Small Game Tactics

[Franky4Fingers]

I'll keep this short as possible.

-Haven't hunted normally in 15 years, but I'm taking my dogs out because I feel they'd like it. They are like my kids.

- I have 2 labs. A chocolate male, black female.

- I hunt with a 870 12 ga.


I'm mainly after birds, but once I'm out there and I don't see any birds, I find I'm ready to shoot most any legal game. (squirrels, rabbits, etc)


Whats the best way to hunt any of these? I've gotten this game before many years ago, but it was all luck encounters. I've never actually went out and hunted for these specifically and worked for it and quite frankly I don't know what to do.

I've been trying to flush through brush for the birds, then stop once in a while to pretend I see them so they fly. This has worked so far. I've seen some, but no shots...too far away.

For other small game it almost seems you have to sit and wait for them to scurry about, like squirrels for example. Rabbits seem to be chance encounters, like deer.

any advice?

[Lycanthrope]

It varies based on the weather. This time of year I'm flushing grouse and rabbits in tight brush next to fields as well as tight pine groves.

In the fall I find grouse in grapes and downed timber.

Pheasants are a matter of finding where they stock......but corn and scrub near fields usually works.

In general for small game I avoid open timber and look for redbrush and timbered areas. Once you find where the birds are you can generalize.

Lycanlovesthethrumofgrousethrope

[BigMikeM31]

Lycan, if you know any good spots for grouse, I've got a 16 month old field bred Irish setter that would be willing to beat the brush for us after Christmas.

[Lycanthrope]

Lycan, if you know any good spots for grouse, I've got a 16 month old field bred Irish setter that would be willing to beat the brush for us after Christmas.

I'm down with that. Sometime after the new year, hit me up (I can take a day off anytime, but I'm booked until the 4th).


Lycanloveshuntingoverdogsthrope