CO prairie dog trip

Experiences and effectiveness in hunting with the 204 Ruger.
User avatar
wirelessguy2005
Senior Member
Posts: 663
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:59 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Custom 20 SCC, Savage LRPV 20 Nitro , Howa 1500 204 Ruger
Location: Indiana

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by wirelessguy2005 »

Yep we used an outfitter for two days last summer. They charged us $150 a day per guy and the fields they put us in were all shot out or the dogs were so spooked they wouldn't show themselves. Towards the end of our trip we ran into a landowner that has about 1,500 acres that is full of dogs. He allows us to shoot his land for free anytime we want to come out. :D
Last edited by wirelessguy2005 on Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mike
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:05 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Cooper, RRA
Location: Springfield, MO

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Mike »

WY-NEvarmints wrote:I'm picturing the spot now that would work wonderfully with that rifle holding down the bench incase a little wind should blow. The dogs seem to have had pretty good success with the size of litters around here. We have quite a few along the road to work out here and there are a few new dead ones on it pretty much daily. Pretty hard being here at work and looking outside and seeing them and all the other wildlife running around.
When you start to dwell on the difficulty of looking outside and seeing all of those prairie dogs, remember the poor saps like me who are 10+ hours away from even seeing a prairie dog. I'd trade you my bench for your location in a heartbeat. Heck, I have two benches. Lets make a deal!
User avatar
wirelessguy2005
Senior Member
Posts: 663
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:59 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Custom 20 SCC, Savage LRPV 20 Nitro , Howa 1500 204 Ruger
Location: Indiana

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by wirelessguy2005 »

if i remember correctly its about a 14 hour drive for us.
User avatar
WY-NEvarmints
Junior Member
Posts: 71
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:24 am
.204 Ruger Guns: AR 204
Location: Wyoming

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by WY-NEvarmints »

Now that's what would be considered a money making venture there. Swap a nice bench for a nasty little creature that I don't even have to pay the taxes on his feed bill!

I had to stop on the road to let two of them stop fighting when I was leaving work this evening. Normally wouldn't have stopped but one of the rail road workers was setting not to far from them watching for people exceeding the on property speed limit. They could have cared less if I was waiting while they scrapped.
User avatar
Silverfox
Senior Member
Posts: 937
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2005 1:51 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Savage 12VLP purchased in June 2004 + 2 other custom .204s
Location: NW North Dakota

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Silverfox »

Mike--Thanks for the great write-up and photos.
Catch ya L8R--Silverfox
User avatar
Ray P
Senior Member
Posts: 645
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:32 am
.204 Ruger Guns: 2-Rem 700 and Ruger#1 S/S
Location: NE Pa
Contact:

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Ray P »

You got a love it! It was a 22 hrs drive from Pa to Chugwater ,Wy. I'd do it in a heart beat if some of group would get back together. Aging ailments with some and $$ with others that have kids in college.
Thanks for sharing the stories and pics it brings back geat times with great friends.
God Bless all.

Ray P
Life is an adventure and often to short. Make the most with family and friends. Shoot often and shoot a small hole. Love the 204 Ruger!! NRA Life Member
"We are never to old to learn"
Mike
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:05 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Cooper, RRA
Location: Springfield, MO

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Mike »

Ray: I know what you mean about groups splitting up for various reasons. I enjoy getting out there so much that I'd almost consider doing it alone if I had to. Perhaps one day we should organize a .204 Rat Rodeo for forum members to meet up and have some fun.
tt35
Junior Member
Posts: 81
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:00 am
.204 Ruger Guns: Savage Predator, Cooper M21, WOA AR, DPMS AR, custom AR
Location: Eastern OR
Contact:

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by tt35 »

Great stuff, Mike! That looks a little more comfortable than my teepee tent on the Wyoming desert. :) Glad you were able to make it out. Your report is giving me the itch!
Tim Titus
No Off Season
www.no-off-season.com
"No crowds, no limits, no seasons...no bad days."

Sure God's a hunter, he clothed Adam and Eve with skins and told Peter to "kill and eat", didn't He?
Mike
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:05 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Cooper, RRA
Location: Springfield, MO

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Mike »

There's a lot to be said for a teepee tent, Tim. I recently ordered one for elk hunts in the Rockies. It will beat the pants off of a conventional tent for room to move around and the wood stove will make me a lot happier at night. :)
User avatar
WY-NEvarmints
Junior Member
Posts: 71
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:24 am
.204 Ruger Guns: AR 204
Location: Wyoming

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by WY-NEvarmints »

Mike, your idea of a 'rat rodeo' for pdogs is something I have thougt about in the past. If enough land could be rounded up and dates figured out, man oh man would that be a great thing to meat and greet and have a grand old time.

Here was my pyramid (cowboy teepee) at our WY elk camp in 07.
Image

Here was our shelter last year (no this was not our hunting location :D )
Image

It is nice being able to back up, hook up, and head down the mountain. However the wind was easier to tolerate in the tent. I was awake every little bit with the strong winds we had last year, even though we were behind some large pines in the trailer.
Mike
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:05 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Cooper, RRA
Location: Springfield, MO

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Mike »

I agree that a rat rodeo would be a lot of fun, if the details could all be sorted out.

Do you run a fire or stove in that teepee?
User avatar
WY-NEvarmints
Junior Member
Posts: 71
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:24 am
.204 Ruger Guns: AR 204
Location: Wyoming

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by WY-NEvarmints »

We were using a gas burning stove, not very big but it did pretty good. It got fairly cold but not really bad, one with more BTU's would have been a little nicer. First few nights there were 2 of us in it, then part of the camp left so we gained one more. He came with one of those 3' high queen sized air mattress' and other 'necessaties' that most would be ashamed to have in a hunting camp. We still had plenty of room and most importantly, we were rested and ready the next morning. We had 2 of these and I think this one was a 12'x12'. We used a two piece PVC center pole that broke down for ease of transport and a nice 'cap' for the top so as not to damage the tent. The bottom was a larger diameter to help stabalize it. I packed up nice and didn't take up much cargo room.
Mike
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:05 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Cooper, RRA
Location: Springfield, MO

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Mike »

That's a nice setup to have in elk camp. I've only hunted elk once, but that experience was enough to teach me that a heated tent is very nice to have (I didn't have one.). Live and learn.
User avatar
Clint E
Senior Member
Posts: 370
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 3:10 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: none
Location: Wyoming

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Clint E »

Mike wrote:Ray:[/ Perhaps one day we should organize a .204 Rat Rodeo for forum members to meet up and have some fun.


Mike i like you're thinking it would be a grand time it would great to put a face to names.
Mike
Senior Member
Posts: 676
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:05 pm
.204 Ruger Guns: Cooper, RRA
Location: Springfield, MO

Re: CO prairie dog trip

Post by Mike »

Clint E wrote:Mike i like you're thinking it would be a grand time it would great to put a face to names.
I agree with you, Clint. I also think that it would be a great learning experience for people. I'm sure that we all have developed unique ways of spending time in prairie dog towns and I could pick up a lot of valuable tips and tricks from other members.
Post Reply