Has anyone had recent experience shooting prairie dogs at the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in north central Montana? I haven't shot prairie dogs for a number of years and wonder how the shooting is. Does anyone have experience shooting prairie dogs in the same general area but outside the Reservation. An ideal situation for me and my partner would be stay at a ranch that provides food and lodging and can give us directions to nearby dog towns. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

It has been about three years since my last trip. I learned one very important tip - NEVER take your wife. They get bored too easily. For a city oriented woman Montana ranks very high on the boredom scale.

I stayed in Zortman and found the folks very friendly to PD hunters. I was able to buy by Belknap hunting license and arrange a guide right at the motel. The young guide took me to three very large PD towns and I shot all I wanted with NO competition. The shooting was so good that the guide loaded my four rifles while I concentrated on shooting. This kept the individual rifles reasonably cool. The shots ranged from 5 feet to 250 yards. We moved often to spread out the effect on the towns and to keep me in targets. Please be very considerate of the fact that you are a guest in a foreign nation. It is THEIR reservation.

Now for the rest of the area. There are definitely PD's on public land but no one but the motel operator was helpful. The do-gooders don't want PD's shot to keep the black footed ferrets food source secure. They will actually drive out where you are shooting to keep you from killing PD's. A very dumb and illegal activity, but it is possible you will encounter it. Try to stay away from the CM Russel refuge area, that's where the do-gooders are based.

The motel operator has a map of all known PD towns. You can't buy these maps anymore but you can get the same map without the towns on the map and transfer the information yourself.

I found out the hard way that this is tornado country. Keep a close eye on the sky. When the wind is going one way and the clouds are going the opposite way get the hell out of Dodge and head back to Zortman and the semi-protection of the rock bluffs.

The accomodations are basic but suitable. Gas, food, and groceries available at Zortman. Bring everything else. Bring a lot of ammo. Be prepared for high winds. The PD's are still out but I switched to my 243 Win during the winds which come up every afternoon. Do not attempt this in a 2WD vehicle. That ground gets wet and it is instant greasy gumbo.

Enjoy your trip and report back.