So I filled all my deer tags in November and have been sitting around wishing I could be out in the woods. Well for the first time in probably 15 years I took out a shotgun and took out some rabbits! I also managed to shoot a nice rooster that I took to the taxidermist! Is anyone else out there an avid small game hunter?
Ducks are small..... lol In all seriousness, I try to go out a time or two for squirrels and rabbits every year.
I don't do as much as I'd like. Most of our small game seasons are during deer seasons, so they get pushed off. But I need ti get back into it...its a ton of fun.
Man, that's more rabbits than I've seen in a year. LOL Cottontails are on a down cycle here. The only ones around are hugging next to houses and brush around barns to keep clear of the foxes and coyotes. My brother was walking his dog today at 12:30. He's walking back to his house and sees this rabbit just flying down the middle of the road right toward him. It made a sharp left about 40 yards out and cut into the cattails by our brook. He stood there looking and wondering why the rabbit was flying down the snow covered road. He turned to continue the walk and here comes this red fox flying down the road right on the trail of the cottontail. He spotted my brother and his dog and did a hard 90 heading up through the woods toward my house. That's how rare a rabbit is around here. It's the topic of discussion today.
At my hunting camp in the Catskills we joke about rabbit hunting (and the deer hunting for that matter), we call hunting a "armed hike" since the hunting has been on a down cycle the last 10 yrs or so. Than again, the trout fishing more than makes up for all of that come spring time. I just call it a drinking camp with a hunting problem.
I shoot squirrels out my back door if that counts. I take somewhere around 10 every year and it doesn't stop them from coming back.
Yeah here about 4 or 5 years ago the population turned around. We have been taking as many coyotes out over the years too which I think has helped a great deal! That is insane about the fox coming down the middle of the road. Speaking of foxes, I have never in the 18 years of being a hunter seen a fox in the wild. They are non existent in my area! Flystraight and true I wish I could go out and shoot some ducks and geese. I even went as far as to purchase all my required licenses and stamps but had no one to take me out.
I bet I haven't seen 10 rabbits in the last 20 years in the woods. Sure miss the days kicking the brush for a rabbit or covey of quail. Looks like you had a great hunt!
