New webinars from the Pennsylvania Game Commission will explain what these pheasant hunters are up to and much more about hunting.
A series of new webinars from the Pennsylvania Game Commission will teach new and existing hunters of all ages the ins and outs of squirrel and pheasant hunting.
According to the commission, the courses will cover topics such as finding places to hunt, selecting a firearm, an overview of regulations, biology of game species, hunting tips and tactics, and preparing wild animals for the table.
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GERMANTOWN — The state Humane Association is asking a local sports organization to cancel an annual squirrel hunt, but the group that organizes the event defended the hunt as an environmentally safe way to reduce the squirrel population.
The Germantown Sportsmen’s Association Squirrel Scramble is scheduled for February 27. The Humane Association sent a letter to the Sports Association asking them to cancel the event, saying hunting squirrels for sport is cruel.
“There’s no reason for it, it’s a contest,” said Dr. Harold Hovel, president of the New York State Humane Association. “Whoever kills the most squirrels, whoever kills the biggest weight or the biggest squirrel, gets prizes for it. It’s basically what they call a fun day to kill these harmless, unassuming creatures. And they can get away with it because the state of New York allows it to happen.”
Hovel said seven states have banned squirrel hunting and New York and several other states have considered legislation to ban the practice, but it hasn’t been passed anywhere else.
The Germantown sports group defended the competition.
“We strongly believe that our event is legal, a traditional sporting activity and protects the environment from overcrowding,” according to a statement from the Germantown Sportsmen’s Association. “We also believe that this can be a positive experience for those involved.”
The Germantown Sports Association is moving forward with plans to hold the event, according to the statement.
“A Kingston Humane Association has attacked the Germantown Sportsmen’s Association for holding a legal sporting event,” according to the Sportsmen’s Association.
Since its seventh annual Squirrel Scramble was announced, some members have received threatening and vulgar phone messages and emails from people across the country, according to the Germantown Sportsmen’s Association.
Messages and letters have indicated that they will use the press, protests and legislation to stop the event, according to the statement.
“While the Humane Association presents many of its opinions as facts that are not accurate, many of its supporters use threats and harassment to express themselves,” according to the Sportsmen’s Association.
During the Scramble, registered teams of two hunting squirrels. A cash prize for first place is awarded to the team with the heaviest set of legal limit squirrels, according to the Sportsmen’s Association. Additional weight is given for red or black squirrels.
Several comments on the Germantown Sportsmen’s Association website raised the idea that squirrels are considered rodents and that hunting them can be useful. Other comments suggested that some people hunt squirrels not only for sport, but also for their meat.
“Many of these targeted animals, like squirrels, are injured but not killed,” Hovel said. “So they suffer. So either they bleed to death or they get infections and some of them are mothers having babies in a nest somewhere and the babies starve. There is definitely cruelty involved.”
Squirrel hunting is legal in the state. The season in most of New York lasts about six months, from September 1 to February 28. There is a daily catch limit of six squirrels, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Red squirrels are not protected and can be caught at any time with no limit.
The Squirrel Scramble is open to men, women and junior hunters. According to the Germantown Sportsmen’s Association statement, the hunt originated as a youth event for young members to encourage hunters ages 12 to 15 to experience hunting and the outdoors while participating with a parent or adult.
The event promotes hunter safety and learning about state hunting rules and regulations. Any harvested game that is not saved by participants is saved for their annual game dinner and offered to local wildlife rehabilitators who use it to feed raptors and animals that will be released back into the wild so they can keep their hunting instincts.
“Something that concerns those of us in the humanitarian movement is what it is teaching children,” Hovel said. “It’s teaching them that it’s okay to kill things, that it’s fun to kill things. They are immune to cruelty because the people involved never mention it. It’s bad for everyone, not just wildlife, but the rest of us in society.”
A change.org petition was launched on Sunday titled, “STOP Cruel Squirrel Killing Contest in Germantown, NY! STOP the squirrel fight!” As of Monday afternoon, the petition contained 546 signatures.
The Squirrel Scramble is not a one-time event and many hunting organizations host similar events where several different animals, such as squirrels, foxes or coyotes, are hunted, Hovel said.
He said he hasn’t heard of an organization canceling their hunt event because of a letter asking them to do so.
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I glided across the surface of the lake like an ice skater, the bow of my canoe gently cutting through the waves as diamonds sparkled in the water and sparkled on the antlers at my feet. This was something new. I had seen flip-flops, fish, and beer in this context, but never antlers. I could get used to it.
My friend Parker told me this was the best part of boating whitetails. It is not to see a deer emerge from the wood, shoot or put your hands first on the flank of the fallen animal. No. The most satisfying moment of this type of hunting was when you finally got a deer into your canoe, pushed off and floated away without a sound, just you, the deer and the water.
Image via Dylan Lenz.
Why hunt from boats?
I traveled to Alabama last December to try surfing for money, a practice that is gaining traction among whitetail hunters. Using a boat, you can access public land or private hard-pressed areas that other people cannot comfortably reach. By crossing lakes, rivers, or swamps, a savvy hunter can infiltrate otherwise inaccessible public land or simply save themselves a long trek through the area. The rewards for this extra work are less pressured deer, higher deer densities, and sometimes older bucks. In short, better hunting.
My mentor on this trip was Parker McDonald, a staunch white man and host of the Southern Ground Hunting Podcast. Parker made a name for himself successfully hunting public ground deer by the water in much of the South. We met at a nondescript boat ramp late one night alongside a narrow channel of calm water. The sun was setting, and the surface of the water was flat as a mirror, reflecting oranges and purples from above. We load our canoes with rifles, backpacks, life jackets and flashlights. Then we got going.
Our destination was a long peninsula jutting out into the lake. This became home to our camp for the next five days. From here, we would leave the tents and set out each morning and evening for distant places, all accessible by water, stretching for miles in any direction. Boat hunting water systems offer easy avenues to access vast expanses of hunting real estate. The possibilities almost paralyzed me.
Image via Bobby Jahrig.
best buck boat
The next day we got up early, had coffee while listening to the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore, and set out again, this time to hunt.
On our way, drifting quietly and slowly through the black mist, I recognized another advantage to this approach: stealth. We gingerly docked our boats on the shore, tied them to the rocks, and set out on a short hike to a destination just above the cliff. There was no long, noisy walk through farm fields or acorn-filled trees to send the deer running. Instead, we slipped noiselessly out the back door and climbed into a nearby tree before dawn.
Access to a place like this is not possible with any boat. A “money boat” has to tick a lot of different boxes. You need to calmly access narrow, shallow water while having the stability and carrying capacity to handle hunting gear and a deer as well.
Parker’s chosen boat for this job and the equipment we used on this trip was a hybrid of a canoe and kayak. These are small, nearly metal-free (ie quiet), and light like a kayak, but with the added utility features of a boat.
Parker said a standard canoe or kayak will work as well. These are easy to launch and carry in most situations, while also sailing high enough in the water to access almost anywhere: a shallow swamp, a small Midwestern creek, or high water in a southern swamp. .
The downside of these options is that they are not good at covering long distances. Relying solely on a hybrid boat for access to the water in recent years, Parker spent an inordinate amount of time on the water to reach distant areas on large rivers and lakes.
“I would get up at 1:00 in the morning to be in the water at 3:00, to be somewhere before sunrise. And that weighs you down,” she said. For this reason, Parker has added to his repertoire a small aluminum boat and outboard motor, which might be worth considering for other hunters with big water destinations in mind.
Ted Zangerle of The Hunting Public also prefers a boat like this. “My favorite type of deer boat is a standard flat-bottomed jon boat with an outboard motor,” he said. “I can get up and down quickly with the motor, but I can still weave my way through backwaters and shallow streams.”
I spent my first morning hunting with Parker watching him access his hideouts on public land where he sets up his ambush sites. The wooden hills that rose from the shore crumpled into funnels of terrain perfect for the cruising males. Adjacent private land food plots gave ample incentive for females to frequent the area.
Image via Dylan Lenz.
I was out later that afternoon on my own, looking for similarly productive locations, driving south that night and exploring a northern branch the next day. The change of pace from the previous weeks of hiking through the cornfields of the Midwest and climbing the mountains of the Northeast was exhilarating. My traditional means of whitetail hunting, so anchored in one place, immobile, terrestrial, had become suffocating. This was just the touch on the face that I needed.
Yes, every morning and evening, I sat and watched and waited. But between those times, I flew. She made all the difference.
It was in these later days, while working against strong winds and attempting to cover longer distances, that I realized for myself the value of an engine, something I had long assumed was an unnecessary indulgence. Whether you use a canoe or a flat-bottomed jon boat, both Parker and Zangerle recommend an electric trolling motor. This gives you enough thrust to cut through moderate wind, but still allows for quiet access and maneuverability in shallow water.
“When we have a spot in mind and we know there are likely to be deer within earshot when we approach with the boat, we can drop the trolling motor and it becomes a silent approach,” Zangerle said.
While Parker prefers a minimalist approach to his boat, mounting almost nothing but his engine, he reiterated to me during our trip the importance of having good lighting for early morning and late night boat trips through fog. blinding that watercourses frequently conjure. We both used high-powered headlamps on our hunts, while also turning small flashlights on the back of our canoes as running lights. Zangerle takes this one step further with the use of a mounted LED light bar. “A bright light on the front of your boat can help you avoid a lot of logs and, in the end, help you save some money on engine repairs,” he said.
Image via Dylan Lenz.
What mattered more?
On my third day exploring the Alabama waterways, I finally found what I was looking for. I meandered up the main channel of the lake for a half mile then veered into a narrow swamp that narrowed and disappeared after a few hundred yards. Steep wooded hills towered over me on either side, forming a bowl of mixed hardwoods almost like an amphitheater. I slid out the inside drain and reached the top, finding an oak floor that pressed up against a series of old clear cuts. I settled against a tree trunk.
Nine hours later my prey appeared, coming out of the oak floor, scraping, and finally stopping long enough for my crosshairs to settle.
Later, with that deer in my boat, I leaned back in my seat as I rocked gently up and down and thought about how right Parker was. It was a deer hunt on public land that most can only dream of. Lots of deer, hardly any other hunters, lots of signs, and both Parker and I filled out our tags on the same day.
But it wasn’t the deer sightings or trigger pulls that stood out the most. It was the morning mist rising off the water, the breeze on my face as I sailed at noon, the waves singing me to sleep each night, and that last long heavy float. Finding or building the perfect whitetail boat is a worthwhile pursuit for obvious practical reasons. For me though, it’s less about what that ship can help you do and more about what it can take you. As is the case with all life, it begins and ends with water.
A bill that could provide much-needed funding to state and tribal fish and wildlife agencies has passed the US House of Representatives and moves on to the Senate for consideration.
The American Wildlife Recovery Act passed 231-190 on Tuesday. Rep. Mike Simpson, a Republican from Idaho’s 2nd congressional district, co-sponsored the legislation and voted in favor. His Republican colleague, Rep. Russ Fulcher of Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, voted no. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican representing Eastern Washington, also voted no.
If approved by the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden, the bill amending the popular Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act would direct the annual distribution of $1.3 billion from the US Treasury to state wildlife agencies and $97.5 million to tribal wildlife agencies.
Although the formula is subject to change based on Senate action, as it stands now, Idaho would receive an estimated $18 million annually and Washington $21 million. States would continue to receive traditional Pittman-Robertson funds that distribute federal excise taxes on guns and ammunition to state and tribal wildlife agencies.
Brian Brooks, executive director of the Idaho Wildlife Federation, called the bill a “generational investment” in fish and wildlife conservation. Many fish and wildlife agencies, such as the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, are financed in large part by the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and tags and a portion of excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment. Some, like the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, also receive a portion of the state’s general fund.
Wildlife agencies often struggle to fund the full range of necessary species conservation and habitat restoration activities under their authority, especially those associated with species that are not hunted or fished and do not have dedicated funding sources. . In a stopgap measure, they often divert money from dedicated funding sources to help “non-game” species and fulfill their mandate to protect all species of fish and wildlife.
“This is a way for everyone else who enjoys wildlife and benefits from its existence to pay for its conservation,” Brooks said. “Athletes have been doing it forever. We all love fish and wildlife, but only sportsmen are funding (management and conservation).”
The bill mandates that funding be prioritized toward species that are already under or at risk of ending up under the protection of the federal Endangered Species Act. Jim Fredericks, deputy director of Idaho Fish and Game, said the legislation, if passed, will help prevent future listings under the ESA and the restrictive regulations that often accompany them.
“It would bring much more money to Idaho for proactive conservation of fish and wildlife and some of the species that have not benefited from traditional funding sources,” he said. “One of the purposes of the legislation is to provide resources to keep species off the endangered species list. So its potential is not only to be a real benefit to wildlife in Idaho, but also to the people of Idaho.”
Simpson said in a statement to the Tribune that he was pleased to help advance a bill originally co-authored and co-sponsored by the late Don Young, a Republican congressman from Alaska.
“Healthy and diverse wildlife populations in Idaho provide environmental and economic benefits, and by ensuring we have strong fish and wildlife populations, we are making a long-term investment in the future for anglers and hunters,” he said. “I am proud that the House of Representatives has come together in a bipartisan manner to support this measure that was spearheaded by one of America’s great fishermen and hunters before his passing.”
A McMorris Rogers spokesman said inflation and high gas prices led her to oppose it.
“While Cathy supports the goal of the America’s Wildlife Recovery Act, she believes that spending another $1.4 billion without payment plans is irresponsible at this time and will only make our economic crisis worse,” said Kyle VonEnde.
An earlier version of the legislation leveraged a small portion of the royalties companies pay to extract oil and gas from federal lands to foot the bill. But that language was removed in 2019. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both Republicans from Idaho, said through representatives that they support conservation but want the bill’s spending to be offset by cuts to other programs.
Sen. Patty Murray supports the bill, saying in a statement to the Tribune that Washington’s diverse mix of species, including salmon and northern spotted owls, make the state special.
“This legislation is critical to repairing the damage done to our environment and reaffirming our commitment to defending the habitats of our fish and wildlife. We owe it to our children and future generations to do this, so I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to get this bill to the President’s desk.”
The legislation has been around since at least 2016, but has yet to make it through Congress, despite a backlog of more than 140 co-sponsors. Conservation organizations have been pushing for the bill since its inception and celebrated Tuesday’s passage, though the bill is not yet law.
“Passage of the American Wildlife Recovery Act is a definitive victory for wildlife, habitat, outdoor recreation, and our economy, because we know avoiding wildlife threats is more effective , and it costs less, than taking emergency measures,” said Whit Fosburgh. , president and CEO of Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, in a press release.
Brooks of the Idaho Wildlife Federation noted that some of the funds may be used on species targeted by hunters and fishermen. For example, animals such as grouse and white sturgeon are on Idaho’s list of “species most in need of conservation.” But the list, with more than 250 animals, also includes creatures like the northern Idaho ground squirrel, the Pacific lamprey and the loon. Most of the time, Brooks said, those species share habitat with animals hunted by hunters and fishermen.
“It’s going to directly benefit those species and indirectly free up more of the sportsman’s dollars for managing game species,” Brooks said.
In Washington, wildlife managers estimate that less than 5% of the work called for in the state’s wildlife action plan that targets the most highly conserved species is being funded. That includes efforts to help iconic species like salmon, rainbow trout and southern resident killer whales. But also on the list are lesser-known animals like pygmy rabbits, fishermen, and wolverines.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind called the House’s passage of the bill “a huge step forward for fish and wildlife and an affirmation of the importance of conservation.
“This landmark legislation will be a game changer in Washington by enabling the proactive conservation of fish and wildlife species and their habitats. We hope the Senate will act quickly and pass the America’s Wildlife Restoration Act so that the department, our partners and the tribes of Washington can get to work.”
The text of the bill is available at bit.ly/3QpacjZ.
Hunters ready to head into the woods don’t have to wait much longer, because squirrel hunting season begins Sunday, August 15, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife Resources.
“Many people may think of hunting as just standing still and waiting for your target to come close to you, but squirrel hunting often provides more action, so you may be moving around looking for ole’ bushytail – this creates an opportunity perfect for engaging an energetic youngster or someone new to hunting,” said Alan Isler, WRD Game Management Section Chief.
Squirrel season runs from August 15 to February 28, 2022, and hunters can go after both gray and fox squirrels. The maximum daily bag limit is 12 per hunter. However, new this year, some wildlife management areas have a limit on the capture of fox squirrels.
The Georgia WMA offers access to nearly a million acres of hunting opportunity, and squirrel hunting is permitted in the WMAs at specific times during squirrel season statewide (https://georgiawildlife.com/allwmas) . Hunters are advised to consult the current hunting regulations for specific dates and information from the WMA (http://www.eregulations.com/georgia/hunting/).
THE TWO SPECIES
Both gray squirrels and foxes can be found throughout Georgia. The gray squirrel, abundant in both rural and urban areas, is the most common species. Although primarily associated with hardwood forests, grays can also be found in mixed pine-hardwood forests. Predominantly gray, with white underparts, gray squirrels appear to have a slimmer body than fox squirrels, weighing between 12 ounces and 1.5 pounds.
Fox squirrels have various color phases, ranging from silvery gray with a predominantly black head, to solid black, to a light beige or brown tinged with reddish yellow. Generally larger than grays, fox squirrels range in weight from a pound to almost three, and are most closely associated with mature pine and mixed pine/hardwood habitats, and especially in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions.
For more information on the 2021-2022 squirrel hunting season or other hunting seasons, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources. To renew or purchase a hunting license, visit www.GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com.
One of the most debated topics in squirrel hunting, aside from the dog you choose to hunt behind, is the type of weapon you use to chase foxtails and grays. Some hunters love the .22 LR, .17 HMR, and even the heavy duty .22 WMR Mag. Others stick to shotguns, from .410 to 12 gauge.
But which firearm, rimfire or shotgun, is better for killing squirrels? Well, that depends on how you hunt them. Different times of the year call for different tactics, and I’d say there’s no single rimfire striker or shotgun that’s best for all scenarios. After spending a few days in field and current Hunting editor Will Brantley’s Kentucky Squirrel Camp with a group of rimfire-loving rednecks (I use that term as a compliment) learned that each firearm has its advantages and limitations.
Rimfires can come
There is no question that a rimfire rifle can fire farther and more accurately than a shotgun. Early in the season, when the squirrels are in the treetops feasting on walnuts, a shotgun is a pretty useless tool.
Before the nuts fall from the trees, the squirrels don’t have much reason to spend time on the ground, so they stay in the safety of the leafy canopy, chopping nuts. Knocking squirrels out of the canopy with a rimfire firing pin is one of the most challenging shots you can take, as I discovered hunting with Brantley.
We were shooting CCI .17 HMR, .22 WMR, and .22 LR, all high-capacity rounds in the hands of someone like Brantley, who has been hunting rimfire squirrels all his life. Me, not so much. With any type of rifle shooting, you need to be steady before you pull the trigger. That’s hard to do when squirrels are jumping trees, and you’re trying to find your own tree trunk to lean on to keep the rifle still.
Firing a rimfirer accurately is a must for early season success, especially if the group of wood you are hunting has very tall trees. But getting accurate with a .22 at ranges of 75 yards (and beyond) is a challenge in itself. Anyone who has never done it before and thinks they can walk through public woods and kill a limit of squirrels with a rifle will be disappointed. I was surprised how difficult it was.
Rimfires are harder to shoot
The author firing Brantley’s .17 HMR Will Brantley
If you’re firing a rimfire firing a lot of charges will destroy meat (the .22 LR doesn’t hit them too hard) if you body-shot squirrels, so you’ll need to hit them with your head. That means you’re trying to hit a walnut-sized target at 50+ yards. That’s a tough shot, even if you find a good break.
It’s hard to even locate squirrels in a tree at this time of year and finding solid rest is hard too. Once you spot a squirrel, you may have to go around another tree to find a clear shot.
While you are going around, you have to keep an eye on the tree that the squirrel is in so that you can follow its movements. Move cautiously so the squirrels don’t see you, and then find a tree that allows for a clear shot, all while sweating your butt.
It is quite obvious why squirrel hunting was considered the ideal first hunt. He teaches you how to locate game, listening for squirrels cutting and visually finding them in the tree, stalking critters, exercising patience, and shooting with precision. It’s a shame so many people skip squirrel hunting these days and go straight to deer or other big game.
Shotguns are best for dog work
Shotguns are better at hunting squirrels than dogs. Will Brantley
Shotguns really shine if you have a tree squirrel dog. Every time I have hunted my pup, there has never been a time when I thought a rimfire firing pin would serve me better than a 20 caliber.
Since I am hunting mainly from October, when the leaves are falling, until February, when the trees are bare and the acorns are on the ground, my dog runs squirrels up a tree a short distance. I need to shoot quickly with my autoloader to give myself the best chance of killing the squirrel.
Ideally, you want to shoot him before he gets too far away from the tree and out of shotgun range. Some hunters like to hunt dogs with rimfire. Let the squirrel get to the top of the tree and then take it out. I have spent my hunting career primarily chasing waterfowl and game birds, and am comfortable swinging a shotgun at a moving target. I don’t want to wait until the squirrel reaches the top of the tree. I want my dog to sniff the squirrel, catch it, and then shoot it with my shotgun as soon as I can, so we can move on to the next rodent.
I understand that some dogs will stray far from their handle, and by the time you get to that barking dog, you need a rimfire firing pin. But if you hunt a dog that works closely like me, a shotgun is your best option.
Shotguns are also better for new hunters
Anse Brantley with a pair of gray squirrels and his single-shot .410 Scout CVA. Will Brantley
Most new hunters will have more success waiting for squirrels to get within shotgun range. No matter what time of year you’re hunting squirrels, firing a rimfire firing pin accurately will be more difficult. The pattern of a shotgun spreads out more and the shooter doesn’t have to stand as steady.
For new hunters, a .410, .28 or 20 caliber telescopic sight are great options early in the season. Squirrels will often stop at a branch to chop nuts or just lie down on a branch to rest. These are great chances for a hunter just learning to kill a squirrel if they are low enough in the tree. I would recommend removing the scope as the squirrel transitions to looking for nuts on the ground. They will move a little more on the forest floor and it will be difficult to shoot with a scope.
Small batches of wood are suitable for shotguns
A small patch of forest jutting out into a farm field or the shores of a lake is ideal for shotgun work. The squirrels won’t move as much because they just don’t have as many trees to jump into. And, if you startle them and they run down a tree, that’s a great opportunity to shoot one. Also, they may just be running along the ground, traveling from tree to tree, and having a shotgun handy will make it much easier to hit a moving target than if you were firing a scoped rimfire striker.
Read next: A good squirrel hunt will set you up for a lifetime of hunting big game
ammo yield
Rimfire rifles and shotguns get the job done…just in different ways. joe genzel
If you are firing a rimfire firing pin, your bullet will be moving significantly faster than a shell and can do some real damage to the squirrel on impact. I first shot CCI .22 WMR during the hunt with Brantley, and blew out the shoulders and hindquarters with body shots. The .17 HMR dealt similar damage, so if you want to save as much meat as possible, you need to land a headshot.
The CCI .22 LR “Stangers” did not do near-body damage like the .22 WMR or 17 HMR, but I body-shot nearly all of my squirrels with it and there was still some meat loss. I know most hunters probably don’t think losing a squirrel shoulder is something to worry about, but we’re here to fill the freezer, so you should do your best to cleanly kill your creatures and save as many of them as possible. of meat possible.
For shotguns, the more you increase the payload, the more shots your weapon will send in the direction of a squirrel. If you want to challenge yourself, a .410 is the way to go because it throws the smallest shot pattern. I like to use a 28 or 20 gauge, because they are lighter to carry than a 12 gauge, and at the ranges I’m shooting at, the extra payload capacity you can get from a 12 gauge shell isn’t necessary. Almost any lead small game load will work with shotgun hunting squirrels. I will shoot from shot No. 6 to shot No. 9. Some of the public lands I hunt on are near waterfowl management areas, so I must use non-toxic shot. I usually choose an inexpensive No. 6 steal load such as Federal Speed-Shok or Hevi-Teal because they offer better pattern density.
Before you go on your next squirrel hunt, consider how you will hunt them. If long shots are required, a rimfire firing pin is your weapon of choice. If it’s late in the season and there are squirrels on the ground or you’re hunting behind a good dog, a shotgun is the right choice.
Small game hunting kicks off with a bang next Wednesday, September 15, with open seasons for grouse, woodcock, rabbit and squirrel. And Midland and neighboring counties offer great opportunities.
Deer hunting is complicated and waterfowl hunting complex. It can take years to collect enough preference points to earn a bear or moose license.
But for small game, you can buy a “basic” hunting license, maybe add a woodcock stamp, grab a small-bore shotgun or rifle, call a dog if you want, and head somewhere nearby, in full force. daylight, on not much more than a whim.
Sure, not all small game hunters see it that way. There are places on public land in Midland and Gladwin counties where you’re just as likely to see a luxury bird hunting truck equipped with a kennel from another state as an everyday vehicle belonging to your neighbor.
Or yes, after October 1st he opens his season, maybe also a bowhunter’s car. To minimize conflict with bowhunters, who typically hunt at dawn and dusk, I do most of my bird hunting between about 10 and 3 after that date.
That sounds like a short day compared to the tales of those who tell of dawn-to-dusk adventures behind their dogs. Bush after a couple of hours in good, dense bird habitat, I raise an eyebrow and wish them well. My sweet little Brittany agrees.
Most hunt grouse and woodcock in tandem, although the birds have distinct differences. Grouse are noticeably larger, with shorter beaks. Woodcocks have long beaks with which they probe the moist soil for earthworms, their main food.
Woodcock tends to cling more to pointers, endearing them to hunters.
Capercaillies grow patches on their toes as winter approaches, to better move through deep snow. Woodcock takes a different approach: flying to Louisiana and other southern climes as human “snowbirds.”
While early-season grouse families soon split up, making individual shoots the norm, migratory aggregations of woodcocks can provide unforgettable action.
And unlike grouse that fly away, woodcocks often land back in sight, offering another chance to a dog and a poor hunter. (I have tried this many times).
Both grouse and woodcock prefer early-growth forests, especially aspen 10 to 20 years after clearcutting. When such a rejuvenated outpost abuts a mature forest and/or grassy field, look for good game.
If grouse and woodcock are the photographic species on the calendar for the September 15 opening, rabbits and squirrels might as well be discussed on the reverse side of the page, as they are abundant creatures that offer great sport, especially for the new hunters.
Apparently there are fewer kennel beagles than there used to be, but those who own a beagle (or have a friend who does) love nothing more than to unleash a sharp-nosed, screaming little rabbit hunter to wriggle through the tight undergrowth and the piles of weeds. .
A bunny can burst at any moment, most likely ricocheting in a wide circle and perhaps offering a quick shot with a .22 rifle or small-bore shotgun before darting into a guard hole or other hiding spot.
Some hunters do the dog work themselves, kicking up mounds of brush while they and their companions watch for a rabbit to escape.
For many, a squirrel hunt means heading to a sun-kissed oak ridge, taking a seat and waiting 15 minutes to a half hour for the alarmed squirrels to calm down and resume acorn collecting. Shotguns can interrupt that work, although for many there is no better sport than attempting a headshot with a .22 rifle.
Midland and Gladwin counties have many state lands rich in grouse, woodcock, rabbit and squirrel, with especially large tracts in western Midland and eastern Gladwin counties. Visit Michigan.gov/MiHunt for ideas. Map layers can display coverage distinctions and other useful information.
After school, after work, on a weekday off, before errands on Saturday or after lunch on Sunday, small game is among the best gifts of fall.
Small game, perhaps, but there is nothing small about hunting them.
Midland Outdoors freelancer Steve Griffin returns to write a column for the Daily News on the second Wednesday of every month. He can be reached at [email protected]
Much to the dismay of hunters and conservationists across the country, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission has voted once again to cancel the state’s lengthy spring bear season.
The 5-4 decision, which came during a meeting of the WDFW Commission on Saturday, March 19, reaffirms a similar vote in November 2021. The November vote unexpectedly canceled the season on the grounds that the country’s own population data the WDFW were also inadequate. as an unsubstantiated claim by certain commissioners that bears are lethargic and vulnerable in the spring. That decision was met with a resounding reaction from the hunting community.
In February, the commission acknowledged a petition that postponed the November decision and finally began Saturday’s vote. While hunting advocates had hoped another vote might restore Washington’s spring black bear season, few were surprised when the result turned out unfavorably.
MeatEater crew member and Washington resident Jason Phelps said the vote was both anticipated and disappointing.
“The commission’s decision to end bear hunting in the spring is evidence that we are living on a slippery slope,” Phelps said. “When politics and emotion replace science and biology in the decision-making process, this is the kind of results we will get.”
In the months between the November vote that canceled Spring Bear and the March 19 vote that upheld that cancellation, the WDFW Commission has been plagued by internal conflict. Commissioners Lorna Smith and Barbara Baker have been steadfast in their opposition to the hunt, while other commissioners, Molly Linville, Kim Thorburn, Don McIsaac and Jim Anderson, have never wavered in their support of the spring bear hunt.
This latest group sided with WDFW staff, who have used their own data to advocate for the hunt since it was initially called into question by a failed lawsuit in December 2020. But Smith and Baker continue to question the validity of the methods used. by WDFW staff biologists to gather up-to-date information on the state’s thriving bear population. Smith has gone so far as to call the agency’s methodology “old-fashioned.”
When Fred Koontz, another commissioner who opposed the hunt, abruptly resigned amid controversy and infighting, Washington Governor Jay Inslee quickly filled a slew of commission appointments, two of which he had neglected. for more than a year.
Proponents of the hunt speculate that Governor Inslee’s sudden interest in vacant commission seats, and his appointment of new commissioners who quickly moved to vote against the spring bear season, were part of a larger political strategy. broad to reduce hunting rights in Washington state. .
“Animal rights groups know they have an ally in Governor Inslee,” said Brian Lynn, a spokesman for the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Their most recent appointments to the commission show that they are happy to continue pushing an ideological agenda over accepted science. This board is so out of touch with the legitimate management of the hunt that the spring bear season will be the least of the hunters’ problems: more attacks on predator management to come, changes to the commission’s mandate, and of course , impacts on herds of ungulates. and the loss of hunting opportunities for them.”
During the meeting leading up to the decision, the commissioners heard from Dr. Stephanie Simek, the manager of WDFW’s carnivores, furriers and small game section. In a brief presentation, she again defended her agency’s methodology for monitoring black bear populations, saying the department sets hunting seasons based on the solid data she collects.
“We use harvest data as a main component of our management,” Simek told the commission. “But I want to remind people that we look at the percentage of females at harvest, we look at the age structure, we look at the trends of that data, and we also look at recent density estimates that we’ve been doing, other sources of mortality that we’ve noted or registered, and we use this whole system as our guide to establish seasons and determine whether or not we need to liberalize or restrict those seasons.”
Simek went on to recommend that commissioners adopt rule changes that would have reinstated the 2022 spring bear season.
Spokane Commissioner Kim Thorburn seconded the motion along with Molly Linville, Jim Anderson and Don McIsaac.
“I think the staff has given us good information as to why this hunt should be kept up,” Thorburn said during the meeting. “We have heard from hunters that it is a very popular hunt, something they enjoy and look forward to. We have a healthy population of black bears. For me, the question that we should ask ourselves if we are going to close a season is: Is the population decreasing? There is no evidence that the population is in decline. In fact, those measurements that Dr. Simek presented, if they suggest anything, there is evidence that the population may be increasing.”
While Thorburn’s comments spoke volumes about the folly of ending a successful hunting season in the face of solid scientific data to back it up, they were not enough to sway any of Governor Inslee’s newly appointed commissioners. The three, John Lehmukl, Tim Ragan and Melanie Rowland, joined Barbara Baker and Lorna Smith in their vote to end spring bear hunting in Washington state, at least for now.
Shortly after the vote ended, the anti-hunting group Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) issued a jubilant press release, applauding the commissioners who voted to suspend the hunt.
“This vote is a huge victory for both science and black bears and will protect bear cubs from being orphaned by a reckless spring hunt,” said Sophia Ressler, CBD staff attorney. “The commission once again told state wildlife officials that they will not authorize a hunt without a proper analysis of the threats to Washington’s bears. We hope the wildlife agency really listens this time.”
There is little evidence to support CBD’s persistent claims that spring bear hunters in Washington consistently orphan cubs. In fact, the data shows that of the 45 sows culled during the 2020 spring harvest, only one was lactating.
While it’s possible that single lactating sow may have left pups behind, it’s equally reasonable to assume that her pups had already been killed by a mature boar. Infanticidal behavior is common in black bears, especially within dense populations such as those in the Evergreen State.
Still, the proposed rule changes that the commission struck down on Saturday would have included a provision prohibiting the “take of female black bears accompanied by cubs.” This provision honored a request made in the February petition that started Saturday’s vote.
Doug Boze is a Washington-based bear hunter and author of “The Ultimate Guide to Black Bear Hunting.” He has fervently tracked the challenges of his state’s spring bear hunting season, from start to finish.
According to Boze, the WDFW Commission will review its decision at a meeting in June, but he worries commissioners will use that review as an opportunity to ban spring bear hunting altogether.
“This is not just a pause in the hunt, but a means to an end,” Boze told MeatEater. “When those in charge completely ignore more than 60 years of historical data and dismiss the overwhelming supporting science provided by the department’s own expert biologists, I have to conclude that there is an agenda at play.”
He said anyone interested in voicing opposition to the commission’s latest decision should contact the board by email.
“As far as I know, this is a done deal,” Boze said. “For now, the most important thing is to stay on top of what’s happening in his state and make yourself heard in meetings and during public comment. Hopefully there’s more to come in terms of action.”
Statewide in Iowa: The good news for Iowa cottontail hunters is that Iowa has a plentiful rabbit population, with the south central and eastern parts of the state seeing the best overall numbers. The best news for hunters is that the Iowa cottontail season begins on September 4 throughout the state.
“It should be another good year for rabbit hunting, not only for experienced hunters, but also for young or novice hunters who can learn the necessary skills with little competition,” said Todd Bogenschutz, a wildlife research biologist for the lands. discharged from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Last year, some 16,000 hunters caught more than 76,000 cottontails. The most popular form of hunting is with a shotgun through weedy and grassy areas next to crop fields in the morning or afternoon. It can be done individually or with a group of friends.
Rabbit hunting doesn’t require a major investment or high-tech equipment, just a shotgun and a few shells. Rabbit is a lean, low-fat meat and a popular table dish considered a delicacy in many culinary circles.
Cottontail rabbit season is September 4-February 28, 2022. Daily limit is 10 rabbits with a possession limit of 20. Hare season is closed. While it is not necessary to wear bright orange clothing when hunting rabbits, it is recommended. Rabbit hunting hours are from sunrise to sunset.
Iowa cottontail population estimates are included in the recently completed August roadside survey of highland wildlife species at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey.
Local squirrel populations are variable depending on acorn production. In areas of lower annual acorn production, look for walnut patches as an excellent alternative.
Squirrel hunting is an inexpensive and exciting way to get into hunting. Those new to the hunt can pick up valuable woodworking skills as squirrels will twist and turn hunters through the woods.
“One beauty of squirrel hunting is that if you mess up and startle a squirrel, there’s usually another one just down the ridge, which provides a lot of opportunity for success,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife biologist for the Iowa DNR. . “Experienced hunters often say they haven’t hunted squirrels since they were kids. Well, this is the year to be a kid again. Go squirrel chasing and bring someone new to the hunt. Squirrels are definitely an underutilized resource.”
Be prepared during early squirrel season for mosquitoes and other flying pests, Coffey said, and try to hunt early on cool mornings, as squirrels will be very active before the heat of the day.
Hunters will generally find plenty of squirrels and little competition. This would also be a good opportunity to do a little scouting for a spring turkey hunt or to look for whitetail deer petting before bow season.
“These honed skills will make you a better hunter overall. Many of the skills needed for squirrel hunting are also used for spring turkey hunting,” Coffey said.
Last year, nearly 13,000 squirrel hunters captured an estimated 76,000 squirrels.
Squirrel season is from September 4 to January 31, 2022, with a daily bag limit of six total red fox squirrels or a combination of eastern gray squirrels and a possession limit of 12. Fox squirrels are generally found in more open grasslands and woods while gray squirrels tend to be in more mature wood. There is no restriction on shooting hours.
Hunters looking for places to hunt rabbits or squirrels should use the online hunting atlas of Iowa at www.iowadnr.gov/hunting, with more than 600,000 acres of public land allowed for hunting.
Hunters have the opportunity to hunt these species on additional acres of private land enrolled in the popular Iowa Habitat and Access Program (IHAP).
Enrollment in the program is at an all-time high of nearly 40,000 acres. The IHAP allows hunters to access the portion of the property covered by the agreement from September 1 through May 31. Conservation officers will provide assistance and enforcement, if necessary.
They had caught us. My son, Anse, 5 at the time, and I had heard hickory nut cuttings raining down from the canopy on the next ridge, and were trying to get up close quickly. But moving quietly through dry leaves with a hyperactive child in tow is difficult.
We had to cross an ATV trail that momentarily put us out in the open, and that’s when the barking started. I slowly sat up and looked through the late August foliage. I caught a glimpse of the blinking tail. By increasing my scope’s magnification, I could see the squirrel’s black eye and ears, and that was enough to fire. We were 80 meters away, more or less. I rested the heavy front end of the .17 on my knee and told Anse to cover his ears. At the report, the squirrel slumped over the log for a second and then fell to the ground, a sure sign of a perfect headshot.
“Dad, you gave that one blisters!” he said.
That’s right, son… And maybe we could have killed another, if we’d stayed put, but Anse was already burning a trail through the woods to retrieve it.
That shot would have been a problem with the squirrel gun I’ve mostly carried for the last 24 seasons. It’s a Marlin 880 SS .22 LR with a fixed Tasco 4x scope. It’s a simple setup, and while I couldn’t tell you how many thousands of squirrels I’ve killed with it, an 80-yard headshot is beyond its capabilities. Or at least, beyond my ability with him.
From left: the author, his friend Ryan McCafferty, and F&S Editor-at-Large Michael R. Shea with their squirrel bounds of public lands, taken with rimfire. Michael R Shea
The CZ 457 Varmint in .17 HMR and 10X scope that I was shooting, on the other hand, did the job just fine. It’s a fancier, more expensive gun that fires a fancier, more expensive cartridge, but that shot made my son look at me like a hero, and that’s worth a lot. And if I’m honest, I’ve enjoyed hunting with the setup so much that I’ve been in the woods for squirrels more often in recent years.
That is also worth a lot.
Why choose a Magnum Rimfire cartridge for hunting squirrels
As for popular cartridges, Hornady made a splash when he introduced the .17 HMR in 2002. It’s a flat shot, with a reputation for outstanding accuracy. Vermin shooters loved it from the get-go, but squirrel hunters mostly steered clear because the standard load, a 17-grain ballistic tip at nearly 2600 fps, pulverizes too much meat.
The .22 WMR has some of the same destructive issues (I’d say a 40-grain hollow point magnum is more vicious than the .17 ballistic point). But historically it has also had a reputation for inaccuracy, and that’s an even bigger problem. Even if that reputation has been exaggerated (I’d say, a bit), squirrel hunters won’t buy a word about it. That and economics (squirrel hunting loses a lot of appeal when it gets expensive) is why the .22 LR hollow point has long remained the king of squirrel loads.
But rimfire rifles, including affordable ones in magnum calibers, have improved a lot in the last decade. There are now numerous pistols under $600 with free-floating barrels and adjustable triggers. As much as that, ammo has improved, with several game-friendly bullets available in both .17 HMR and .22 WMR.
Still, why would you want a magnum rimfire firing pin for hunting squirrels if your regular .22 works just fine? The advantage of the flat trajectory is enormous. To be fair, you may not need that in a Midwestern forest. But if you’re hunting in large, mature trees, especially late in the season when squirrels are foraging on the ground, your shooting opportunities can be surprisingly wide. A 100-yard hit is not uncommon, and 50-yard shots are about average. Only dirty heathens aim to shoot squirrels through the body. It’s headshots only if you want to be my friend, and when you’re talking about a target that size, a drop or lift from a quarter-inch bullet is huge.
To that end, a .17 HMR aimed at 100 yards with 20-grain bullets will be .4 inches low at 20 and .4 inches high at 75. You can hold a squirrel’s eyeball at pretty much any distance you can . to see them in the woods and get a clean headshot. A .22 WMR with 40-grain bullets will do the same thing at 75 yards.
By comparison, a hypervelocity long rifle hollow point sighted at 0.3 inches high at 25 yards will be nearly an inch high at 50 and 2.5 inches low at 100. Such a bow works if they are body-shooting squirrels: but I meant what I said about that. You could put a high-end scope with adjustable turrets on your .22 and carry a rangefinder to accommodate drop, but if you do that, you’re inflating your small gaming budget again. And besides, who wants to mess with all that equipment? Squirrel hunting is supposed to be simple.
Magnum game loads
You need to choose your bullets carefully if you are hunting with a magnum rimfire firing pin because from time to time it will miss the head and hit the body. As long as it’s an accident, it doesn’t make you a heathen. But you don’t want the entire bug to be inedible. That would be a tragedy. My favorite bullet, in both calibers, is the CCI Gamepoint, which is a 20-grain pointed soft-point in .17 caliber and a 40-grain PSP in .22 caliber. Hornady makes a similar 20-grain .17 soft spot in the HP Varmint. CCI also makes a 20-grain Full Metal Jacket .17 HMR, which I haven’t tried, and Winchester makes a 40-grain FMJ in .22 WMR, which I have. It’s a good squirrel charge, if you can find it and your gun fires it.
The point is to opt for heavier bullets designed for controlled expansion or not, and avoid lighter ballistic points and hypervelocity hollow points. There are several loads out there with even heavier bullets (45 to 50 grains) for the .22 WMR, but velocities with most of them are slow enough that you start to lose the round trajectory advantage over a rifle. length. Stick to 40 grains at 1900fps or faster.
To be clear, even with the correct bullets, both calibers are still more ruthless than your average long rifle hollow point in the flesh. I stress again that you should strive for clean head shots. But a bad angle that cuts off a shoulder probably won’t ruin the squirrel. With the 20-grain Gamepoint off my .17, the entry wound is small and the exit wound is the size of a nickel. Headshots are more dramatic because there is more bone to hit. Squirrel brain eaters should stick to their .410s, but for the rest of us, modern rifles and ammunition have helped the squirrel team take a giant leap forward.
Best Magnum Rimfires for Squirrel Hunting
CZ 457 Varmint .17 HMR
CZ 457 Varmint .17 HMR CZ
When I was 14, I upgraded my .22 open sights to a 4X telescopic sight. That gave me a huge advantage, but nothing like this setup, which has become my go-to squirrel rifle. It is topped off with a Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10×40 CDS-ZL viewfinder. Anse calls it my “big blister gun.”
American Ruger .22WMR
American Ruger .22WMR ruger
My friend Ryan and I have been squirrel hunting together since college. Regardless of what you’re looking for, Ryan is one of those guys who always, well, kills things. His pet Ruger American .22 Mag uses a 3-9×40 scope, and I’ve seen him headshot squirrels at 100 yards with it.
Marlin XT-22MVSR
Marlin XT-22MVSR Needle
This would be the magnum version of my old squirrel gun, but upgraded with a heavier barrel and adjustable trigger. Marlin’s bolt-action rimfire rifles have Micro-Groove rifling and, in my experience, have always been excellent marksmen. Their single-stack aluminum chargers are also incredibly reliable.
Read Next: The Best .22 LR Ammo Options for Hunting and Competition
Savage B22 Magnum FV
Savage B22 Magnum FV Wild
I hunted with this gun for a full season a few years ago, and it’s a marksman. He had an excellent adjustable trigger and, to me, produced the tightest groups of any .22 Magnum I have ever shot. It’s not the prettiest gun out there, but it’s hard to argue with that for the price.
Tikka T1x MTR .17 HMR
Tikka T1x MTR .17 HMR tikka
F&S collaborator Michael R. Shea is a rimfire nut in a way I’m not. He’s spent most of his income on rifles and ammunition for the competition, but he’s also becoming a stickler for headshot squirrels. This Tikka got its nod as the best .17 on the market for the money.
What about the .17 Mach 2?
The .17 HM2, or Mach 2, was introduced a couple of years after the .17 HMR, but never caught on in the same way the more powerful cartridge did. The Mach 2 is a .22 LR Stinger case necked down to accept a .17 bullet. It’s seen a bit of a resurgence: CCI introduced a new Mach 2 VNT payload last year, and its most loyal fans are among serious squirrel hunters.
CCI VNT at .17 Mach 2 ammunition CCI
It has a flatter trajectory than the Long Rifle, making 100-yard headshots easier, and the reduced velocity also makes it less destructive than the HMR. But ammo options are limited (only three available that I could find), and there aren’t many .17 Mach 2 rifles out there either. The Mach 2 also produces less muzzle energy than a high velocity .22 LR hollow point and from what I’ve seen wounds a lot of squirrels that don’t get shot in the head. If I were out shopping I would go for one of the more common gauges.
