{"id":2306,"date":"2024-05-29T11:40:16","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T15:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/?p=2306"},"modified":"2024-05-29T11:41:15","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T15:41:15","slug":"prairie-dogs-and-plains-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/prairie-dogs-and-plains-game\/","title":{"rendered":"PRAIRIE DOGS AND PLAINS GAME"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Boddington<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, long-range shooting is \u201cin,\u201d with many shooters working hard to expand their range envelopes. There\u2019s a lot to this. Knowledge of trajectory, art of reading wind. Cheek weld, breathing, consistent trigger press. At distance, all the little things matter. However, in all field shooting, getting steady enough to take the shot is critical. Just how steady one needs to be is a relative thing; depends on distance and size of target. Successful field shooters learn how to get steady\u2014enough\u2014from a wide variety of field positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sticks-Tripod-P-Dog\"
Sticks tripod P-Dog: Prairie dog \u201cpractice,\u201d using three-legged African shooting sticks, broken down for a sitting position. If you can hit prairie dogs consistently, no big game shooting is daunting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a few days, I\u2019m headed to a near-annual prairie dog shoot in eastern Wyoming with friend Gordon Marsh, proprietor of this site. We\u2019ll start shooting from portable benches, not as steady as a concrete bench, but better than any field position. A prairie dog offers a target about two inches by six. At 300 or 400 yards, not much to shoot at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For field shooting, the prairie dog is the best teacher I know, not just because the mark is small, but because of windy prairie. Doesn\u2019t take much breeze to blow a light varmint bullet clear off the mound. I was fortunate to do a lot of prairie dog shooting when I was young, great training. I still look forward to every refresher course. Typically, I\u2019ll shoot for a while off the bench. Great for precision, but limited learning from the great teacher. After a while, I\u2019ll rove the edges of a colony, shooting from field positions. Hit ratio goes down, but this is the best training of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sticks-Javelin\"
The Javelin bipod\/tripod system from Spartan can be variously configured, including as a dead-steady fore-and-aft system<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For most long-range shooters, a bipod is a primary stability tool. With practice, prone off a bipod is almost as steady as the bench. Tricks include loading the bipod with forward pressure, using a light sandbag under the butt to get the height perfect, then using a daypack under your supporting elbow. Many long-range shooting instructors stress use of a bipod. To a fault, because no single solution works under all conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sticks-fore-and-aft-P-Dog\"
Sticks fore-and-aft P-Dog: Boddington \u201cworking out\u201d with fore-and-aft sticks in a prairie dog town. This was the first time he used this type of sticks. Steep learning curve but, once you get the hang of them, the stability is marvelous.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Late spring is also the start of peak safari season in Southern Africa. Not uncommon for me to train on prairie dogs, then get serious on plains game. This year I\u2019m going straight from Wyoming to Mozambique. Here\u2019s something prairie dogs and plains game have in common: Prone-off-bipod isn\u2019t a good solution for either. Where we shoot prairie dogs, sagebrush gets in the way, precluding prone. Sometimes you can lay on top of an old mound and gain a bit of elevation. Just be careful of flopping down on the prickly little prairie cacti. And be mindful of prairie rattlers. In Africa, all plants have nasty thorns and low vegetation often precludes a prone position. Never mind the creepy-crawlies that might be on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sticks-fore-and-aft\"
Sticks fore-and-aft: In South Africa\u2019s Eastern Cape, these hunters are set up to take a long shot off of fore-and-aft sticks. Look at the typical vegetation; this is why African hunters use elevated shooting sticks\u2026to get above that stuff.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve carried bipods in open country since I was young. The Harris bipod was the original and still excellent, attaching to the fore-end via the front sling swivel stud. For pronghorns, I like models with extending legs long enough for a sitting position, getting you over low vegetations. With the popularity of long-range shooting, there are now many options from several makers. These days I usually carry a light carbon fiber Javelin bipod, either on my belt or accessible on my daypack. The Javelin attaches via a strong magnet that replaces the front swivel stud, quickly available when needed, not on the rifle when not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not an extreme-range shooter on game, very much a \u201cget as close as I can guy.\u201d For sure, I won\u2019t back up to take a shot! However, I\u2019d rather have a deliberate steady shot at distance, rather than risk bumping an animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sticks-fore-and-aft
Sticks fore-and-aft practice: On the range in Mozambique, PH Ben Rautenbach demonstrates how to set the rifle on fore-and-aft sticks. With practice, this new breed of shooting sticks can essentially double one\u2019s effective range off of stick.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While I take few animals from a classic prone-with-bipod setup, I still find the bipod a useful tool. Often, I\u2019ll put the legs on a rock or log, or on top of a pack to, to get the height right, or to get over low vegetation. Any potential field shooting positions, no matter how weird, can be practiced on the range\u2026or in a prairie dog town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with bipods or any other favorite shooting position: Too easy to get complacent, married to one shooting solution. I\u2019ll have a bipod in Wyoming, keep it handy in Africa, doubt I\u2019ll use it over there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sticks-double-2\"
Using two sets of sticks on a wide-open Mozambique floodplain, Boddington took this hartebeest at 425 yards. With one set under fore-end, the other under buttstock, near-benchrest stability is achieved.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last few years, in larger safari camps. I\u2019ve been surprised at how many Americans bring long-range rigs to Africa, suggesting to me that I haven\u2019t appreciated the breadth and popularity of the extreme-range movement. Mostly good. Fast 7mms<\/a> and .300<\/a>s with heavy bullets are perfect for African plains game,. Good scopes help everywhere, and there are places over there where you can reach out: Hills, mountains, deserts, floodplains. However, I\u2019m disturbed by the number of hunters I see who struggle because they expect to lie prone with bipod, like their instructors taught them. For this I blame American shooting instructors, awesome technical marksmen, but lacking in either field experience or imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sticks-chicken
Sticks-chicken wing: The \u201cchicken wing\u201d: Using a second set of sticks under the shooting-side armpit. Amazing how much extra stability this offers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Set-piece prone with bipod rarely works in Africa. There are good reasons why African hunters have long relied on three-legged shooting sticks. Fast to set up, fast to get into position. Standing on sticks, you are above the thorns, and can take shots impossible from lower positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with traditional three-legged sticks: They are never perfectly stable, a short-range solution. How far depends on one\u2019s ability, and amount of practice. Most people can quickly become deadly to at least 150 yards, somewhat farther with practice. Wife Donna is awesome off sticks; despite my 40 years of practice to her 20, she\u2019s steadier than me. Even so, 200 yards is a long poke off sticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sticks-buddy\"
Sticks-buddy: Stability off sticks can be enhanced by having a buddy grasp the sticks and offer a shoulder for the shooting elbow. Good trick to practice on the range.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With today\u2019s equipment, many people want to shoot farther and can. There are tricks that help. A second set of sticks under the rifle butt can create a near-benchrest situation. Or, under the shooting-side armpit, what the instructors at the SAAM shooting school call \u201cthe chicken wing.\u201d Or stabilizing the shooting side elbow. Can\u2019t do much to change Africa\u2019s terrain and vegetation, but this stuff, too, can be practiced at home. Never forget, all position practice can be done with a .22, reducing cost, blast, and recoil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last few years, many African PHs have abandoned traditional three-legged shooting sticks in favor of newer designs with additional struts that support both butt and fore-end, what I call \u201cfore-and-aft\u201d sticks. Sounds awkward, but they work. Like everything else, they require practice, but dual butt and fore-end support greatly enhances stability and extends range. Just how much depends on the person (and, always, how much practice), but I\u2019m convinced they essentially double effective range off sticks. Not as steady as prone-with-bipod, but in the African context, they work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"sticks-22\"
Donna Boddington practices off traditional three-legged shooting sticks with a .22. Donna is unusually steady off sticks, but three-legged sticks alone offer a short to very-medium-range solution.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With enough practice, I\u2019m not sure there\u2019s a limit. There are now several varieties of these fore-and-aft sticks. The first ones I saw was \u201c4 Stable Sticks\u201d out of France. At first I thought they were the work of Satan, but after I got the hang of them, I saw the value. Since I use prairie dog shooting as training for big game, I took a set to Wyoming a couple years ago and used them for my \u201croving\u201d prairie dog shooting. A few weeks later, I used them in Africa. With a bit of practice, amazing stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Prone
Done right, prone with bipod is almost as steady as a bench. Useful position to master, but not practical in many field situations<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I figure: If I can consistently hit prairie dogs with confidence at a couple hundred yards, then no shot at a big game animal should be daunting. I\u2019m surprised at how frequently I\u2019m now seeing these \u201cfore-and-aft\u201d sticks in Africa: I\u2019ve encountered them recently with Zambeze Delta Safaris in Mozambique (awesome on the floodplains); and at both Frontier Safaris and John X Safaris in the Eastern Cape. Longer shots are likely there because of terrain relief, but low, prickly vegetation makes shooting prone problematic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"2023
2023 kudu off sticks 500 yards: NOTE: LAST REFERENCE IN TEXT. Boddington and PH Fred Burchell with a good East Cape kudu taken using fore-and-aft sticks at 500 yards, a near-impossible shot off traditional three-legged shooting sticks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last year, at Frontier, PH Fred Burchell was using fore-and-aft sticks. Last evening, near sunset, several kudu cows boiled up out of a canyon, followed by an excellent bull. Old friends, Fred and I are a good team. Sticks up, rifle steady, Fred ranging. I got on them quickly, but they were all mixed up in fading light, no chance for a shot, distance increasing. Finally, on top of the far crest, they separated. The bull lagged, 500 yards, quartering away. Take it or leave it. Common sense said to leave it, but I was steady, and both I and the rifle had been shooting well. The shot felt good, looked good, but of course they trooped over the skyline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bipod
Gordon Marsh uses an old prairie dog mound to get a bit of elevation. Watch out for cacti and rattlesnakes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bull was stone dead just over the ridge. For me, that would have been an impossible shot off traditional three-legged sticks, and no way anyone could have shot from prone. Doubt I could have done it without practicing on prairie dogs. Which I\u2019ll be doing in a few days, then moving onward to plains game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

these days, long-range shooting is \u201cin,\u201d with many shooters working hard to expand their range envelopes. There\u2019s a lot to this. Knowledge of trajectory, art of reading wind. Cheek weld, breathing, consistent trigger press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2308,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[101,47,35],"tags":[19,32,61,42,39],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Bench-P-Dog.jpg?fit=1152%2C768&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2306"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2321,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2306\/revisions\/2321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}