I hunted PDs May 16 and 17 on both sides of the Ne/Wy border. They had a torrential 3-6” rain 3-4 days before.
At least 50% of the PD holes were unoccupied. There was no evidence of digging since the rain and lots of cob webs over the holes entrance.
I wonder if the extreme rain fall drowned some PDs or the plague is killing some of them.
Any thoughts?

If there was cobwebs, it wasn't the rain kilt 'em......

Thanks huntsman.
I was guessing that some of the new born drowned or died of hypothermia after being wet for many hours, and maybe the plague is in play as well.
At any rate, the population was low.

Just heard the plague hit eastern Wyoming .

I believe what Mr. Don was alluding to is that spiders won't build webs that fast, so them p-dogs been dead long before the rains came.

Thanks for responses guys.

All the rodents is really down in south central Wy. Not sure why.

I just found out that one of my ranchers poisoned 5,000 holes this spring and another rancher poisoned a whole colony that covered 320 acres.

At that rate I won't burn through as many primers this season.