Last day of small game.

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mokin

mokin

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This was the last day for rabbits in Colorado (unless you hunt with falcons...). Even though I was fairly busy I managed to make it out 7-8 times since November. Final score was Rabbits 7 (or 8), me, zip. I don't recall seeing that many even. Maybe 4? over the whole time. I think the population took a serious hit a couple years ago in a hard winter and is just starting to come back.

I did manage to get out to some new areas that I've had my eyes on though and the scenery is always great. Hopefully I'll do better next year. In the meantime, I want to try my hand at a plywood stock for the .410 I take hiking and maybe a new pack.

I realize seasons are still going on in many places, but what do the rest of you do when the seasons close?
 
Ohio ended last night and everything is closed except varmints until the end of April spring turkey. I haven't seen many rabbits as in years past either and we have a lot of hawks, fox and coyote and now bob cat.
 
Quail and squirrel end next Sunday but rabbit goes on all year along with coons, possums, coyotes, and hogs.

Turkey season opens on March 17th. After that it's sweating time until mid-September. :(
 
Our season also ended yesterday . My nephew and I were able to hunt for about 2 hours yesterday and got 2 rabbits . I think our total for the year was 27 . This was our first pack of rabbit dogs , most were started from 2017 puppies . We only had one grown and running dog and I he might get replaced next year , as the puppies are getting better than him . We hunted most every Saturday after deer season ended until small game went out yesterday , 7 weeks . There are plenty of rabbits where we hunt , but it is so thick it's hard to get a shot at them . Some people in my area post pictures of over 20 shot in one day .
 
Armored farmer said:
Back in the forties, my dad and grandfsther took 42 with .22 rifles one day. They sold them in town for meat.
Click to expand...

That is a pile of rabbits , there must not have been very many predators in that area besides your dad and grandfather .

We sometimes have a run that will go on for over an hour .
 
red rick said:
That is a pile of rabbits , there must not have been very many predators in that area besides your dad and grandfather .

We sometimes have a run that will go on for over an hour .
Click to expand...
Our area was famous for red top clover. I guess there were rabbits everywhere.
They were about gone by the time i was old enough to hunt in the 70s.
 
Deer season ended for us on the 18th of this month. I've been out a few times over bait for coyotes, coons, and possums. Waiting on turkey to start, and driving the wife crazy practicing with the calls. Not crazy in a good way, she's not a wild turkey hen.
 
red rick said:
That is a pile of rabbits , there must not have been very many predators in that area besides your dad and grandfather .

We sometimes have a run that will go on for over an hour .
Click to expand...
We went out a few weeks back to public with 3 dogs and they ran that rabbit an hour and half.
 
It's no closed season on rabbit in the state of Texas and in my part of the state squirrel is open year around. We have a lot of both and I've shot a few rabbits of opportunity when walking out back, but I have no beagles. I have been known to hunt squirrel, though. :D When I go on my walks, my 20 gauge Remington Spartan is usually my companion. :D

"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise. I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind ... Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks." 1785, Thomas Jefferson.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the replies. Glad to know some of you had a better season than I did. Small game seems to be overlooked a lot. It's nice to know there are some more if you out there.

Armored farmer said:
The hawks are really hard on our rabbit and quail population here.

Between seasons, i shoot clays, work on food plots, woods bum, and fish.
View attachment 779925
Click to expand...

I've noticed the hawk population seems to be doing quite well around here, especially in the last couple of years. Hopefully I'll be able to get out to the trap club more often than I did last year and maybe get into a couple of three gun matches as well. I'll have to see if my method for taking crappie works as well as it did last summer too.

red rick said:
Our season also ended yesterday . My nephew and I were able to hunt for about 2 hours yesterday and got 2 rabbits . I think our total for the year was 27 . This was our first pack of rabbit dogs , most were started from 2017 puppies . We only had one grown and running dog and I he might get replaced next year , as the puppies are getting better than him . We hunted most every Saturday after deer season ended until small game went out yesterday , 7 weeks . There are plenty of rabbits where we hunt , but it is so thick it's hard to get a shot at them . Some people in my area post pictures of over 20 shot in one day .
Click to expand...

We have pretty heavy brush out here as well. The only glimpse I caught of the rabbits I saw was a little white tail bobbing into a brush stand or over a ridge, usually with a branch between me and it. I think dogs would be fun and more productive but they are against the rules here.
 
There is always something in season, like coyotes here in Kansas. Plus I need to do some serious reloading and tweaking of guns and ammo. Might cull a few and buy others. I'll quit hunting squirrels for now, but I never really quit hunting......well, I do fish some, but always carry a gun or 3 along with me. Was cruising some country roads the other day and ambushed an armadillo. Also, will have time to shoot sporting clays and maybe 5-stand. I'll still "hunt" at guns shows....and the occasional auction..
 
Coyotes and rabbits are in season all year, collared Eurasian doves and regular pigeons too. Lions are in season most of the year. I'll hike and carry a gun, at least, a couple of times a month. Might do something nighttime coyote calling. Definitely going to do enough trap and skeet that whatever days I get out this fall, if I get bird opportunities during dove or quail season, I'll have more of a chance of actually them.
 
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