Any dedicated small game hunters in here!? How is your season going, or what does it usually look like!? Uplanders, waterfowler, squirrel hunters, Everyones welcome in this post!
I wouldn't say dedicated small game hunter, but kids had a good fall. Camping, squirrels, and running some catfish lines. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231208/c00829510aee5edd946a356c12e91aa3.jpg)
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I hunt small game a bit. Primarily nowadays upland birds, I've currently got one dog for that and rabbit hunt, I've now got 4 dogs for that. Had 14 beagles at one time and 2 shorthairs. I run dogs all year cept deer season. I judge and competed. Far as waterfowl with my medical issues I don't do too much anymore but that was a passion I followed I bet near 40 years. Killed 147 ducks one year. Was doing state surveys and had to track numbers. Only reason I'd know, Have around 9 dozen dekes a, quite a few calls and like for turkey, guns dedicated to the pursuit. Kinda sad looking at my old boat just sitting there.
I like the dogs more than the hunts though if that makes sense. Without the little hounds and bird dog I'd not hunt em although I like eating the game and live primarily on wild meat. Waterfowl I only ever owned 1 dog and it was as a kid. I loved that pursuit. Gotta say I only shot birds feet down, wings set. Using skeet or ic chokes. Pass shooting to me wasn't really hunting just like baiting deer or camera use ain't hunting and surely isnt sporting. Dogs circle a rabbit at least once before I even load gun and the bird dogs must point properly. Regarding the guns, all break action, double guns, usually (except waterfowl) 28 ga, light target loads (to keep things sporting). All about the hunt or why do it imo. I understand the evolution of hunters and some guys do it differently at least initially so don't mistake my intent. All personal thoughts. If I was retired and had the room I'd prob run coon dogs too. Anything with the sounds of hounds in hot pursuit gets the blood going. I worked skinning a few years in 2 bear camps. They had bout 30-40 dogs at times. What a great sound upon pulling up, even in the kennels.
Quote from: Gobspur on December 07, 2023, 09:43:44 PM
I wouldn't say dedicated small game hunter, but kids had a good fall. Camping, squirrels, and running some catfish lines. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231208/c00829510aee5edd946a356c12e91aa3.jpg)
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Looks like twins. Love seeing kids involved. Good job and congrats to all.
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Once I get a deer or two for the freezer about all I do is small game hunt until turkey season rolls back around. Good excuse to scout new areas for spring and try out any project guns I've built
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I hunt a lot of small game. I consider myself primarily a bird hunter and use bird dogs. Got 3 now, 2 German Wirehairs and a Pudelpointer, but one is a pup and one is approaching the end of his hunting. I both upland and waterfowl hunt quite a bit. More than spring turkey actually (and I hunt a lot of spring turkey) but I am glad my main turkey hunting is in spring. Also hunt big game but really just because I like venison and usually get 2 or 3 deer a season, don't care about antlers so I am not that serious of a deer hunter.
This pic will tell you a lot about what I like to hunt...if you can decipher it. :)
Of course. Aren't turkeys small game?
Quote from: Treerooster on December 08, 2023, 05:06:30 PM
I hunt a lot of small game. I consider myself primarily a bird hunter and use bird dogs. Got 3 now, 2 German Wirehairs and a Pudelpointer, but one is a pup and one is approaching the end of his hunting. I both upland and waterfowl hunt quite a bit. More than spring turkey actually (and I hunt a lot of spring turkey) but I am glad my main turkey hunting is in spring. Also hunt big game but really just because I like venison and usually get 2 or 3 deer a season, don't care about antlers so I am not that serious of a deer hunter.
This pic will tell you a lot about what I like to hunt...if you can decipher it. :)
Yup, I see a dedicated Ruffed Grouse hunting camp here ;) I love my ruffed grouse me too...
Quote from: Bwhntr68 on December 08, 2023, 12:08:19 PM
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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231208/a3e709ae734b011eeb6f25e6b71bbc4c.jpg)
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Once I get a deer or two for the freezer about all I do is small game hunt until turkey season rolls back around. Good excuse to scout new areas for spring and try out any project guns I've built
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Yeah, that's good ;D Nice hunts
Quote from: Gobspur on December 07, 2023, 09:43:44 PM
I wouldn't say dedicated small game hunter, but kids had a good fall. Camping, squirrels, and running some catfish lines. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231208/c00829510aee5edd946a356c12e91aa3.jpg)
Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
That's perfect, lot's of fun in the wood
Today was my 40th birthday and I spent it shooting a limit. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231211/1720eede2c29ea194e70a25419210acb.jpg)
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I used to be a diehard rabbit hunter. My friends and I all had beagles and hunted rabbits hard. The year I graduated high school my parents bought me a Remington 11-87 20 gauge. That year I killed 125 rabbits with that gun!! But as I got older and life happened, and my beagles got old, I pretty much quit. Now days there just aren't enough places to chase them for me to justify getting back into beagles. And I just can't enjoy it as much without some good dogs!! But I definitely miss it.
Quote from: Farmboy27 on December 11, 2023, 08:16:11 PM
I used to be a diehard rabbit hunter. My friends and I all had beagles and hunted rabbits hard. The year I graduated high school my parents bought me a Remington 11-87 20 gauge. That year I killed 125 rabbits with that gun!! But as I got older and life happened, and my beagles got old, I pretty much quit. Now days there just aren't enough places to chase them for me to justify getting back into beagles. And I just can't enjoy it as much without some good dogs!! But I definitely miss it.
125 rabbits, that's a lot! I do a lot of snowshoe hair hunting but my fun is to still hunt them... I walk very softly and quietly inside thick firs cover and I catch them at very short distance while they are motionless... I hunt them from 15th of january to 31st of march. And I do indeed need to use snowshoe for that... Last year I caught 17 and to me it was a good number haha
Quote from: Treerooster on December 08, 2023, 05:06:30 PM
I hunt a lot of small game. I consider myself primarily a bird hunter and use bird dogs. Got 3 now, 2 German Wirehairs and a Pudelpointer, but one is a pup and one is approaching the end of his hunting. I both upland and waterfowl hunt quite a bit. More than spring turkey actually (and I hunt a lot of spring turkey) but I am glad my main turkey hunting is in spring. Also hunt big game but really just because I like venison and usually get 2 or 3 deer a season, don't care about antlers so I am not that serious of a deer hunter.
This pic will tell you a lot about what I like to hunt...if you can decipher it. :)
I do a lot of ruffed grouse hunting, but I am the opposite of bird dogs hunter... I just hunt them
From gravel roads and when they feed in the trees at the end of the day...
A few pics
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Another
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One more
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Grew up in South Jersey, when I was able to keep up with my father, was handed a stick to beat brush for rabbits, 60s thru late 70s, always had a pair of beagles to hunt over, miss those days. 80s my brother bought a black Lab, I hunted her for upland and waterfowl, really loved upland bird hunting. 2004 finally got my dream Lab, Ponting Lab from Midwest. Live in Maryland but ran her back to Jersey to hunt stocked birds, found a great WMA where birds can survive a few years. Been 4yrs since she passed. Too old now to start another. Really miss her and upland hunting.
Her name was Molson Golden Sunset
Quote from: JeffC on December 12, 2023, 08:12:58 AM
Her name was Molson Golden Sunset
Name is a neat one
Nice hunts Bowguy , your little hunter seems happy!
Quote from: JeffC on December 12, 2023, 08:12:58 AM
Her name was Molson Golden Sunset
Nice , never hunted over dogs and never even seen a pheasant... Up here we don't have them.
Quote from: mcw3734 on December 09, 2023, 11:12:46 PM
Of course. Aren't turkeys small game?
Well, up here turkeys are considered big game by game warden. But you said of course...
so what do you hunt, except turkeys ;D
Quote from: YoungGobbler on December 12, 2023, 12:42:22 PM
Nice hunts Bowguy , your little hunter seems happy!
That's my buddy's son. He's a good kid. I have lots of pics of him. I have 2 girls. They hunt too but not as much. They're my profile pic.
Pheasants over a dog was my passion for years. I enjoyed the dog work the most and still remember some of the awesome retrieves that were made by my dogs over the years. I lost my Lab 5 years ago and I did not want to train a new dog. The club I belonged to also changed their procedures so gave it up