How many take advantage of all the hunting opportunities where you live? Here in Oregon we have a plethora of game to hunt and I can never seem to manage anything but blacktail deer. On occasion, I get to go on an elk hunt but, the last one was in 2010.

My biggest problem is knowing where to go, and affording fuel and costs to get there.

I really would like to take advantage of some small game animals and need to look more into that. I think small game hunting is the perfect practice to get in before the large game hunts come into season.

I do.

I guess I do. The only trouble is that "all" ain't much.

When I lived in CO, I hunted hard all through the deer & Elk archery season. THAT was Livin' the Dream! Somehow, sitting in a tree waiting for a whitetail to wander by just doesn't compare.

I would be more serious about small game if I thought my wife would eat it.

I live in the city but a friend lives 3 blocks away with 30 acres on Lake Michigan. She lets me bow hunt turkeys but not deer.

I'm a tad spoiled since I have basically lived in rural Pennsylvania all of my life. Mostly, to hunt, I can literally do it out the back door and into the woods. I'm surrounded by hunting territory but do more stump hunting than critters. I'm guessing city folk would be more rabid about hunting since opportunities are fewer.

Not at all. Been in Wyoming for 20 or so years but seldom get out for more than a week per year, usually deer/elk season in Sept. Some years get skipped altogether. I know of lots of places to hunt, both public and private land, good numbers of animals but I have no time. It would help if Wyo had longer seasons. Our bow hunting seasons are short and all happen about the same time.

There are two reasons I live where I do. My family. Both immediate and church family. And, the outdoors. Hunting opportunity is every where. I can hunt within a mile of my home and have great spots. Very little setting in a tree waiting for me. Big woods and country here. When I'm not hunting fall small game, I'm bowhunting in areas that have lots of turkeys, deer, and bear. I move right into rifle season hunting the same things mostly. After Christmas, I get in a squirrel hunt or three before the season ends. Throw in some winter predator hunting at night. Come spring, I'm chasing gobblers. By Memorial day, I switch to stripper and small mouth fishing on through the summer. With an opportunistic eye to shoot varmints like ground hogs while doing it. I get all this for about $80 dollars in tags and such as I have had a lifetime license for 20 years now that has long paid for itself.

This place has went to H-E double hockey sticks though. Drug fueled crime is through the roof. You can't have anything. People trespass and tear your stuff up on ATV's. Steal your stands, act like they own it, etc... The last poll I read on the population stats for this state said 80% of the Population in this state lives from Charleston south, (1/3 of the state). In 2006, 74% of those people were living on some form of government entitlement.

We have our share of older retired people here. We also have everyone's share of dead beat bums that have made sorry A$$ living as a way of life. You know what it is like to be busting your hump all day in 70% slopes cruising timber, sweating, sucking air, etc.. To drive through an artist community 5 PM in the evening and see most everyone still in their Pajamas. Come payday when you look at your check and realize they have taken $700 in allotted taxes every two weeks of the year, like clock work, to support that. Knowing when you come to log it, you'll have to spend $750/wk for a night watchmen to protect your equipment and investment from those same lazy butt pieces of garbage you are paying for. It is quite liberating for sure.

If you can't tell by now, if not for the family and outdoor reasons, I'd been gone a long time ago. I'm a blessed man, happy to have a job, and very fortunate in many ways. But, my patience is wearing thin concerning some things. Sorry for the rant. Today wasn't a good day for my participation in this thread. God Bless

Not all, but I try to be varied. It keeps things interesting. Like George, I've lived, hunted, fished, trapped, and roamed in rural Pa all my life. I've always been able to walk right out my back door and do my thing. All of my hunting has been done with selfbows the last 17-18 years, which carries with it a few limitations regarding what and how I'm able to hunt. I very much enjoy hunting small game with a bow and don't hesitate to do so when most everyone else is sitting in a tree waiting for deer. I took 4 weeks vacation this fall beginning with the first day of small game season. I've got two bows to finish and I'll be ready :^)

When you work, all seasons aren't long enough. I did that for 47 years before I retired. That's called life. Still managed to do fine, hunting when I could, and likely I appreciated it a lot more when I couldn't do it as often.

Live on a farm in western Oklahoma. We have turkeys, deer, coyotes, even seen a mountain lion with 2 growed cubs with her one day on my place. Quail, dove, rabbits, ducks, geese and a nice pond with fish. I don't hunt anymore cause no one wants to go anymore. Legs are gone for me. Since I retire in 6 days I might start going a little more again. Randy

I live in North Central Oklahoma and am limited to a public hunting area about 15 miles away and a friend has some land he lets me hunt small game on and I take care of his plumbing problems when they arise in return. I can't hunt deer there because his grandson wants it all to himself for deer season. The public hunting area is like going to wal-mart on black friday when deer archery season opens. Too much competition for spooky deer in a small area with too little cover. I leased some land for hunting for 2 years at $1000 per year and got 3 deer in 2 years. It had very little cover and all deer were taken with a rifle at a fair distance as they were crossing the sparsely treed landscape. It was probably a bargain but I don't really enjoy rifle hunting so, I quit leasing. It seems like all the really nice hunting leases were already taken and get renewed each year. A past president of our archery club mentioned how many 1000's of acres he had leased for wealthy clients to hunt out of the stands he had set up. He has a outfitting service. When I asked how much he charges for a hunt, his reply was, "don't worry you can't afford it." Sorry if I got off topic. I try to make the most of what is available in my area and have fun when I am out whether it is chasing rabbit, squirrel, or the occasional deer when I want to brave the public hunting area.

I live in No. East Ma. and can walk into NH . I hunt both states and enjoy hunting close to home w/ a trip to Vt. once in a while . Hunting woodcock , partridge , rabbits and deer keeps me busy . Lots of open land makes it easy to get away .

This year I'm planning to spend a bit of time after bears. We have some good ones here,(Massachusetts) and one in particular has a habit of tearing my trail cameras off the trees they're on. Will probably use a rifle, tho'.

I live in an awesome spot. Deer everywhere and more hogs than you can imagine. Nice, long seasons, too. I'm thankful for that. I'd like to get out west though, and hunt something else for a change. I love the mountains and we have none this far south. What we DO have is way too many of the individuals that WV Mountaneer mentioned earlier- The day is fast approaching when the people that DO work will not be able to support the ones that DO NOT..... then what?

I got it from a good source that Jeff Durnell kills more squirrels every year with his self bows than most small game hunters do with their guns. From what I understand his middle name is "Smoke" as he simply slips up on them and kills them effortlessly. I'm not joking either. God Bless

NW Jersey. Turkey, whitetail, coyote, woodchuck, carp and maybe black bears in the next couple of years. Plus the usual small game. I hunt 'em all. No yotes yet but I keep trying. Long deer seasons and very liberal limits. In fact, there is basically no limit on doe. We might be the most densely populated state in the country but have plenty of hunting opportunities. It also helps to be retired. I highly recommend it.

most people forget about yotes, and they need to be hunted as well as deer. maybe even more. we can hunt them yr round here and I do

I think 'totes might be hard in my area. We've got them but I rarely see them.

I have never knew anything else except the one hunt in Wisconsin. DJ

Central WI is my home and hunting grounds. I hunt as much as I can, for whatever I can. I do dream of some western and northern hunts in the future though.

My biggest problem is TIME! There is never any time to actually go. Work, family, house, repeat so we just shoot in the backyard which is still a blast. Always something to hunt/shoot here though year round.

Been hunting Wisconsin (south-central) since I was old enough...for some years with my dad, then with a couple buddies, later by myself, and now with my son...kinda gone full cycle.

Only problem now is acquiring permission to hunt private property...no sweat "in the day", but TOUGH now. I can't afford to buy my own, wish I could, but getting too old now to justify the cost.

I'm down to one 40 acre plot...used to have permission to hunt over 750 acres. THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIENDS!!! I won't waste any time on public hunting grounds.

I spent many years in Wyoming after mulies and elk, but can't hump the high country anymore...so now I just chase our whitetails.

In Ohio it is usually Whitetail only for me with the occasional squirrel hunt. I live in a concrete jungle so I have to drive out of town 2 1/2 hours to hunt. The public hunting close to the city is a zoo in my opinion. Ohio just doesn't offer a lot of game to hunt compared to the a west and north east. I would pick up and leave in a minute if I could. Work and family can be a game changer. Someday I hope I can walk out my back door and go hunting like I could when I was a kid.

I am fortunate to move every couple of years so I get to hunt lots of different places. Don't hunt a lot of small game since we don't eat it very often but I do enjoy walking looking for a few quail to shoot at.

From September 1 till spring I'm chasing grouse and rabbits to deer to using my rifle for coyotes. This year I'll go for bear and elk as well. The summer is rock chuck and ground squirrel sniping time with my little .17hmr. Love rifles but I can only stand hunting big game with my bow. Seems like it's not hunting when I use a rifle

I own a narrow strip of 10acres surrounded by federal forest land on all three sides and across the road. My wife, daughter, and I moved in last spring. I have a treestand set literally 150' from my backdoor. Don't even feed the deer, they just seem to love traveling right through by our house. Also, less than half a mile from the Big Manistee River and 6miles as a crow flies from Tippy Dam...I have world class steelhead and trout fishing within walking distance.

Wow, that sounds like a nice setup! Congrats on you own private little oasis.

What kind o' bait do you use to fish for Strippers???

Must be a catch-and-release deal. Can't see bringing one home with me...

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