Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

My pap tells me that he can remember a time when small game season was just as popular and anticipated as deer season. To me, small game hunting is just as fun, if not a whole lot more fun, than deer hunting. I especially think parents should get their kids involved in small game hunting. It' s a great pastime and teaches kids safety. Not to mention squirrels and rabbits are very tasty. Does anyone have any theories on why not many people hunt small game?




Great squirrel gun
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RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

Not very many rabbits around .Some tree rats but not as many either compared to 15 years ago.

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

there are a host of other things that kids can do nowdays as compared to 20 or 50 years ago. now, we have soccer, other scholastic activities, plus the amount of homework these days is much more than it was a few decades ago.

i graduated h.s. in 85, i was a sophomore the first time i had homework. now, kids in 4th grade have homework.

parents are working more, and working more irregular hours.

habitat and places to hunt are being lost.

traditions aren' t being passed on like they used to.

take a kid hunting. a kid who otherwise would have no other opportunity to go hunting. when we are too old to go, these kids will be voting and can keep this whole thing going.

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

Another thing to consider is that rabbits, at least in my neck of the woods, have declined in numbers in the last 10 or 15 years. I was wondering why the other day, but then I realized that I have seen more predators around, especially birds, than I ever saw as a kid. On a short 30 minute walk this summer around a field I used to see 50 rabbits. This time I saw 1 rabbit. But I did see a red fox, two hawks and an owl. Perhaps it is the natural swing of populations, perhaps getting rid of PCBs and other polutants have allowed the predators to thrive, I don' t know.

But, I DO miss the taste of free range rabbit. Squirrel is good, but it just does not compare.

Chubber

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

A couple of things were already mentioned. Parents working crazy hours and loss of small game habitat. One thing that wasn' t mentioned - Play Station. That probably keeps a lot of the potential hunters locked away in their bedrooms instead of out in the field. I' m sure instant messaging, chat rooms, cell phones and all that other stuff has saved a squirrel' s life on more than one occassion.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

I love smallgame hunting, tree rats and rabbits thrive around here in Oklahoma and make for some great fun. Cant wait till my daughter is Old enough to go with me.

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

there ain' t nothing like hering a pack of hounds chasing a rabbit. i love rabbit hunting go all the time whene cool whether arrives. coon hunting is fun to. i love small game hunting.


go deep hunt hard.;)

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

They are making couchs and recliners to comfortable these days. Computers and playstations are replacing the enjoyment of being outdoors.
I don' t know about you guys, but I have a 8 year old boy that love to spent time outdoors with his dad hunting and fishing. There is no other place I would rather be on a Saturday afternoon. It' s a time that we will both cherish for many years.

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

I' ve grown up rabbit hunting and plinking squirls when they eat to many of moms plants and too much bird seed. Every year we get the family uncle' s and cousins together for a rabbit hunt. When i started and before i was old enough, we would come back with 25 or thirty rabbits for just one afternoons work. Now we are lucky to get five for a weekends work. I think it might be that the weather hasn' t cooperated, but more so that a trend has swept our area. All the habitat is disippearing. All the bunny hangouts are dissapearing. The farmers think they all need the extra two acers and plow up the fenceline hotspots and thickets. Sure there are still places they have a hold, but not like it used to be. Hope we don' t have to resort to bustin' clay. They don' t taste as good.

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

im right here

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

Because lots of families now have *pet* rabbits and " exotics" . Would be pretty twisted to step out side and blast (and/or eat) the same animals you keep in your house as pets.

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

I have a 15 month old son who will be small game hunting in the fall of 2014. Man that' s a long way off. He' ll be going out with me way before that.

probably.......
 

most small game hunters are either hunting waterfowl, since the early goose season here in michigan starts the first of Sept. Archery deer opened Oct,1st. and duck hunting opened last saturday. Small game has taken a second seat to a lot of different types of hunting. Don' t get me wrong there are still a lot of small game hunters out there.

I' m still out in the woods hunting squirrels, grouse, and woodcocks. And rabbits, but I don' t hunt them until after the first few good frosts. A lot of my passion has went into predator, and varmint hunting. And I personally think....and this is only my opinion, That a lot of the younger teens and young adults really don' t care about hunting. Hunting and trapping has taken a real shot, since PETA, and the other anti-hunting groups have hit a lot of the schools. Putting in all this BS into the heads of our young people. Hunting and trapping, fishing is still the best and will always be the best way to conserve our heritage of hunting ect,ect.

The young teens and young adults now grow up in a family where usually both mother' s and father' s work. And it seems to me that not enough of the parents get involved with their kids like they should. Either they don' t have the time or else they just don' t care. I was luck enough to grow up with a family that loved hunting, trapping and fishing. And I passed that on to my son and daughter. And now they' re passing this down to my grand kids.

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

i' m with who else...i been right here too

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

I love small game hunting. I shot a big fox squirrel this morning. I almost had three more, but they just vanished into thin air. Them tree rats sure are quick!

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

Rabbit season opens in PA this Saturday, I get just as excited for bunny' s as I do bow season,, my 2 beagles know it' s right around the corner also, they are fired up! Even though I run them year round,, there' s a diffence when they see the orange vests, brush busters and Model 12s being pulled out.

In Western Pa, lots of good small game hunting and hunters.

Come on Saturday!!
Rabbit hunting in the morning, bow hunting in the evening. life' s good!!!

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

here in MN the squirell and rabbit population are rapidly growing[:-] esoecially the squirrels

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

Yep, I couldn' t agree more ! My grandfather used to raise and train beagles to track rabbit. Once I was old enough I was the lucky one to get to take them out into the field hunting. It was great ! I sure miss those days.

Now I just rely on flushing them out myself. It' s a pain but it' s still fun. :)

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

There are a few reasons I think. #1 if you have a friend, or girlfriend and you say hey look at that squirell I shot, its not near as impressive as shoting a 6X6 elk or a 120+ buck. Second reason I like venicen a whole lot better than squirell or rabbit. Third reason, being a teenager I have so many other things I do besides thinking about small game season. It is fun, but when I go out on the weekends whitetail, bobcats, hogs, quail, and dove are what im usually looking for. I also don' t have much time. I have about a party once or twice a month, I play 3 sports a year, I have homework, I watch football and Lacrosse(the best) on tv when I can, stuff like that. GO TEXANS YA!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

I grew up hunting for deer, squirrel and rabbit among other animals. We raised squirrel and rabbit dogs. Now I have my own squirrel dogs along with my own family. I do believe a lot of it has to do with parents not taking the time or just letting their kids sit in the house and waist away in front of a tv. My son has all the games, computers and everything else electronic, but during the daylight hours guys do outside things. During hunting season we hunt. When its not hunting season, we scout, ride fourwheelers, anything else outside. He knows better than to be sitting in the house on a beautiful day. Parents need to pass the tradition along to there kids and pay attention to what they are doing.

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

I' m 19 and love the outdoors and Just learned how to clean a squirrel because my dad never had took me out he works outside and just wanted to sit and relax I took my lil brother out a couple times and we didn' t get anything then my dad me and my brother went out and he got a squirrel I think the game laws play a big part in how many kids get into hunting 30 yrs ago you didn' t need an adult to go out with now you do and hunting isn' t rightly repersented in society so kids think it' s murder to hunt unless the have parents who hunt

Just My Opinion

RE: Where have all the small game hunters gone?
 

Last year we had a lot of rabbits. then i got my 410[8D] i shot 26 and my cuz across the road shot 6. i won. 410 are the ultimate best small game gun. i have a russian somehting or a nother. i seen a black squirrel while bowhuntin. missed him! lucky. maybe theres another one and they will have kits.