Varminting

Recently, an opportunity arose to spend a few days in Wyoming and shoot some prairie dogs. Wyoming has some world-class prairie dog hunting not only in terms of quality but quantity as well. I happily accepted this opportunity to hunt with friends and even make some new friends along the way. The hunt was sponsored by Hornady Manufacturing and the outfitter was Heart Spear Outfitters. Kelly and Kody Glause were our guides, a father-and-son team that knew the country well and were incredibly gracious hosts. They not only knew every good dog town in the surrounding area but also were extremely helpful – spotting hits or misses and ranging dogs. It was a pure joy hunting with them and getting to know them better. It reminded me of what hunting is all about. I found myself enjoying stories of other hunts and getting to know the others in our small group.

Over the course of the next few days, we shot more rounds than we could count and enjoyed some friendly competition with old and new friends. There were four trophies to be won, each with its own criteria; the closest shot with a rifle, longest shot with a rifle, furthest shot with a handgun and most unique shot. There is nothing like a little friendly competition to spice things up and keep things interesting. Seth Swerczek (host of the Hornady podcast) from Hornady and our guides, Kelly and Kody, would be the judges to confirm our ranges and keep things honest. Given my background in ranching, rodeo and horse shows, I know the lengths folks will go to win a .10-cent blue ribbon. Some of that nature has certainly been passed on to me. I strategically planned out my path to victory to obtain the much sought-after trophies and, perhaps more importantly, bragging rights. I would begin with the closest shot with a rifle because it makes sense to start close and work your way out. Then, I would transition to pistol and stretch its legs as far as possible before switching back to a rifle to take the longest shot. The plan seemed good, the only wild card was the unique shot, which I was confident that a double (two dogs with one bullet) might come along somewhere along the way and hopefully be enough to take the last trophy!

The plan was good, but within the first hour of shooting, I was having so much fun that I had completely forgotten all about it. We were enjoying putting the new 22 ARC with 62-grain ELD-VT bullets to the test and chatting about hunting and sharing stories – everything else seemed to fade away. This was a most welcome effect and I am sure others can relate, the stress of everyday life seems to fade away after a mere day in the field. I was quickly reminded that hunting is all about spending time among friends, trying out their latest load or their favorite rifle and just spending time in the field with good people. Don’t get me wrong, a good trophy and meat in the freezer are always good things, but in my book, it is simply icing on the cake. It is most enjoyable to simply get out there and hunt with good people you enjoy being around.

I quickly found that it was just as much fun talking with Kelly or Kody about their adventures or spotting for a friend as it was shooting myself. When it came time to give out the trophies, each one was hard-earned. Perhaps not as much as a .10-cent blue ribbon at the county fair, but there is no doubt that each of us put in effort in each category. My friend and fellow writer, Zak May, won the longest shot with a rifle, beating me by 10 yards with fewer shots downrange. He hit a prairie dog at 745 Yards with a 6mm ARC, taking home the prize. Ryan Barnes, a newfound friend and fellow editor, took both the most unique shot trophy and the closest shot with a rifle. This left me with the longest shot with a handgun trophy. Seth from Hornady was kind enough to loan me a Smith & Wesson Model 647-1 chambered in 17 HMR and I scored a lucky kill at 324 yards using Hornady Varmint Express ammunition. Sadly, Smith & Wesson no longer makes this revolver, but at least Hornady is still loading the 17 HMR Varmint Express ammunition.

All in all, it was a wonderful time filled with funny and interesting stories from all involved. The shooting was spectacular and despite being in Wyoming, the wind was not too choppy, which made the entire experience much more enjoyable. It was refreshing to go out and shoot some cattle cripplers with friends. I got to practice wind calling, trigger and recoil management and estimating distance, all great skills that will be put to use this fall for big-game hunts. The best part was that we all had a whole lot of fun in the process.

If you are looking to book a hunt in Wyoming, I cannot recommend Heart Spear Outfitters enough. Kody and Kelly Glause were a pure pleasure to hunt with. They can be reached via phone at (307) 247-3322 or for more information, check out their website at heartspear.com.

That is what this issue of Varmint is really all about – getting back to the basics, with Gary Lewis writing about introducing youth to the great outdoors and hunting with airguns and his Marlin 39A. Wes Littlefield wrote about hunting rabbits that plagued his mother’s garden and his top choices for dealing with them. Of course, we still have technical articles with load data and plenty of information. Every now and then, it is nice to get back to the basics and remember what hunting is all about for you. If you are like me, you enjoy every aspect, from working up a good load for each critter you pursue to getting your rifle dialed-in and properly zeroed and ready for the field by adding attachments, swapping optics or maybe installing a better trigger. I like to spend time hunting with good friends and family and get some good photos or maybe even something to eat and hang on the wall. However, the entire experience is an amazing adventure, and I find myself spending most of the year just preparing for it and waiting eagerly for the next hunt.