Our last deer season for 2021-22 wraps up today. Waterfowl season is still ongoing and if temperatures continue to warm up there may be some open water in the river and bird hunting might pick up. Turkey, pheasant, quail and partridge hunting closes down at the end of the month. If you are done with these hunting seasons, consider small game. I’m planning ahead and want to get end a squirrel and rabbit hunt before their respective seasons close.
There aren’t as many squirrels to hunt around here as there are in the eastern part of the state, but there are enough (outside the city limits) that can make a fun hunt. Sneaking into a stand of timber can be a challenge before squirrels see you and begin chattering out their alarm calls. Most people don’t think squirrels make any noise, but if you have ever hunted them, you know different. They make a lot of noise.
I like to use a two-hunter technique known as leapfrogging. One hunter walks ahead slowly for about 20 yards and stops. After a few minutes the second hunter moves forward and past hunter number one. Squirrels will often see and hide from the moving hunter, but as the hunter moves the squirrel keeps moving around the tree and exposes itself to the other hunter. It can be a productive technique.
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Another way I like to hunt squirrels is to find a piece of timber with a good population. The move is wearing full camo, and burying yourself in leaves, and wait with a trusty air rifle. This is one of my favorite ways to hunt squirrels — plus I can get in a nap at times.
Air rifles are very quiet in the timber and do not alarm other squirrels. After I lay still for a few minutes, squirrels will get back to their daily business and eventually one will offer me a shot. I can keep myself entertained this way for hours.
The rabbit hunting season is a little longer, running until the end of February. I like rabbit hunting because it is challenging and it is a great way to get kids and people new to the sport of hunting involved. Right after a snow is one of my favorite times to hunt rabbits because you can easily follow the tracks. It is fun to watch a new hunter track game and begin to see how the rabbits move from place to place.
In thick cover, a small-gauge shotgun is a good choice. Your shots may need to be fast as rabbits dart from one patch of cover to the next. Shotguns are perfect for this kind of hunting. I love using a .410 in this situation.
A scoped .22 rifle is another good choice. Slowly walking through an area will often cause a rabbit to bolt and run a few yards and duck back into cover. Finding a well camouflaged rabbit and placing a precise shot through tangles of brush can add to the challenge of the hunt.
On cold days, I like to find a spot that overlooks some good habitat that holds rabbits. I know the spot has rabbits because I’ve scouted the area and followed lots of tracks to the area. I will sit back 50 to 75 yards with a very accurate .22 rifle and scope. I will watch the areas that are in bright sunlight. Rabbits will come out of the shadows on cold days to warm up in the sun. Being able to make pinpoint shots is an extra challenge, but it can get you a lot of rabbits for the table.
Rabbits make excellent table fare. You can fry rabbit like chicken, but most of the time I will prepare my rabbits by using the Shake ’N’ Bake packets you see in the grocery story. I have used several of the flavors and it makes a tasty meal.
Urban coyotes
I got a call this last week from a resident who lives out on West Leota and they asked if there could be coyotes in town. Apparently they thought they had seen one in the backyard one night. The individual seemed quite surprised when I said that it was very possible for a coyote to be in their yard. Fortunately they did not indicate that they had lost a pet. In this case, the coyote was just passing through.
Coyotes have adapted to humans and their colonization of their habitat quite well. You can find coyotes from Alaska to Panama and California to Maine. Coyotes are not just rural animals either. There are large populations of “urban” coyotes in cities much bigger than North Platte.
For example, New York City has an estimated 30,000 coyotes living within the city limits. Chicago estimates that maybe 5,000 coyotes inhabit the city; Seattle has about 2,500 and Los Angeles estimates around 7,500. And why are coyotes so numerous in urban settings? They are the ultimate adaptable animal in North America. Just think about these facts for a moment:
» Residential areas provide year-round habitat (food, water, shelter, and space) for coyotes.
» Backyards are often sites of plentiful food sources like mice, rabbits, squirrels, gophers, voles and small pets.
» Urban coyotes have also learned to take advantage of pet food left outside.
» Bird feeders and fallen fruit around homes can feed coyotes.
» Meat and fish scraps in garbage cans or compost piles feed coyotes.
» During drought periods, parks, landscaping features and backyards are ready sources of water.
Studies show that coyotes have a higher survival rate and longer lifespan in urban and suburban environments. They survive quite nicely with no natural predators and generally no hunting or trapping pressure inside city limits.
Have a great week outdoors.