Closest prairie dog hunting to central Arkansas

T

trickrick

New member
I'd like some advice on where I can go to do some prairie dog shooting. I'm wanting to plan a hunt for the spring and due to all the crap I tend to take on a trip I'd like to be able to drive there within reason from Little Rock, AR.
I'd be open to a guided hunt, or a DIY if possible.
Any help or ideas will be appreciated.

Good shooting all!
 
Closest and possibly easiest drive from Little Rock would be the Cimarron National Grasslands in SW Kansas...The down side is that a lot of Prairie Dogs were hit pretty hard by the plague a few years ago and may not have recovered fully yet...

Several of my shooting group have access to three large ranches in SE Colorado that were hit as well...The problem with Colorado is that you are restricted to private land and getting permissions can be problematic...

Kansas has a Walk In hunting program that many farmers/land owners are members and you don't need individual permissions for the properties that are part of it...

While enroute to SE Colorado, we met several ranchers at a lunch stop in a small town that invited us to help clean up their PD problem, but not having non-resident licenses and already being scheduled where we were expected, we had to decline...

You might look up several towns in the area and contact their Chamber of Commerce office for specific information..As well as the Kansas Dept of Conservation..
 
Thanks for the info OldTurtle.
I have always wanted to prairie dog hunt and have even purchased a couple of rifles intended for that "someday" hunt.
I'll do some checking online to see what I can find. I spent a few different weeks working out in SW Kansas and remember seeing prairie dog towns now that you mention it.
What time of the year would be the BEST choice for timing?
Thanks again for the help!
 
I prefer late June and early July....Prairie Dogs are 'sun worshipers', but usually disappear when clouds roll in and that part of the country is prone to late Spring rains...

I envy the guys that live close to the areas with PD populations where they can take advantage of weather breaks all during the year, as PDs come out in the snow if the Sun is out...But to plan on a trip that requires a 12+ hour drive and scheduling 4-7 days for shooting as we do, I want as much good weather as I can hope for...

After mid July and on into lat August, there are times when it's almost too hot, or there are storms that seem to roll down out of the Rockies, onto the plains...
 
Oldtimer there is a "closure" for PD's on public land but it is not closed year round. Just check the game laws for when the closure is.Closure usually ends around June 15 and stays open until sometime in Feb.
 
Wyoming! No license required, Go ask a few ranchers and it is on. Go to the coffee shops, etc and you should over loaded with info and people to get permission from. West of Casper on hwy 20/26 is good country. Johnson county in general as well as Campbell county are good spots with lodging near the areas. If camping the ranchers will probally let you.
No closures, no liberals, just good ol' fashion, get Western, rat blasting.
Find an area you want to base out of, and just yellowbook ranches for the area and I would guess your trip can be put together in an evening
 
Any of the summer monthes. I would say June to pick one. Rattlesnakes are breeding in the first part of July, and May can still be wet/snowy.
But any time between May and Aug. Hunting seasons start and you would not be quite so welcome.
Alot of guys draw for speed goat tags, rat blast for a few days, then when goat season opens blast a range maggot.
 
Haha....with all those options, June sounds like the best month to plan.
Gives me a few months to get lots of ammo loaded!
May even have to buy another rifle just because!
 
I'll Give a few of the ranchers a bug in their ear whilst I'm running iron this winter. I'll do some checking in a couple of spots, are you wanting to do some sight seeing or just rat blasting? It really makes no difference in the maggot murdering, just where you'd base yourself out of. I guess my first recommendation wouldbe Casper, only cause I know the area and some ranchers that are anti rat and real pro blastin.
You're not far from the Rattlesnake Range, the last set of hills in the Big Horns, rat blast in the AM...Go for a picnic in the mountains, and rat blast in the PM, and stop off at the VFW in Mills for a victory party over the murderous Huns.
Next day same thing cept maybe take all dirt roads around to Kaycee, and have lunch in Chris Ledoux's hometown, and go back by I25 and stop off along the way for another round of defending the good people from the hordes of vermin.
It can be as much of what you wanna do, I will probally only be able to guide you around for a weekend and maybe an extra day. But I think the places I have in mind will keep you as busy as you wanna be, and if you want to camp, I'm pretty sure I got one that will go for it.
 
put in for a lope tag or 2 or 3 !! what ever! can't have more fun than popn a couple of lopes and then some rats and maybe calling some dogs! if you are going, do all you can! WYYOTEKILLER can tell when and where or give you a good idea! you will find some of the best people in wy! I love the place and people!
 


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