a bolt action to the AR platform about 5 years ago, and man do I wish I had made the change sooner. We all shoot match uppers and triggers, and they can put the bullet right where you want it anywhere inside of 400 yards, and when the wind isn't too bad a lot further than that.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Jul 7, 2013 16:16:09 GMT -5
Love PD hunting and or shooting..Did mine in Western North Dakota....Using a 220-Swift rifle..
Mu Great Uncle was a top knotch PD shooter,he traveled every state that had PD's...He use to reload and had Remington and Winchester Firearms ask to join them on their PD hunts(All expences payed)...(He was very popular in the firearms with big companies)..Noel Engstrom(Great Uncle),reloaded for over 65 years..
He also shot a 220-Swift...I haven't been PD hunting in a long time,would love to try out my .17 on them....
Great pics.........Thumbs up
223 was a popular round back than too,it was cheap ammo...Thumbs up........
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Post by Bikerrandy on Jul 7, 2013 18:58:53 GMT -5
Too bad prairie dogs are a nuisance, they're kinda cute. lol
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darstcreek77
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2011
Posts: 673
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Post by darstcreek77 on Jul 8, 2013 8:46:40 GMT -5
I have a 222 and a 22-250 heavy barrel stainless rig (Win model70 )I hand load .what do you do with your empties ?trade them for cabs slabs ?
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jul 8, 2013 9:17:39 GMT -5
I have a 222 and a 22-250 heavy barrel stainless rig (Win model70 )I hand load .what do you do with your empties ?trade them for cabs slabs ? I've been saving them to reload, although I don't have any reloading gear yet. Getting my hands on the other components seems like it will be a trick. Sent from my phone. |
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Don
Cave Dweller
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
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Post by Don on Jul 8, 2013 10:03:31 GMT -5
out here, prairie dogs are "endangered" and you get in big trouble with the feds if you shoot them.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jul 8, 2013 11:34:05 GMT -5
They were flagged as "endangered" here in Colorado several years ago, then they realized it was a math error and they were as overrun as they seem to be. However, they made it onto the candidacy list and weren't removed before some laws were passed limiting where they can be shot. As a result you have to head east to find them to shoot.
I'm happy to shoot them for anyone who has them and doesn't want them. It takes enough work to get up there to shoot them that I really only go once a year, but I'm trying to find closer opportunities and make more trips up there.
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