Keeping Me Sane!

[ozark trout fisher]

I am not much of a hunter usually outside of deer and turkey season, but lately that's been about the only thing keeping me sane. Breaking through the ice for stocker rainbows is an option still (although with all this cold weather, getting through with the ice pick is getting kinda hard), but I've had about as much as I can stand of that, and there hasn't been time lately (and it doesn't appear that there will be time in the near future) to go do some real fishing somewhere like the Current Rver or Little Piney. So besides the stocker rainbows, I've been spending a lot of time with my 20 gauge Browning at a little tract of private land about 10 minutes from home that I've got permission to hunt. Up until now, I never thought you could get so much enjoyment chasing around squirrels or busting up an old field for rabbits... Until about 2 weeks ago, I hadn't been small game hunting in quite awhile, and I seem to have forgotten that it can actually be pretty difficult too-especially with the rabbits. I don't have any dog that's suitable to that kind of work (the dog I do have spooks at even the sight of a gun, the wimp ) so it takes a fair bit of work both busting up the cover and getting the shots off. Squirrel and rabbit hunting was something that I did a lot when I was a kid, but it's one of those pleasure's that I've kind of forgotten about when I became more serious about deer and turkey hunting-kind of like a trout fisherman re-discovering how fun bluegill fishing can be. Plus they are awfully good to eat, especially the rabbits.

Anyone else going squirrel/rabbit hunting to stay sane in this weather?

[Chief Grey Bear]

I went yesterday. And like you, I don't do it near as often as I should. I have only been a half dozen times this year. Get you a .22 though. Much more enjoyable.

[Quillback]

I am tempted sometimes to do a little squirrel hunting, but I just hate cleaning those things. Sure aren't as many squirrel hunters as there used to be.

[ozark trout fisher]

I went yesterday. And like you, I don't do it near as often as I should. I have only been a half dozen times this year. Get you a .22 though. Much more enjoyable.

It is a lot of fun.

I have a .22, but this place I hunt isn't as far out in the sticks as I'd like it to be, and a shotgun is a lot safer than a rifle in this case.

[flytyer57]

Just don't forget to shoot those mountain lions you run across while squrrel hunting.

Shoot them in the back as they are runnig away and tell the MDC you were afraid of being attcked.

[Justin Spencer]

I seem to have forgotten that it can actually be pretty difficult too

Don't discount those grey squirrels, they get the best of me everytime. Tons of fun, squirrels are everywhere (until you hunt them) and hard to hit with a .22 (especially when you get buck fever). I love to eat them and when your done you have some new fly tying material to boot.

[Kayser]

I'm not that big on deer hunting, but will go after squirrels every chance I get. Have been since I was old enough to safely carry a gun. I just don't get as many chances as I used to since I went away to school, and the property I used to hunt back home was sold. But I'm discovering the local conservation areas, one of which has a fair amount of rabbits. It's just hard to find them in the afternoon, and even harder to hit them with a bow (don't have a gun here). Right now, I'm waiting for turkey season. That should keep me sane until duck season is back.

Rob