Kansas Prairie Dog Hunts
Our Prairie dog hunts are outstanding. We have access thousands of acres of prairie dog towns located less than 30 minutes from our lodging facilities. Over 25 different prairie dog towns and counting to date where the avid sportsman can hone their hunting skills with a mid summer shoot. Perfect for practicing your long range shooting, prairie dog hunting allows you to shoot at different distances as often as you like. The farther out you shoot, the less likely the dogs are to know what’s going on. Prairie dogs will stand there and let you shoot at them until you hit them or get too close for comfort! These hunts can offer sportsmen countless hours of entertainment.
Mixed Bag of Opportunities
Generally a town will hold a mixed bag of targets, rabbits, badgers and rattle snakes and of course prairie dogs. Early May thru September are the prime shooting months for hunts. The shooting is also a great family adventure because most schools are out during prime prairie dog shooting months.
Because we are centrally located and just outside of Dodge City, Kansas you will be able to spend less time and money getting here and more time hunting prairie dogs. Our hunting packages include a full days days of shooting, first-class accommodations, three meals per day and many other extras. We can provide a hunting guide and spotter at additional costs.
New Prairie Dog – Dove Combo Hunt
A new hunting opportunity we have for our fall prairie dog hunters is to combine your prairie dog hunt with a evening dove hunt. These fast flying birds create the ultimate test to your wingshooting skills. It is also a great way to warm up for the pheasant hunting season as well.
HUNT REQUEST
- Price is per hunter – per day
- Hunters arrive after 3:00pm day before hunt
- Departure after the hunt on last day unless arranged
*If clients wish to have dinner upon arrival – Dinner is served at 7:00 pm. Communicate with our staff on your arrival to ensure you have a warm meal waiting for you if you wish.
Season:
Early May – June
Late: September (can combine with a dove hunt)
Included:
- Shooting Benches
- Shooting Tower (if available)
- Rifle Range (1000 yds)
- Gun Cleaning Station
- Lodging & Meals (1 Night – 1 Day)
- Lunch provided in field – Water & Gatorade in coolers
- Satellite TV – Wireless Internet
Not Included:
- License
- Ammunition
- Kansas State Sales Tax
- Staff Gratuities
*Non-shooting guest rate $200/per night
*Non refundable deposits required to hold hunting dates
*There is no refunds or rescheduling due to weather, unfortunately we can not control this and with a limited schedule we are not able to move client hunting dates.
Prairie Dog Hunts Checklist
The essentials for our Kansas prairie dog hunts include:
- Rifle – 22-250 or .223 recommenced
- Ammo – 200-400 rounds per person/day
- Binoculars – Range Finder
- Clothing for Varied Weather Conditions
- House shoes – slippers. No boots or shoes in the lodge, mudroom only.
The number one item is good binoculars. Range finders are very helpful if you have hard time judging distance. Comfortable and steady rest for your rifle. Light breathable clothing long sleeves and pants, sun burns are no fun. Good hats that breath well and provides good shade.
About Prairie Dogs
Prairie dogs live on prairies made up of sandy loam soil covered with short grass. This type of soil allows for easy burrowing and provides a diet rich in greens. These burrowing rodents are native to Kansas. In fact, they were discovered as early as 1774 and even mentioned by Lewis and Clark. Prairie dogs generally co-exist with cattle in prairie grass less than 10-12 inches tall, typically found in rolling hills or on flat terrain. The prairie terrain does not seem to have much effect on the choice of prairie dogs. For Kansas, water sources are not that critical due to the fact that the greens prairie dogs eat, provide them with water.
What Ammunition
The 22-250 caliber is probably the flattest shooting and least effected by wind drift than the small calibers. A .223 is probably the most used caliber for hunting prairie dogs because it has good velocity and medium wind drift characteristics. While the .223 is also the easiest to find and cheaper than the 22-250 and .204 per round typically. Ruger .204 is the smallest round recommended for hunting. This is due to winds typically ranging between 10-12 mph here. Bolt-action rifles are going to be the most accurate and AR platform are going to allow you to put the most lead in the air.
Semi Auto or Bolt Action
One can use Semi auto AR style rifles or bolt action rifles. Cartridges vary but for the most part one needs as flat shooting rifle as possible 204 Ruger, 223, 22-250 are probably the most common. Prairie dog shooting will generally allow the shooter to shoot at distances from 100 yards out to and past 1000 yards. Here we allow the shooter to take it to the next level and put silencers on their varmint-hunting weapon. You will still need all of the federal permits to purchase and install a silencer on your rifle.
Most modern day varmint rifles will out perform the shooting abilities of the shooter. That being said, do not be surprised if you see someone shooting prairie dogs with a 50cal. Barrett. When it comes to shooting prairie dogs, quality optics are essential. Having a powerful clear scope with a reticle that adjusts for yardage and wind age is a must. We recommend at least a 6x24x50 power scope.
Tips for Prairie Dog Hunts
The hunt is conducted on several large ranches. Hunters are stationed at one point and sit either on shooting benches or off of ground in one of our towers. These are fast paced hunts and require lots of ammo! We suggest bringing at least 200-400 rounds per day for shooting per hunter.
More Great Tips
Do not hesitate, shoot! Shoot prairie dogs when you see them and while they are out of their burrow or wait until they come out again. Burrows have multiple entrances and their burrows can be up to 10 feet deep. Most shot opportunities as the season progresses are 300 yds and out.
Prairie dogs can tolerate temperatures as high as 100 degrees. Prairie dogs are most active during the day and almost never come out of their burrows at night. As a result, hunting prairie dogs at night is essentially a waste of time. It is always best to wear loose fitting, fast drying clothing, comfortable shoes and drink lots of water.
Some of the best opportunities to shoot prairie dogs occur while they are feeding early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Stay back don’t get too close! They have color vision, see over long distances and alert others when danger is near. We recommend scopes with a power of 6x24x50 or greater.
Most importantly, Be safe when you are hunting and help others around you to be safe as well..
Additional Notes
- We do provide shooting benches for clients to use, however remember to bring shooting bags or rests.
- Clients will be escorted to the fields by a guide where you will be shooting all day. We will pack you a lunch and drinks for the hunt, but clients will need to be able to transport back any shooting stands as the next day you might be in a different field.
- Vehicles – recommend a truck or an SUV for multiple reasons. The fields can be muddy depending on weather, as well to transport back any shooting stands. Also if clients wish to use shooting trailer – this must be connected to a vehicle for stability. It is possible to rent a truck for the day, we do need prior notice of this request to make arrangements at an additional cost.
Practice your hunting skills during the off season. May be combined with other varmint hunts call for combo hunt prices.
Guides & Staff
We have many years of experience in the hunting industry, and consider ourselves one of the premier hunting guides in the area. The staff is friendly, cordial, and always want to ensure you have the prairie dog hunt of a lifetime. These days, we get more entertainment and sheer enjoyment out of seeing our clients do well in the field.
Our Lodging and Accommodations
The 10 Gauge hunting lodge, located just north of Kinsley, Kansas, was originally built in an early 1900’s. Our updated lodge boasts a large 6-bedroom, 2 lofts, 6-bath lodge that can comfortably sleep up to 26 hunters and or guests. If that is not enough room for your group of pheasant hunters, we also have a 2 bed bunkhouse that allows for more guests.
Accommodations are clean, comfortable with that feeling of home. Lodging can be limited within our Kansas prairie dog hunts, please book early on to guarantee yourself a memorable experience.
