Prairie Dog Hunting Info >> Prairie Dog Hunts

The prairie dog (Cynomys) is a small, burrowing rodent native to the grasslands of North America. On average, this stout-bodied rodent will grow to be between 12 and 16 inches (30 and 40 cm) long, including its short tail. They are found throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the United States, prairie dogs are primarily found west of the Mississippi River, though they have also been introduced into a few eastern locales. Of the 2 main species of Prairie dog, the Black-tailed (C. ludovicianus) displays a black-tipped tail being much more common, occurring sparingly over the Great Plains as well as all through the Great Basin. The other major species, the White-tailed (C. leucurus), displays a white-tipped tail dwell in higher altitudes in comparison with the Black-tailed. It sleeps through winter and is not as much imposing in habit.

Prairie Dogs are strong rodents, somewhat grizzled and chubby. They have large, round heads, shaggy tails and undersized legs. Their skull has 22 teeth and they weigh from 1 1/2 to 3 lbs. The head and the body reach 11 to 13 inches in total length, which adds to a tail’s 3 to 4 inches. These rodents are yellowish in coloration, with darker ears plus a light beige to whitish belly. The Prairie Dogs have white or camel patches on both sides of the nose, their superior lips and around the eyes in forms of rings.

The highly-social prairie dogs live in large colonies or “towns” — collections of prairie dog families that can span hundreds of acres. Families usually consist of 1 male and 2 to 4 females. Prairie Dog tunnel systems help channel rainwater into the water table to prevent runoff and erosion, and also can serve to change the composition of the soil in a region by reversing soil compaction that can be a result of cattle grazing. The tunnels usually have several chambers. Tunnels can descend vertically as much as 5 meters (16.5 feet), and can extend laterally as much as 30 meters (32.5 yards).

The female Prairie Dog gives birth to a litter each year. During a 4-5 hour estrus, a female can mate with 5 different males, letting pups of the same litter to have several fathers. There are normally 3-5 youngsters in a litter, although sometimes there may be as many as 8. Young Prairie Dogs are sightless and without any hair. Their eyes open only after 33-37 days since birth. At around 6 weeks, they start to come out above ground being ready to be weaned. The pups usually separate from their mother by the early fall.

Despite their ecological importance, prairie dogs are frequently exterminated from ranchland, being labeled as a pest because they are capable of damaging crops and often clear the immediate area around their burrows of most vegetation. This program of extermination probably originated in the 19^th century, hundreds of years after the Native Americans began using prairie dogs as a food source.

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