Prairie Dog Hunting in Wyoming
Prairie dog towns--groups of prairie dogs--are spread throughout the grasslands on the Wyoming prairie. Considered to be a non-game animal by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, there are few regulations regarding prairie dog hunting.
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Benefits
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Hunters pursue prairie dogs as a way to practice long-distance shooting in different shooting positions. On the open grassland of Wyoming, shots of more than 1,000 yards are not uncommon. As the distance increases, the prairie dogs are less likely to know where the shot is coming from. This often allows a second or third shot.
Methods
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There are a variety of methods and weapons for hunting prairie dogs. Hunters will typically choose rifles that provide a fast, flat-flying bullet. Popular rifle calibers include .17 HMR, .22 Magnum, .223 Remington, 22-250, .220 Swift or .243 Winchester. Methods used by hunters include bench rest shooting, spot-and-stalk or loop hunting. For bench rest hunting, the hunter will set up a bench rest on the prairie and look for prairie dogs as they come up to the surface. Spot-and-stalk hunters will walk around as they look and listen for the chirp of a prairie dog. Loop hunting involves driving in a loop around prairie dog towns until a prairie dog comes out of the hole.
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Identification
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Two species of prairie dogs live in Wyoming: black-tailed and white-tailed. Only the white-tailed prairie dog can be hunted in Wyoming. In 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened species. Black-tailed prairie dogs are in eastern and northeastern Wyoming. White-tailed prairie dogs are in the remainder of Wyoming.
Geography
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Prairie dog towns are typically found on the flat grassland prairies and pastures. These towns are generally accessible for the nonresident hunter. Private land owners will typically grant access if you ask permission. The Thunder Basin National Grassland is a popular prairie dog hunting destination because it offers a large amount of land with several prairie dog towns. The grassland spreads over five counties and 572,000 acres.
Seasons and Licenses
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The Wyoming Game and Fish Department considers prairie dogs to be a non-game species that allows hunting without a license. However, if hunting with a firearm, Wyoming law requires hunter education for anyone born after 1965, except when archery hunting or hunting on land owned by immediate family. Tyler Sims, owner of Tyler Sims Outfitting, says that the best time to hunt prairie dogs is on sunny days in June or July when temperatures are around 60 to 70 degrees.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit prairie dog 2 image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com
