Lets talk Prairie Dog Hunting

[Adicted]

Last year I got big into Airgun Shooting.  Picked up a FX DRS .22 and love it. This thing is ridiculous accurate out to 100 yds.  Pigeons be on the look out.  Anyways, I want to do some Prairie Dog Hunting up north.  But my luck, looks like its closed as of March 31 and opens back up in July.  Don't need spots, just tell me about your experience.  Fun for the kids?  Post some pics if you can.

[Coach]

We used to have some spots fairly close to home and the kids had an absolute blast. We'd take a canopy, chairs, set up some chairs and make an afternoon of it. That said we were shooting 25-06 & .556 when ammo was a lot cheaper. I have heard a lot of the towns got bubonic plague and were eradicated, but it's been many years since I checked on the towns. These were in unit 1, 3b & 3c + whatever is west of St. Johns.

[firstcoueswas80]

I did it once or twice in college with Doug. It was awesome. Excellent target practice and some awesome acrobatics. 

[Red Rabbit]

I have not been in several years as some of the towns which I used to go to died out.  I had the most fun with a 22LR as opposed to my 22-250.  I have some ELY high velocity hollow points waiting to test and see if they are more accurate than the CCI mini mags.  Your kids should have a fun time if you find a good town that offers plenty of shooting.

[Roofer Billy]

There everywhere around Williams 

[jdown]

I’ve never found bigger town off the big bo but that was years ago and before the daily rate was raised 10x what it was.  
great shoots in co and ut - shoot 2 or 3 towns all day from 50yds to 700 without moving. 

[duxngeez]

6 hours ago, Adicted said:

Last year I got big into Airgun Shooting.  Picked up a FX DRS .22 and love it. This thing is ridiculous accurate out to 100 yds.  Pigeons be on the look out.  Anyways, I want to do some Prairie Dog Hunting up north.  But my luck, looks like it’s closed as of March 31 and opens back up in July.  Don't need spots, just tell me about your experience.  Fun for the kids?  Post some pics if you can.

My boys and also recently got into airguns and it has been a blast. We bought FX guns as well and I can’t believe how accurate they are. They are far more capable than I am and they are very lethal on critters. Should be a blast on prairie dogs. Travis, keep us updated if you end up finding a place to go. 

[HyNoon]

I did it once with an air gun on a Utah deer hunt and we had a blast. But nothing beats a 22-250 .

[NOTAGS]

" I have heard a lot of the towns got bubonic plague and were eradicated, but it's been many years since I checked on the towns. These were in unit 1, 3b & 3c + whatever is west of St. Johns."

 Thats  my experience, there were a couple good sized towns we would shoot for an hour or so.  They are no longer there.  I didnt know if the ranchers had  poisoned them or what, but the plague makes more sense.  Its too bad, cause it was great fun, hopefully the varmints recover at some point.

[couesbuck22]

Last time I went I took my nephew we parked on the edge of a big flat and walked out to the edge of this prairie dog town sitting under a lone pine in the shade and we had killed a few and he was lining up a shot on another one and I was trying to record it on my phone attached to my binos and you can hear me in the video “hang on put the safety on and open your bolt what’s this idiot doing?” As a side by side comes into frame on the opposite side of the one we’re about to shoot at.  (Nowhere near a road we had to walk about 3/4 mile to get to where we were) and then I see the gun come out the driver side window (video still running) I stand up yelling waving my arms and the bullet whizzes by I yell at my nephew to get behind the f***ing tree as he fires a few more. I went and confronted him mainly to get his license plate, g&f caught up to him later that day said his camp was trashed, trash blowing all over the woods they asked me if I wanted them to write tickets because he’s gonna know your the one that called I said write every one you can I don’t care.  G&F officer told me “yeah he said he saw you guys but didn’t think you were in harms way” haven’t gave a crap about shooting one since. Video was on my old phone then I switched to apple or id try to post it somehow, don’t even know where that phone is nowadays

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I watched a documentary by G$F, it is probably 4-5 years old talking about the plague and its damage to the AZ prarie dog population. They have been trying to re introduce the ferret to northern Az but becaue of the plague they had to  postpone that project as prarie dogs are a popular diet for ferrets.

March 6 they reintroduced ferrets in northern az.

https://www.azgfd.com/2026/03/16/endangered-black-footed-ferrets-released-in-northern-arizona/

[Non-Typical Solutions]

And................................very fun shooting prarie dogs!!!!

[WHT_MTNMAN]

In the drought we are having, prairie dogs are wrecking havoc on our fields and grasslands. I can not eradicate them fast enough on my property

 

[Adicted]

4 minutes ago, WHT_MTNMAN said:

In the drought we are having, prairie dogs are wrecking havoc on our fields and grasslands. I can not eradicate them fast enough on my property

 

Send an invite.  "CWT PRAIRIE DOG HUNT".  I'm sure plenty will join

[Jazz]

On 4/1/2026 at 7:41 AM, Adicted said:

Last year I got big into Airgun Shooting.  Picked up a FX DRS .22 and love it. This thing is ridiculous accurate out to 100 yds.  Pigeons be on the look out.  Anyways, I want to do some Prairie Dog Hunting up north.  But my luck, looks like its closed as of March 31 and opens back up in July.  Don't need spots, just tell me about your experience.  Fun for the kids?  Post some pics if you can.

I've been wanting something like that.. will have to YouTube.