I grew up in a family that was by no means against hunting. But I was the only member that actually wanted to go hunting. I spent hours reading old Outdoor Life and Field & Stream magazines and day dreaming of the day I could give it a go. When I was a preteen my grandfather gave me an old pump shotgun and a pocket knife for cleaning game. the next step was to attend a Hunter’s Safety Course and buy the required hunting licenses. So there I am I have the needed tools and the required legal documents and permits. So now what???? This is where not coming from a hunting family made it difficult for me. Enter the small game animal.
A small game animal such as a squirrel is the best pursuit for a novice hunter. Small game animals typically are more densely populated than large game. Longer hunting seasons allow a new hunter plenty of time afield. The chance of a successful hunt is higher. The cost to entry barrier is less. In most cases it is far are easier to gain hunting access to property when pursuing squirrels.
That is the short answer and you’re sitting in the same spot I was, now what. So lets get going below on how to get your first wild game meal supplied!
Why Start With Small Game
As with any new skill there is a path that will lead you to success. and one that will end with frustration and eventually packing away your new hunting gear on the top shelf in the garage. To become proficient in any new skill you need repetition. For hunting these skills include getting access to hunting locations, moving/stalking, acquiring and taking safe clean shots, cleaning the animals then preparing the meat. You will have the opportunity to complete these tasks more often with small game.In the state of Missouri where I grew up Grey and Fox Squirrels are everywhere. If there is a patch of trees there are probably squirrels. This population density makes them ideal for a couple reasons.
Hunting season length and license cost
Lets take a look at a specific scenario in my home state of Missouri to compare season length and bag limit. A $10 small game license permitted 223 days of Squirrel hunting in 2021. Compare that to a $17 Missouri deer firearms license and you are only getting 20 possible hunting days. The daily limit for squirrels during that time is 10. That $17 deer firearms license only gets a hunter one animal total. For the sake of arguing there are additional anterless deer permits one can purchase that very by county or zones. But even then you will still have far less opportunity to be afield hunting.
Access to property
There are lots of public land hunting opportunity in most states. But what if you don’t live close to one of those areas and your immediate friends or family doesn’t own land. In this case you will have to gain permission from land owners to hunt on their property. This is another area where an animal like the squirrel dominates for a new hunter. Most landowners these days see hunting access for large game animals as a source of income for their property and will charge for that access. Lots of smaller properties that a But there is far fewer demand from hunters seeking access to hunt squirrels. These land owners are more likely to give access if you are just looking to fill a limit of squirrels especially since you won’t be bringing in an arsenal of loud large caliber rifles. There are lots of properties in that 1-10 acre range that aren’t deemed large enough to deer or turkey hunt. Those hunters won’t pursue access to these smaller parcels of land. These small tracts of timber a gold mines for the squirrel hunter.
Cost of entry
Ask any pursuer of large game animals and they will tell you that it can be costly (or more likely their spouse will tell you)! If you are reading this article it’s likely you don’t have lots of friends and family that will loan you their gear to get started. You’ll quickly learn that a deer rifle along with specific hunting ammunition and other suggested gear can empty a piggy bank. Not to mention that you can’t exactly throw that large buck into your back pack to get it home. I more often than not brought my handful of grey squirrels home on my bicycle. Depending on your state’s laws often times you can be in the squirrel woods with nothing more than an air rifle with hunting pellets. As I mentioned earlier this can actually get you access to hunt properties that aren’t possible when pursuing large game animals.
Success Ratios
Waking up early enough to be settled in the before daylight and staying out til dark can be a strain. Add that to multiple days of never seeing your intended target animal and you are quickly wandering if this is for you. This can and is often the case when I novice hunter takes on a large game animal right out of the gate. Especially if they are going at it alone. I think this is one of the biggest reasons why new comers decide there are better ways to spend their time. Even as a seasoned hunter spending multiple days of early mornings and late nights on your limited time off without seeing anything is trying. Due to smaller population densities and tendencies to be more wary most states will see a far less success ratio of hunters than a squirrel hunter. It’s much more likely that a new hunter will continue to go to the woods if they are successful.
If you are pursuing a fox squirrel to hone your skills as a hunter or just enjoying the world of small game hunting it’s hard to go wrong going after a tree rat!