Learn all the secrets of prairie dog hunting
A new branch of hunting activities has developed in the last few years, prairie dog hunting – distinct part of the varmint hunting family, very popular among hunters from all over the world, especially the United States of America. Not that popular in comparison to coyote hunting in US, prairie dog hunting is earning year by year more and more enthusiasts although certain rules and laws must be respected in order to legally hunt these animals. These laws concern the restrictions imposed regarding the number of animals caught per day – either by a single person or a group of hunters.
Taking into consideration that prairie dog hunting is seen as a separate varmint hunting activity, thorough researches have been done in order to find out which rifles, ammos and so on work best for these little creatures. Some prefer the popular models from the Savage or Winchester series while other recommend the new models designed especially for this type of activity. There is a delicate discussion or better said debate between prairie dog hunters and the animal welfare organizations who consider that the heavy loads (which are in fact predominant in this case) are too much for such little creatures. As any hunting activity, pros and cons are always put upon debate, no exception with prairie dog hunting.
Trapping prairie dogs is somewhat unpopular because it requires some intense work and it is, in many cases, impractical for large acreages. These traps are in most cases installed right in front of a burrow entrance and are anchored securely to the ground. Although experienced hunters affirm that there is no need to put baits, some people use oats that are flavored with corn oil or anise oil in order to obtain better results. Unfortunate situations do occur: although these prairie dog traps are safe, there are many situations in which weasels or badgers are injured and even killed because of these traps. Some prairie dog trappers recommend installing such a trap during the spring months of the year, right after the winter snow has melted and prior to the pasture getting green.
Extensive laws regarding prairie dog traps and trapping have been elaborated which means that every hunter must follow a strict set of rules before using a trap. These laws state that the traps must not hurt the prairie dog after capture and must be 100% safe. While live trapping results in fewest initial losses of individuals, it is extremely time consuming and expensive. The greatest losses of time are actually the relocations rather than the captures.
Where can we find prairie dogs? Large populations are known to live in North Dakota, US. There are other good locations in the eastern part of the country as well. Before pursuing these animals, hunters are obligated to ask for permission from the landowner. A common problem among first-time / amateur prairie dog hunters is that they are facing a situation in which the animals get very scared, reaching a point from which they will not get out of their holes thus reducing the chances of the hunter to null. This problem is solved by having patience, even wait for a couple of hours because the certainty of bagging a few prairie dogs after waiting for a while is very high – they will eventually come out of their holes.
Purchasing the right clothing gear for prairie dog hunting is very important, although this aspect is omitted by many amateur hunters. A camouflage pattern for the clothing is obligatory for hunting prairie dogs. The pattern chosen must look similar to the surroundings in which the hunter will conduct the prairie dog hunts. When choosing the clothing, a prairie dog hunter must take into consideration his needs, some of them might be: clothing that protect the hunter’s body from heavy brush and thickets as he walks through them; clothing material that “breathes“ while the hunter moves throughout the hunting day; insulated clothing that can retain the body heat.
For those of you that are willing to try something new and special in the kitchen, we recommend a few prairie dog recipes. Some of the most popular ones would be the Honey & Cider Prairie Dog and the Tukya – Hopi Baked Prairie Dog.
We will end this article by sharing a few of the most important prairie dog facts discovered so far. Two distinct species of the prairie dogs family are currently under the strict protection of The Endangered Species organization. The black-tailed prairie dog has been granted a “Warranted but Precluded” Threatened species listing which with other words means that biologically they must be protected but the government cannot afford to protect them as they should.
The prairie dog is known for being an extremely sociable animal that posses the most complex language of any animal that was ever studied. They display various calls for coyotes, raptors, humans and even humans that carry guns. Besides all these calls, they have other calls, totaling over 50 unique “words”. Grooming, hugging and kissing are regular pastimes for a prairie dog.
