Small game hunting over deer hunting?

[Slickhead]

Ive threatened to just small game hunt.
I love to deer hunt but I see more squirrels than deer.
Also you kill a deer and your in for work (and they are a lot harder to pack out)

But those squirrels are jumpy
Not sure If I could get a shot off.

[silenthunter85]

Deer have been my passion,  but I did find myself really enjoying the walk out of the woods after a morning deer sit just to fling flu flus at squirrels. I can definitly relate to your feelings.

[T Sunstone]

I hunt rabbits right around my neighborhood ever evening if I'm home the last hour of light.  Mickey always picks up a trail at that time and I'm lucky enough to get a few a year.  
 

[YORNOC]

While I used to 100% deer hunt as soon as the season opened to when it closed, now I split it up quite a bit.
I don't currently hunt farms or food plots, so there are plenty of times I do not see deer.
I pheasant hunt with the bow every Saturday morning and deer hunt the afternoon. Same with small game, changing up afternoons and mornings depending on wind/weather.
Funny thing, I still see/shoot about the same amount of deer as when I was insane about being in a stand every waking, non working moment.

[mangonboat]

I haven't done it in a long time, but Scott is right: bunnies, beagles and a bow are excellent in  combination , and on a snowy day, so much the better.

[MnFn]

I wish our ruffled grouse population was more stable. I enjoy walking my woods hunting them.

Most shots at grouse have been taken when I see them while deer hunting.  But I should spend more time just on grouse.
It is fun, and as Charlie said I definitely think it would make me a better shot.

[Tajue17]

Originally posted by YORNOC:
I pheasant hunt with the bow every Saturday morning and deer hunt the afternoon.

for pheasants have you been to the West Hill Dam or the Red Barn in Uxbridge?

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by MnFn:
I wish our ruffled grouse population was more stable. I enjoy walking my woods hunting them.

Most shots at grouse have been taken when I see them while deer hunting.  But I should spend more time just on grouse.
It is fun, and as Charlie said I definitely think it would make me a better shot.

I would love to hunt grouse with a bow. That would be so much fun!!!

[joe ashton]

AFTER our big game season closes I do like to get out and hunt the bunnies. I don't particularly like eating bunnies so, I limit my harvest.
In the spring shooting carp is a hoot.
Joe

[J. Cook]

I really like small game hunting - in fact, I wish I had better opportunities to do more of it. I especially want to get into bow fishing.  

But...deer hunting calls to me and is a pure passion in the fall.  There's lot's of time to small game hunt around deer season.  For now, that drive to hunt deer is still there.

[Steve Jr]

I have passed up several shots on deer this year. I really need to stop doing that and just put some meat in the freezer. I have been thinking about taking another quiver filled with small game arrows just for squirrels. Every time I sit in a stand there are about enough squirrels running around to fill my freezer. Well I would have to do it five at a time. I'm in a stand to hunt and I need to SHOOT at something!  I have just talked myself into it. Look out squirrels!!!

Anyone that thinks shooting rabbits, squirrel and birds is more fun than deer hunting is nuts, I am pretty certain that i must be more nuts that way than anyone.   I tried to buy a farm place just because it has a good rabbit grove and couldn't afford it.  So my friend is buying it, we are hoping to get access to it while the rabbit season is still open.   When I head out bunny and pheasant hunting with a quiver full of shoot away cedar arrows, I get a loosy goosy feeling like I had when I was a kid.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by pavan:
Anyone that thinks shooting rabbits, squirrel and birds is more fun than deer hunting is nuts, I am pretty certain that i must be more nuts that way than anyone.   I tried to buy a farm place just because it has a good rabbit grove and couldn't afford it.  So my friend is buying it, we are hoping to get access to it while the rabbit season is still open.   When I head out bunny and pheasant hunting with a quiver full of shoot away cedar arrows, I get a loosy goosy feeling like I had when I was a kid.

Or this one

[southernarcher]

I felt the same way as few years ago, and just decided to hunt deer the same way you described hunting small game.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Beautiful pups, Pavan!

[Sam McMichael]

Pavan, those are some really good looking pups!

[Doug S]

LF1
You hit it the nail on the head. You said exactly what I have been feelin the last couple years. I am in the same place. Now at 55 It seems I dont want to wait around anymore, dont care how big the buck might be. . I will rattle and call ect. Or still hunt but no more just waiting. Probably my favorite hunt is for Ground hogs. Tricky little buggers. Even began to cook em up like my Grandpap did.
Thought he was nuts.

[Roger Norris]

My season goes exactly the same every year...September 15th through the 30th, we chase squirrels with a vengeance.

October 1st through Christmas eve'ish....I log as many hours in the deer stand as possible. Yesterday I was in a pop up from 6:30 a.m until 5:40 p.m.    

BUT...right about now I start thinking of rabbits. My beagle Daisy starts looking at me funny when I leave the house without her. So I will be hunting rabbits by 12-26 at the latest.

We also take several breaks during our ShrewHaven hunt and chase grouse/woodcock.