AZGFD Black-tailed Prairie Dog Trapping

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been re-establishing black-tailed prairie dogs since 2008 and twice a year they assess the animals and determine an estimate of the population. Volunteers will have the opportunity to handle prairie dogs and help collect measurements, weights, sex, age, and mark animals.

When? 8:00 AM September 23-25, 2016: A few people will be opening traps at 6:00a so feel free to come early, but we will begin checking traps at 8:30 so please arrive by 8:00 AM to get directions to the site you will be working at and still have time to drive to it. We will be working all day! We will be camped out at Las Cienegas Thursday night through Saturday night and you are welcome to join us!

Directions: 

The Las Cienegas National Conservation Area is about an hour or less from Tucson and the roads are passenger car friendly. To find the site, drive east from Tucson on I-10 East. Take Exit 281 for Hwy 83 Sonoita/Patagonia and follow the highway south for approximately 20 miles. You will pass a border patrol check station and continue on for another mile. Very close to MP40, you will see a sign for Empire Ranch and turn left or east into the ranch. Follow this road for 3 miles until the road T’s at a stop sign. Turn right (south) and follow the 6900 road for another 5 miles. Be sure to veer right (south) at 3.75 miles to stay on the 6900 road. At 5 miles the Road Canyon Road will be on your left (East). You will see a couple informational signs at this junction. The prairie dog colony is 0.5 miles up this road and camp will be set up in between the junction and the colony. The camp area will be the rendezvous point for those who are just coming out for the day. You will receive further instructions when you arrive at the camp site.

RSVP:

Please RSVP to prairiedog@azgfd.gov and include your contact information. Sign up for trapping at this link: http://doodle.com/poll/d59kmagpwbgctn5t and pre-baiting at this link: http://doodle.com/poll/ugipvwx2x3d3ukft. If you have any questions feel free to contact Kurt or Holly (information below).