How to find places to hunt

[birddog]

Folks-

I've been enjoying reading the posts of all the people heading out on their first pd hunts.

I may not have my gear ready until Sept or so, but was wondering what is the best methods to actually find places to hunt? I live in CO, but don't really have a clue as to how to go about finding pd hunting grounds. Most of the hunting I've done in CO has been on public land (Elk, Deer, pheasant, etc). I'm not aware of public land with prairie dogs on it (at least not that the Dept. of Wildlife advertises).

That would leave private land. How do you get in touch with private land owners who want their prairie dogs killed?

thanks,

Birddog

[acloco]

Your first call...the County Extension agent. They know ALL of the farmers and ranchers...or at least should...IF they are doing their job.

[skb2706]

where at in CO ?

It makes a big difference as you could be as close as a few miles or as far as 350 miles from good shooting. If you are on the front range, forget public land as there isn't enough of it to shoot pds on to make the drive worthwhile.
I am out on the farmlands often so when I locate a decent spot I can usually find out who owns it or at least who farms it. Go ask them. Nobody has turned me down yet in a dozen or so years. What you won't find so much here in CO is those huge prairies of several hundred thousand acres to shoot. You will find sections here and there, as small as 80 acres and a few over 2500. Often these are checkerboarded into farmlands and not detectable from a map. Think smaller and out of site from the main road. If it is visible from any main county road odds are pretty good its been shot ......alot. Out there permission is easy, location is everything. Two things you never have problem getting permission to hunt on the eastern plains of CO - antelope and prairie dogs.

[birddog]

Thanks for the good suggestions. I live in the Northern Denver suburbs. The plains of Eastern Colorado would work well. Sounds like I need to make some phone calls (as with the price of gas these days, driving around looking for dog towns sounds expensive and hit or miss).

Birddog

[Captqc]

One web page I read said that Colorado banned the black tail PD (eastern part of the state) from sport shooting in 01. Is that still the case? Seems kind of stupid to me but then again I also found a couple of web sites what wants to "save" the PD's. It takes all types I guess. Gary

[Arizona Hunter]

In addition to the County Extension office, call the CO Game/Fish. I live in AZ and have regularly called the G/F for info on various animals and they have always provided useful information.

[skb2706]

One web page I read said that Colorado banned the black tail PD (eastern part of the state) from sport shooting in 01. Is that still the case? Seems kind of stupid to me but then again I also found a couple of web sites what wants to "save" the PD's. It takes all types I guess. Gary

It used to be that pds in eastern CO were protected year round on public lands. Now there is actually a season on them (blacktailed) on public lands. The problem is that there is so little public land that the season and ability to shoot them is virtually meaningless. You can shoot them on private lands year round with permission.

Calling the CDOW is a worthless waste of time. They are currently in a mode that will slowly eliminate their usefullness. They have over regulated hunting and fishing to the point that the average joe is finding other things to do.

[Rick in Oregon]

[quote="skb2706
Calling the CDOW is a worthless waste of time. They are currently in a mode that will slowly eliminate their usefullness. They have over regulated hunting and fishing to the point that the average joe is finding other things to do.[/quote]

It sounds like your CDOW is working in tandem with our ODFW....same tactics, same apparent outcome.

[futuretrades]

about 10 yrs ago, my sister went to work for the dept. of fish and wildlife here in Kalifornia. she found out in a big hurry what they are all about. a bunch of tree huggers, anti gun, anti hunting, anti fishing, anti business, and anti everything, except more money for their dept and for themselves. most of the people that work there have never had a real job, and do not live in the real world.
my sister finally quit them, because they found out that her husband works in the timber industry and my dad has been in the logging business for over 50 years. they harassed her to the point, she quit. worked out for her though, as she went to work in the private sector and is making twice the money, and about the same benefits.

[skb2706]

There are precious few of the CDOW officers that have even read the small game regs and even fewer who care to know. I actually carry a couple of prints of ones I know they can get hung up on....sad as that may be.....just to avoid problems.

Our DOW requires certain state land leasees to poison prairie dogs on the lease. The same dogs that cannot legally be shot by you or I. This makes about as much sense as snot bubbles. They get to cover their politically correct asses by putting off the killing to the leasee, not allow pd shooting on state land and come out the good guy to the unknowing public.
Their youth big game hunting preference point system assures the 'youth' he will be long gone from "youth status " before he draws a desirable elk or deer license...what knuckle head came up with that.
Their small game regulations read like a dictionary....and we haven't even got to the fishing thing yet.
They have size limits on fish that live in lakes that are drained every year. One would have to ask "WHY".

[Rick in Oregon]

skb: Considering we are about the same age....(I'm guessing here), I'd think by now you would have come to realize in all that time, that logic and common sense does not apply to these fools. The more meaningless, idiotic regulations and restrictions they can impose on us, the citizenry, the better they can collectively justify their jobs and meet their own agenda; legislating hunting out of existence (and to think they get their funding from US!).

The same type of confusing, counterintuative bueracratic tripe is used here too, and as a result, is reducing the number of hunters going into the field every year. Then these same morons wonder why.......go figure.

[skb2706]

Rick - 52 and holdin here and I know you are right. You'd think I 'd be used to it by now. But once my axx is chapped it stays that way a while.

[Rick in Oregon]

skb: I know, and we're preaching to the choir, but like you, it fries me to see it go on every year, and just seems to get worse. I'm glad I'm no younger than I am, and realize that I've hunted during what may be called "The Golden Years of Hunting" in the not-to distant future.

We've probably hijacked this man's thread enough, but know that you've got company both in enduring the fools who run the Fish & Fur there, and the frustration that it envokes.

[skb2706]

No worries Rick I bet if I give birddog a line on a couple places to bust off a few he will not take the fact that we/I hijacked his thread to heart. That was his original request afterall. He just lives up the road from me.

[birddog]

SKB is right, high jack away. Any pointers I can get from him on places to hunt would be well received!

Actually, I enjoyed reading the responses!

birddog