Airgun Hunting · Field Guide
Prairie dog hunting with an air rifle
Researched by James · Updated September 26, 2026 · Editorial policy
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The state examples below come from Wyoming Game and Fish Department's and Colorado Parks and Wildlife's own pages, and the federal listing decision comes from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, all linked in Sources. Full methodology & editorial policy →
Is prairie dog hunting legal?
In most of their range, yes, but the classification — and what that requires of you — varies by state:
| Wyoming | Colorado | |
|---|---|---|
| Classification | Nongame animal | Small game (white-tailed, black-tailed, and Gunnison's prairie dog) |
| License required | None — "no license requirements or stamps required" | Yes — a small game license |
| Bag limit | None | Not specified on the state's small game page; check the current small game brochure |
| Other requirements | Hunter safety certification if using a firearm; no shooting from public roads | Standard small game season and license rules apply |
That's a genuine split — one neighboring state treats prairie dogs as essentially unregulated pests, the other folds them into the same license structure as rabbits and squirrels. Neither state's rule tells you what a third state does, so confirm the current regulation with your specific state wildlife agency, and see the airgun laws overview for how to find it.
Are prairie dogs protected?
Not federally, at least not the black-tailed prairie dog most hunters target. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed the species for Endangered Species Act protection and concluded in 2009 that listing wasn't warranted. That doesn't make every colony fair game, though — some states or counties restrict shooting near specific colonies for local conservation or public-land management reasons, separate from the species' overall federal status. If you're hunting on public land, check that specific management unit's rule in addition to the state's general prairie dog regulation.
What caliber and energy do you actually need?
Less than you'd think. A prairie dog is a small animal, and roughly 10-15 FPE at the animal — well within what a standard .22 or .25 hunting PCP delivers even out past 100 yards — is enough for a clean kill with a good hit. This isn't a power problem the way hogs or coyotes are; it's a placement and range problem. The full energy-by-quarry numbers, if you want to confirm your own rifle clears this floor at your hunting distance, are on the airgun FPE chart.
Why range and wind matter more than power
Prairie dog colonies typically sit in open, flat, short-grass terrain with little cover to close the distance, which is why 60 to 150+ yards is a normal working range rather than an exceptional one. That's well past where most small-game airgun hunting happens, and it exposes exactly the same problem long-range bird hunting does: a small target and real wind drift add up fast. On one filmed dove hunt at 30-130 yards, James took 15 shots for 5 birds, with the misses clustering at the long end — an honest illustration that even a slug-tuned, chronographed setup loses hit rate hard once range and wind stack up. What 100+ yard airgun shots really take covers that math in full, and the same lesson applies directly to prairie dogs: know your honest hit-rate distance, not your rifle's theoretical range.
Build a real holdover chart before you go
Guessing at holdover on a small, distant target is how a good rifle becomes an inconsistent one. Chronograph your actual load, build a holdover chart at 20-yard increments out to your longest realistic shot, and confirm it in field conditions, not just at a bench. Air rifle holdover: using mil-dots and MOA to hit at any distance walks through building that chart step by step.
Finding and approaching a colony
- Glass first. Prairie dog towns are usually visible from a distance — look for the mounded burrow entrances and upright "sentry" dogs before you commit to a shooting position.
- Shoot from a stable rest. A bipod or shooting sticks matter more here than on closer small-game hunts, since range and wind punish any wobble in your hold.
- Expect the colony to go quiet. After the first shot, most dogs duck underground for a while. Patience and a stationary position usually get you back into action once they re-emerge.
- Read the wind, not just the flag. Grass movement near the colony itself tells you more about your actual bullet path than a wind check at your shooting position alone.
Verdict
Prairie dogs don't need a hard-hitting rifle — they need a rifle and shooter that can consistently connect at real range in real wind. Confirm your state's license and classification rule first (Wyoming and Colorado alone show how differently that can go), then put your effort into holdover, wind reading, and a stable rest rather than chasing more FPE than the animal needs.
FAQ
Can you hunt prairie dogs with an air rifle?
Yes, in most states where prairie dogs live, though the license and classification rules differ. Wyoming classifies them as nongame animals with no license requirement, no bag limit, and no closed season, while Colorado classifies all three of its prairie dog species as small game requiring a small game license. Confirm your specific state before you go.
Are prairie dogs protected or endangered?
The black-tailed prairie dog, the most widely hunted species, isn't federally protected. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed the species for Endangered Species Act listing and determined in 2009 that protection wasn't warranted. Some states or specific counties still restrict shooting near certain colonies for local conservation reasons, so a lack of federal protection doesn't mean every colony is open.
What caliber and energy do you need for prairie dogs?
Not much by hunting standards — roughly 10-15 FPE at the animal is plenty for a small target like a prairie dog, well within what a .22 or .25 PCP delivers at typical ranges. The real difficulty isn't killing power, it's connecting on a small target at long range with wind in play.
What's a realistic range for prairie dog hunting with an air rifle?
Many prairie dog hunters shoot from 60 to 150+ yards, since colonies are often in open, flat terrain with little cover to close the distance. That's well past typical small-game airgun range, which puts holdover, wind reading, and a confirmed zero ahead of raw power on the list of what actually determines your hit rate.
Do you need a license to hunt prairie dogs?
It depends on the state. Wyoming explicitly requires no license or stamp to shoot prairie dogs, only proof of hunter safety certification if you're using a firearm. Colorado requires a small game license because it classifies prairie dogs as small game. Check your specific state wildlife agency, since this is one of the areas where states genuinely disagree.
Can you shoot prairie dogs from a road?
Not in every state. Wyoming specifically prohibits shooting prairie dogs from public roads even though the species itself carries no license requirement there. Treat shooting-from-a-road rules as a separate check from the animal's classification, since they often come from traffic and public-safety law rather than wildlife regulation.
What makes prairie dog hunting different from other small-game airgun hunting?
The range, not the power. Rabbits and squirrels are typically taken inside 40-50 yards from cover; prairie dog colonies are often in open country where 60-150+ yards is normal, and the animal itself is a small target that punishes even modest range or wind-call errors. It's a precision and holdover discipline more than a power discipline.
