Late Season Small Game Hunting
Deer season may be over -- but the hunting
ain't
by Kevin Lee McIver
If you did not get your fill of hunting
during deer season, don’t worry, because there are still numerous small
game animals in season.
Although quail, rabbit and squirrel won’t
fill the freezer like a whitetail, the hunt can be just as exciting. And
with the abundance of these small critters on post property, you will get
plenty of chances of getting a few in your sights.
Hunting small game late in the season also
has another positive aspect. With the extreme cold temperatures, stalking
small game keeps you warm, and certainly beats sitting in a cold stand
waiting for a deer to happen by.
Don’t get me wrong, cause I live and
breath whitetail hunting. But there’s something special about hunting
small game.
Take rabbit hunting. Walking along the edge
of fence rows or listening to the yelp of a beagle hot on a rabbit trail.
There’s nothing like waiting for a cottontail to burst from the
underbrush to keep your senses sharp.
Or quail hunting. The stance of a setter or
the startling rise of a covey emerging from the cover. The decision to
take a quick shot or to wait. I love it.
And squirrel hunting...trying to get in
close enough to get a shot. Much more difficult during late season due to
the fallen leaves. And late season squirrel hunting is you chance to
“get even” with all those squirrels that made such a racket around
your stand while you were waiting quietly for that big buck. It’s
payback time.
The beauty of small game hunting after a
long deer season is that now you can get out and about, and you can do it
anytime of the day. It doesn’t require getting into your stand before
dawn. Now you can actually see what you’re doing in the daylight.
In hunting quail, rabbits and squirrel, any
old shotgun will do the trick. And if you want an extra challenge, then
grab a .22 rifle and go after a squirrel or two. The crack of a .22 and
the smell of the powder on a cold winter’s day brings back found
memories of my youth.
When I was growing up, my family hunted all
of these small game animals. And even though we would use dogs to tree a
squirrel or jump a rabbit, I still found myself heading out alone to bring
home some dinner.
It doesn’t take much when it comes to
location. Anywhere you can find a mess of squirrels in the hardwoods. And
while you’re stalking them, be on your toes, because your sure to jump a
rabbit at the same time.
For quail, just find any field that has
knee-high grass or brush, and start walking. If you haven’t had a covey
scare the daylights out of you when they take flight, you’re in for a
thrill.
And while you’re hunting the fields,
watch out for a rabbit along the edges, especially in brush piles, because
he’s likely to make a run for it anytime (dang things are everywhere).
In my area of Georgia, you can continue to
hunt quail, rabbits and squirrels until Feb. 28, with a liberal bag limit
of 12 animals per day. Before you go hunting, ensure you check to see what
areas are open and that you comply with established regulations. And
don’t forget to be safe.
The whitetail season is finished, so
exchange that high-caliber deer rifle for a small game shotgun or .22, and
head back into the hunting areas. It will be fun, exciting and will keep
you satisfied until turkey season begins.
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