Hey all, Looking for any advice to setting up a prairie dog hunt. Looking to go to South Dakota, ND, or Nebraska this summer and try it out. Is the population better is some areas? Any outfitters or guides you would recommend for a weekend trip?

Do not go! you will become addicted!

Ha! Kinda like building ar's. Already built two in the past 3 months

It's not exactly hunting them, just shooting.

I've never done it but will give it a go too.
ND has a nonresident non-game permit that's $15 or so for PD. As far as I see, WY doesn't require a permit for prairie dogs as they're considered pests and fair game year round. Montana may be the same but I haven't checked yet.

I called some of the national forests and some of them said they have maps of prairie dog towns. I was gonna pick up a map and start looking around.
Seems simple enough and I'm too cheap to pay an outfitter to do this.

I've found that good towns are usually secrets. I tell no one where I'm going. I go to southern WY because I live in UT. But dad and I do pay an outfitter of sorts in northern WY. He has a ranch and feeds you breakfast, paper bag lunch, and dinner. He is a cattle rancher that lets you shoot on property he isn't using. We usually go for a few days. Love it

Tag for more info. I would love to do this in the summer when I've got the time.

here in SD, it's become almost too popular during the summer.  Guys literally lease dog towns now so they can be the first/only to shoot them.  Some of the better shooting can be had on the reservations, but you'll have to pay an outfitter for access.  This can actually be cheaper than driving around trying to find shootable towns on your own.  I pay $45/day for the private land I shoot on, and don't shoot at my favorite public spots until January.

Got couple during lunch today in ND.




CD

Spend the money, find a guide.  It will be worth it.  I'll be going to SD for the third time this year.  A good guide makes a world of difference.  

Last year they plopped us down in the middle of a dog town.  It was literally 360* shooting and any range you cared to try.  It's just ridiculous.

Not sure if you can get that level of fun on public land, have never tried.  This was out on the res though.

All the public dog towns in SD are so heavily hunted its almost not worth it anymore. They will stay down for 20 minutes after they hear a shot or two. You gotta find private or guided land to hunt.

I have a good spot out by Murdo that only gets hunted once or twice a year, you can sit and shoot them all day from 50 yards and they dont hide or anything its amazing.

My dad and I wanted to do a hunting trip but he was 70 at the time. Can't walk much. So we decided prairie dogs. Then decided didn't want to mess with doing it ourselves because we didn't know anyone etc in SD.
  So we went with Jim river guide service.  And have been back every year for 5 years!!!! It's a blast! Need to let the gun cool off before even running out of dogs to shoot. Def. bring at least 2 guns each guy.
   The guide was top notch!!!! Everything included! He pics u up from hotel in a nice f350 not some beat to shit farm truck. Drives out to a town sets up shooting tables and I have at it. He feeds you lunch and takes you out for steak at night!
  If it's raining he has land all over and u just drive to a town where it's not raining!
  Couldn't be happier with his service!  He's a full time guide for p dogs, pheasants coyotes and bear in Alaska. He does great and will give you every name of every client he had for a reference.
   He will even take u out early for a coyote if you want before the dogs wake up!!!!
   I farthest was 788yds 2 kills with a .223 and shitty pmc ammo lol. Yes I had to walk the bullets out there but it still counts :)