Scarcity of small game

JUST1MOR said:
Cricket, exactly the same thing happened this summer around our property. The O.D.N.R. officer said the same as you, probably coyotes were the reason, and once the food supply dried up (rabbits, squirrels, etc.), they would move on to different parts of the county. I was cutting grass on one of our tractors along a fence row, & happened to look around some trees & a coyote was lying in the grass not 10' away watching me. The officer said for it to be out in daylight that close to humans it probably was either sick or injured or was rabied. Needless to say I now have a new playing companion called Glock 34 whenever I am out and about. Funny how situations 900 miles away can be almost a mirror image of where you live . . .
Be safe.
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I am 100% there with you bro -- I've been looking for a cheap "user" SKS for a "tractor gun" -- use a piece of PVC as a scabbard and attach it to the loader mount.
Otherwise it's a shoulder rig for the song dogs, coy-dogs, and just plain feral dogs we have.
 
I have noticed a lot of feral dogs around here as of late, been carrying the .357 or some other firearm along on hikes as they are much more aggressive than yotes.
 
1066vik said:
I am 100% there with you bro -- I've been looking for a cheap "user" SKS for a "tractor gun" -- use a piece of PVC as a scabbard and attach it to the loader mount. Otherwise it's a shoulder rig for the song dogs, coy-dogs, and just plain feral dogs we have.
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1066, I just bought a SERPA paddle holster from Blackhawk for the 34. I tried my Mossberg 590, but was just too much to worry about, couldn't get to it quick enough if I needed to, so the Glock is fine. Funny that the animals won't run from me if I am on the tractor (groundhogs), but if you walk within 100 yds. they are gone in a heartbeat. All the years we lived here, never once thought about carrying a gun while I had to cut the grass . . . :confused:
Be safe.
 
TrailWolf said:
Small game is OK, but large game is not.

Hunting season was dismal this year in the Catskills.

Our gun club has an annual game dinner at the end and it was cancelled this year due to lack of deer and bear.

Somethings up when the old timers at the club say this was one of the most lacking seasons they could remember...



.
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Dont know about there, but here, fuckups and guntsels (fish and game) issue WAY to many tags, deer population is so down in Ca that its sickening. When they need revenue, they just double the amount of tags you can buy :jerkit:. That and they only let you shoot bucks here. Im all for hunting, but their are so many "hunters" that game populations cant recover. Not to get on my soap box, but these are people that will send several thousand dollars to shoot some blacktail (maybe get 100lbs of meat). When instead, they could go to the butchers and buy a whole beef or maybe two cut and wrapped, for the amount they spend to kill one buck. I damn sure hunt, but its not because I like killing things, I hunt because I can step out my front door to do it, I can butcher it myself, it doesnt cost me a thing other than the bullet and tag. I damn sure hunt for size though (whatever is gonna eat the best) I could care less about horns or tusks (pigs) when I drop something, its because it will eat good, not what it will look like in the pictures I show my buddies and brag about.

CD, to reply to your op, small game is non existent here too. Coyotes are abundant, they have been shot so much that its damned near impossible to get a scope on one. They are always on the run and over the hill by the time you can. I have seen 3 or 4 cottontails since oct 2. Quail, more so, their are a ton of pigs though, but its pretty open here so they are only out at night. The game situation is pretty scary if its what I had to survive off of for much time at all.
 
My folks live on the north side of the Santa Monica mountains. I saw a lone coyote stroll up their street. When I was a kid, we had a ton of deer in the area, but this was in plain daylight. He had no fear of me until I grabbed my heavy doorman's umbrella and opened it and ran after the critter.
 
JUST1MOR said:
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1066, I just bought a SERPA paddle holster from Blackhawk for the 34. I tried my Mossberg 590, but was just too much to worry about, couldn't get to it quick enough if I needed to, so the Glock is fine. Funny that the animals won't run from me if I am on the tractor (groundhogs), but if you walk within 100 yds. they are gone in a heartbeat. All the years we lived here, never once thought about carrying a gun while I had to cut the grass . . . :confused:
Be safe.
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I have one of those for my 1911, but belt guns and seat belts don't mix well. :)
 
stsparky said:
My folks live on the north side of the Santa Monica mountains. I saw a lone coyote stroll up their street. When I was a kid, we had a ton of deer in the area, but this was in plain daylight. He had no fear of me until I grabbed my heavy doorman's umbrella and opened it and ran after the critter.
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Man, the word is getting around on those "tactical umbrellas" . . . :D
stsparky, we used to have deer that would come into our barn in the winter time to feed with the cattle. If we happened to be in there, they would not run out, but just would keep a safe distance from us. Animals have that 6th sense about things, funny how they know some of the stuff they do.
Be safe.
 
JUST1MOR said:
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Man, the word is getting around on those "tactical umbrellas" . . . :D
stsparky, we used to have deer that would come into our barn in the winter time to feed with the cattle. If we happened to be in there, they would not run out, but just would keep a safe distance from us. Animals have that 6th sense about things, funny how they know some of the stuff they do.
Be safe.
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I was worried about my young daughter thinking it was a dog. The umbrella was a good piece of kit. And it frightened the critter off. We're on the south side of the same mountains, and there are bigger smarter predators up there.

If I could get away with it in California, I'd love one of those old Victorian era shotgun umbrellas. We're seeing some rather adventurous raccoons and possums here, I suspect they're rabid. And the rumor is the damn squirrels carry the black plaque here. :eek:
 
Dad and I used to be able to max out our bag limit in rabbits in just a couple hours, now I'm lucky if I see more then a couple in a day out. We still have loads and loads of deer here in Ohio, but the small game is getting rare.
 
Hey Dave, This is an interesting thread because I was talking with someone the other day about the resent increase in coyote sightings during the days and closer to houses in my area. I’m in a rule area of N. Cal and recently the coyotes have been going after barn yard chickens and pets more often. Also, coyotes have been just hanging out around houses.
The small critter population doesn’t seem to be any thinner.
Interesting :confused:

Mike
 
I know it was beginnin' of fall when this was taken but you see there is no shortage of small game here.

2007_07130047a.jpg
 
I live in suburbia, and I know we still have coyotes.
When I worked at a car garage in high school and college I would get up at 5am to be there by 5:30. I would see them in parks and in drainage ditches.

We have quite a few squirrels and rabbits, but there are plenty of other animals for them to feast upon.

It is a fact that North Dallas has a raccoon and opossum problem. Between them the local cats and the feral cats I'm sure there are plenty of good eats about town.
 
Well, I'm in Texas too but we are in the same boat. My B-in-law is a Game Warden and he says predator populations are very high. There sure are alot shot in the varmint calling tournaments here at any rate.

Personally I think the hog populations hurt them too.
 
Deer and turkey are thick as thieves here in Kentucky.
I live in Lexington, and the squirrel population is thriving.
Still see some rabbits in the neighborhood on occasion, but in numbers far less than the squirrels.
I have a little urban creek behind my apartment complex with a nice population of wild ducks who winter here and have chicks(ducklings?) every spring, and we have a huge blue heron who hangs out here as well.
I know we have a thriving coyote population in the state - but so far they haven't put a dent in the whitetails.
 
Don't see rabbits or 'possums around here as much anymore. Plenty of squirrels, and those blasted armadillos have finally invaded the yard bigtime last year. Raccoons are up to their thievery as usual, referred to by some kids as "Sneaky Bobby." Of course lots of turkey, deer, and coyote.
 
squirrels are good here, but the rabbits, possums, and groundhogs are not around like they used to....I did see something funny during deer season....sittin in my tree stand, I watched a coyote hauling ass, about a minute later a pitbull and a black dog were on it's trail......I've never seen that out in the woods!
 
SimonZayne said:
Dad and I used to be able to max out our bag limit in rabbits in just a couple hours, now I'm lucky if I see more then a couple in a day out. We still have loads and loads of deer here in Ohio, but the small game is getting rare.
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SZ, I grew up around the Washington C.H. area, & I can remember cars and trucks of people stopping and asking dad if they could hunt on our farm because of the number of pheasants and rabbits. I can not tell you the last time I have seen a pheasant on the times we go to visit now. Everyone swears to the fact it was/is the fall tilling of the land, no food source after the corn/beans/wheat were harvested for them to survive. Have to agree with you on the deer though, seems as though they are thriving.
Be safe.
 
JUST1MOR said:
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1066, I just bought a SERPA paddle holster from Blackhawk for the 34. I tried my Mossberg 590, but was just too much to worry about, couldn't get to it quick enough if I needed to, so the Glock is fine. Funny that the animals won't run from me if I am on the tractor (groundhogs), but if you walk within 100 yds. they are gone in a heartbeat. All the years we lived here, never once thought about carrying a gun while I had to cut the grass . . . :confused:
Be safe.
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The second term for "tractor" is "mobile hunting blind."

Diesel fuel and hydraulic fluid are excellent cover scents for deer hunting :D
 
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