Hunting PDs in South Dakota (Pics)
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:36 pm
I made my first trip to South Dakota this week for prairie dogs. My hunting partner, Mitch, and I along with his cousin Tom from Las Vegas, hunted with Chris Peterson at Dakota Hunting Trips, about 11 miles west of White River. We signed up for three days of shooting, but the third day we woke up to thunder and lightning, and headed south.
Here's a view of the sun coming up over the hills, and of the cabin we stayed in.
The first day, Monday, we were at the same spot from 9am until about 5pm...and had steady shooting all day. I counted 130 pcs of brass, but may have lost a few. There were only a couple of shots under 100 yards, and most were out 200 yards plus, to a max of about 400. I'd made the "rookie" mistake of not bringing a range finder, but was able to use Mitch's periodically, since Tom had one also. I will NOT make that mistake again.
Since I was shooting a Cooper .17FB and my Rem700 in 20 VT along with my Ruger .204, it was really difficult connecting with the smaller cartridges, until I started using the range finder. The only shot I troubled to range that day was 260 yards with the 20VT. Tom was shooting a bolt 22-250 and .204, while Mitch was working them over with one of his 6.5 Grendels.
This is the field we shot in Monday, a pic of Mitchell shooting next to his truck, my Cooper set up on the bench, and a photo of the three of us: left to right Mitch, Tom and me. I had my hat off when it was taken, but believe me, I had a hat on pretty much all the time, and used plenty of sunscreen.
The second day started out overcast, cool and breezy and stayed that way all morning. When the sun came out around noon, things picked up a bit, and we shot several in the next hour or so. We moved to another field and killed a dozen or so, along with chasing a bunch of others back in their holes, until we quit about 5pm. The only kill I laser measured on Tuesday was one at 310 yards with my Ruger .204, shooting 32gr Nosler BT's over RL10X. It opened him up pretty good. As a matter of fact, I used the .204 almost exclusively this day, since all the shots were on the long side...at least for me.
The Ruger .204 where the 310 yard shot was taken:
Here's a pic of Tom shooting next to Mitch's truck, at the last place of the day.
Mitch walked up on a prairie rattle snake, and killed it with a "shot shell" shot from his 1911. It had 9 rattles and a button....not a huge snake by LA standards, but just as dangerous. Nest to him in the photo is Aaron, the guide who took us to the various spots.
I also stopped at the Cabelas store in Sidney NE on the way south....quite a place. I drove from SD down here to Santa Fe to visit our youngest daughter and family, and my wife had flown out a couple of days ago....
I'll post more photos, after receiving some taken by Mitch and Tom.
Thanks for looking! I learned at least TWO lessons: 1) take a range finder; 2) take more gun......next year I'll have my other .204 and my Savage 6BR with some 105gr AMax's......
George
Here's a view of the sun coming up over the hills, and of the cabin we stayed in.
The first day, Monday, we were at the same spot from 9am until about 5pm...and had steady shooting all day. I counted 130 pcs of brass, but may have lost a few. There were only a couple of shots under 100 yards, and most were out 200 yards plus, to a max of about 400. I'd made the "rookie" mistake of not bringing a range finder, but was able to use Mitch's periodically, since Tom had one also. I will NOT make that mistake again.
Since I was shooting a Cooper .17FB and my Rem700 in 20 VT along with my Ruger .204, it was really difficult connecting with the smaller cartridges, until I started using the range finder. The only shot I troubled to range that day was 260 yards with the 20VT. Tom was shooting a bolt 22-250 and .204, while Mitch was working them over with one of his 6.5 Grendels.
This is the field we shot in Monday, a pic of Mitchell shooting next to his truck, my Cooper set up on the bench, and a photo of the three of us: left to right Mitch, Tom and me. I had my hat off when it was taken, but believe me, I had a hat on pretty much all the time, and used plenty of sunscreen.
The second day started out overcast, cool and breezy and stayed that way all morning. When the sun came out around noon, things picked up a bit, and we shot several in the next hour or so. We moved to another field and killed a dozen or so, along with chasing a bunch of others back in their holes, until we quit about 5pm. The only kill I laser measured on Tuesday was one at 310 yards with my Ruger .204, shooting 32gr Nosler BT's over RL10X. It opened him up pretty good. As a matter of fact, I used the .204 almost exclusively this day, since all the shots were on the long side...at least for me.
The Ruger .204 where the 310 yard shot was taken:
Here's a pic of Tom shooting next to Mitch's truck, at the last place of the day.
Mitch walked up on a prairie rattle snake, and killed it with a "shot shell" shot from his 1911. It had 9 rattles and a button....not a huge snake by LA standards, but just as dangerous. Nest to him in the photo is Aaron, the guide who took us to the various spots.
I also stopped at the Cabelas store in Sidney NE on the way south....quite a place. I drove from SD down here to Santa Fe to visit our youngest daughter and family, and my wife had flown out a couple of days ago....
I'll post more photos, after receiving some taken by Mitch and Tom.
Thanks for looking! I learned at least TWO lessons: 1) take a range finder; 2) take more gun......next year I'll have my other .204 and my Savage 6BR with some 105gr AMax's......
George
