Prairie Dog Hunting Info >> Prairie Dog Hunts

Although not very popular, prairie dog trapping is a solution that some people prefer. It isn’t a popular method due to the reason that trapping prairie dogs is very labor intensive as well as impractical for large acreages. However, body traps or leg-hold traps can be used to capture these small animals in limited areas. The prairie dog traps are set directly in front of or over a burrow entrance and must be anchored securely to the ground. No bait is required for this procedure, however, some people use oats flavored with anise oil or corn oil.

Although these traps are in most cases safe, in some unfortunate situations, badgers, weasels as well as other predators may be injured and/or killed by these traps. In some situations, these animals may be live-trapped and trans-located to areas where prairie dogs are being reestablished. For catching these small-sized animals, cage traps are a solution but the entire process is rather expensive and time-consuming so it isn’t considered a reliable prairie dog control method. The best results are obtained by trapping during the spring season after the snow melts and before the pasture greens up.

Finding release sites for prairie dogs can be a difficult thing to do so it is advisable to take this issue into consideration before starting the trapping procedures. Keep in mind that releasing these animals into established colonies will most likely increase stress on residents and released prairie dogs. The body-gripping model traps like the Conibear No.110 are efficient when they are placed in burrow entrances. No. 1 Gregerson snares can be used in order to remove a few of these animals, but the snares are usually rendered useless after each catch. Prairie dogs also can be snared by hand, using twine or monofilament line. These snares and traps may be effective for 1-5 acres (approximately 0.4-2 ha) colonies where time is not a consideration.

When considering to trap prairie dogs, people mustn’t forget about the federal regulations that require using only human traps that don’t injure the prairie dog upon capture. These traps must be checked often in order to ensure that the animals don’t go without food, water or shelter for a longer period of time. 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 result relocation rather than capture.

If you are having prairie dog problems you can always hire professionals to do it. “The cost of capturing and moving prairie dogs can run anywhere from $30 - $300 per prairie dog“ - Prairie Dog Coalition; Urban and Suburban Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Colony Management Handbook. The entire process includes trapping as well as flushing the critters out with soapy water or vacuuming them with a vacuum truck. The quality of the handling varies from company to company, some companies strongly affirm that they relocate the animals when they actually euthanize them.

All things considered, trapping prairie dogs isn’t the best solution but it is worth trying not only for hunting purposes but for control issues as well.

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