After deer season letdown, what do you hunt?

[Cbriggs57]

Got a little deer with my T/C Hawken 54 in the Michigan "primitive" season. All deer seasons are over here now in the mitten, but I'm not ready to pack it in just yet. Squirrel, rabbit, and predator/furbearing seasons are still open.
Supposed to get "Snowmageddon" over the weekend, but that's mostly hype.
I can still get out with either the 54 or 50 cal Pennsylvania Hunter (essentially a roundball Renegade). What do you all hunt in the dreary months? Any suggestions?

 

[Eric Krewson]

I usually hunt squirrels which will be tough this year because of very poor mast crop, the squirrels are few and far between.

I hunt Tenn and Alabama, Tenn deer season ends this week but Al goes on until the end of Jan.The problem is I have to hunt on public Mgt areas in Bama, these are bucks only with 3 points on a side antler restriction areas, tough hunting this time of year. Legal bucks are like a drop in the bucket for the overall deer population.

I have been covered up with rutting bucks on these areas at this time of year but is very hard to tell if they are legal when they are crashing through a thicket at top speed after a doe. So far the ones I could positively identify were spikes and forkies without brow tines.

 

[Katahdin]

Not much to hunt in Maine this time of year..Great time to just put on the snowshoes and go for a woods walk,take your camera and just wander..Ice Fishing is coming in,so that is the next get together..

 

[Critter Getter]

Iowa late muzzleloader deer season continues through this Sunday. I have been trying trying trying to bag my first flintlock deer. Just so exasperating........... My shooting that is!!! Win, lose, or draw after Sunday I will continue hunting squirrel through the end of the month and then coyotes. I have shot coyotes with muzzleloaders, bow, high power and shotguns. What I really need to do is sharpen my shooting skills with a flintlock for next year!! Greg.

 

[hoochiepapa]

My recliner.

 

[fistmil]

Deer season here in Louisiana ends late January. I actually look forward to it's end because I can hunt squirrels and rabbits the whole month of Feb. Don't get me wrong , I like deer hunting, but love small game hunting with my smooth bore. Out of courtesy for the deer hunters, I wait till Fed.

 

[Vaino]

At 83 no longer hunt but not too many years ago after deer hunting, I hunted snowshoe hares and grouse in the snow. Actually these hunts were much more satisfying than deer hunting....quiet and solitude. Shooting a couple of snowshoes and grouse busting out of the snow was exhilarating. For those unfamiliar w/ grouse seeking refuge by tunneling under the snow, it's quite a sight when a bunch of grouse "explode". Takes a keen eye to discern the beginning of the tunnels.

When I hunted in north western Wisconsin using snowshoes in waist deep snow and below zero temps, sometimes the frozen birch trees would explode and it sounded like a rifle shot which at times would echo because of the valleys.

Always deer hunted, but it wasn't my favorite hunt.....too much sitting. I was always a "mover" and favored hunting game that could be shot while moving. I know deer can be shot while slowly moving and have done that, but most of the areas I hunted had a lot of hunters and all you did was chase the deer to the other hunters.

Winter was always a "fun time" for me....hunting as described above and ice fishing. Never a dull moment......Fred

 

[Mort Scott]

for indoors i hunt the remote outdoors it.s mushrooms

 

[Patocazador]

No snowshoes needed down here.

Deer season in the Panhandle is open until mid February. After deer season it's hogs. They're legal on some management areas until the 6th of March and all year long on private land.

 

[will5a1]

Cottontails, especially if there is a fresh blanket of snow. I find tracks and try to catch one sitting, have to move slowly and try for head shots.

 

[daniel collums]

squirrel and rabbit, then arrowheads.

 

[Skychief]

I like to hunt squirrel this time of the year. Usually on warmer than normal days.

Even more, I like to follow a few of my friends beagles for hours at a time. Talk about a fine social event! :haha: I haven't owned a pack in some years now, but, haven't missed a bit of bunny running thanks to my buddies owning dogs. I don't have to feed and clean up after them all year either :hmm:

Once the ground freezes hard, if it does at all this Winter, I "put it on" as many coyotes as I can. It's a thrill to call them in nice and close. I'm sure that the small game, turkeys and deer would appreciate my efforts, if they could only understand them :thumbsup:

Get out there and have some fun, Skychief. :hatsoff:

 

[nwtradegun]

PIGS, PIGS AND MORE PIGS AND NOTHING BUT PIGS

 

[Spikebuck]

Squirrels and rabbits. While I love deer hunting, small game is really much more relaxing. Hard to beat a nice walk in the quiet snowy woods with the 20 Ga smooth rifle in hand.

It's also time to restart the gun building projects that languish in the summer and fall.

 

[nhmoose]

Snowshoe hare!!!!!

 

[BigBoreBLR]

I live in NY near PA they have a dedicated flintlock season. I'm typing this on my phone next to a campfire in the PA state forest. We're lucky up here. After that there's plenty of woods walk competition shoots most weekends in the winter. But I do go on fe squirrel hunts in February

 

[Brokennock]

Squirrels mostly but some pheasant have held over and dodged the owls, hawks, eagles,coyotes, bobcats, fishers, etc. After that maybe some coyote hunting, but that is usually just an excuse to be in the woods with a flintlock scouting for turkey season, and it depends on weather. If conditions are perfect I'll ditch the 18th century for the day and hit the cross country ski trails.

 

[Walks with fire]

I didn't get much time in the woods this year due to work and some health issues but once the snow comes down I will do a good bit of scouting. The hunting I did do didn't produce much in the way of deer sign. This area is new to me and I need to find a better area. I just enjoy being in the woods looking around as much a hunting.

There is always small game but usually I lean toward walleye fishing at Pymatuning Lake and in the river below the dam once flint season is over.

Have a great year.

 

[larry wv]

Squirrel season is in till the end of this month. Rabbit season for another month after that. I have seen one Rabbit in the past year. The Coyotes have killed everything. They won't come to a call. I have killed SEVERAL Bow hunting and with a Rok-lok.

Larry

 

[Walks with fire]

I have not kicked up a rabbit, grouse or pheasant in my hunting area in several years. Very little small game in my area of PA right now. My 40 acre lot used to have lots of grouse but no more.

Every time I get the urge to get a .32 caliber I think to myself; what would I use it for. Lot's of squirrels though.