“It ain’t over till it’s over.” – Yogi Berra
Just about this time every year, most outdoors writers do the same thing and publish a column or article about putting away all of your guns and gear. There will be a lot of talk about cleaning weapons – and making sure it is done right – and boots, then packing away things we seemed to bring out of storage only a few weeks ago.
The writers offer a lot of weak (I think) advice about putting it all away until “next hunting season.”
Well, guess what. I don’t buy it.
Contributed photo / Larry Case
Hunting varmints, such as coyotes, is allowed all year in many areas. So when others are telling you to pack up your hunting gear until next fall, remember there are other ways to get out in the field, writes outdoors columnist Larry Case.Those of you who are brave enough to read these pages regularly should know by now I don’t usually follow the crowd. This may be good and it may not; I don’t know. But one thing is for sure: This ain’t your run-of-the-mill outdoors column.
So while the other guys are saying pack up your boots and guns and camo, I’m saying no – it’s not over till it’s over. Most places have a lot of hunting season left, so let’s talk about some of the things you can get into right now.
» Squirrels. As long as it is not “blue” cold, you can still go after squirrels and have a lot of fun doing it. Many states in the Southeast open squirrel season through February. A break in the weather – some sunny, warm days with temperatures getting more hospitable – brings out the bushytails. Finding a concentration of tree rats is just like finding bears, deer, turkeys or other game: Find the food, and you will find the squirrels. It’s the middle of winter, so most of the soft mast (grapes, dogwood berries and the like) is gone, so squirrels are living mostly on acorns, walnuts, and hickory nuts if any are left on the ground. If there is snow, look for squirrel tracks on logs lying on the ground, because the little rodents will run every one of these in the area.
Just like skinning cats, there is more than one way to pursue winter squirrels. If you read this column regularly, you know I am very partial to hunting squirrels with a dog. If you have never hunted squirrels in this manner, I suggest you go today and find someone in your area with squirrel dogs and invite yourself for a hunt. Hunting should be fun, and few things are just as much pure fun as hunting with a good squirrel dog. It is a low-key, low-stress, great way to spend a day in the winter woods that is also great for kids. I like to use a scoped .22 rifle, and if your buddy carries a shotgun, this can be a deadly combination. Plan on a big dinner soon after the hunt with fried squirrel, biscuits, gravy and all the fixings. And those who missed any shots during the hunt should be ready to be roasted.
» Rabbits. In many places, the cottontail rabbit is the staple for small game hunting in the winter. Like squirrels, there are several ways to go after bunnies, but the best is probably with a pack of beagle hounds. Jumping rabbits on a winter day and listening to a gang of the little hounds unravel the track is something special, and just as with the squirrel dog hunt, you owe it to yourself if you have never done it. Rabbits call for a shotgun, and which one you carry is not too important. a 20 gauge is fine, and I wouldn’t go too tight on the choke for this; a modified or improved cylinder will do. Low-brass game loads of No. 6 or No. 7 1/2 shot is all you need.
Rabbit hunting often involves several hunters – the more the merrier – and you are usually in thick brush. I always encourage rabbit and bird hunters in these conditions to wear blaze orange, though, because it makes it easier to see your buddies in the thick stuff and lets you know when to take a shot on a rabbit.
» Grouse. Like squirrels and rabbits, most states leave the grouse season open through the end of February, but be sure to check your state’s regulations for all of these recommendations. I have mixed feelings about grouse hunting lately. In many areas, the grouse population is at record lows, but there are still loyal grouse chasers out there tramping the hills in pursuit of the brown bomber. These grouse-crazed hunters tell me they can still find huntable numbers in some places. They won’t tell you where that is, but they say the grouse are there. Most locations where you can find grouse these days involve timber cuts eight to 10 years old. If the cover is easy to walk through, it’s probably not good grouse habitat.
As usual, we have run out of space and not covered everything I wanted to.
How about coyotes? Most states allow coyote hunting year-round. And don’t forget the old offseason standby of crows – you can have a lot of fun calling in these winged varmints and practice your wing shooting. Those two pursuits will bring you right up to scouting time for spring turkey season. Georgia’s spring gobbler season begins in March, and Florida’s is in late February!
Hey, it ain’t over till it’s over.
“The Trail Less Traveled” is written by Larry Case, who lives in Fayette County, W.Va. You can write to him at larry ocase3@gmail.com.