By calling and shooting a variety of gear, you can hunt year round. I called a friend on the last day of February and got the message, “Gone rabbit hunting… last day.” Quite honestly, I’d forgotten that rabbit season extended into late winter. If snow geese fly in your area, the season may well be open into spring as these birds have overpopulated their breeding grounds and face the same future at Quebec caribou whose numbers have dropped by 90 percent in some areas.
Calling Coyotes and other predators is legal for most of the winter and in many states, you can hunt coyotes 365/24/7. The same is true for wild hogs in Southern states and although they are a pestilence, hunting them can be quite sporting and the resulting venison is good to eat.
Vary Your Gear
As Americans we are blessed with an abundance of hunting “toys” like compound bows, crossbows, shotguns, airguns, high powered rifles, predator rifles, and others. if you enjoy deer hunting, and only shoot a rifle or shotgun, you are missing an entire world of unknown excitement and adventure. Crossbows don’t shoot like rifles, but operate very much like a standard bolt-action deer rifle. By learning to shoot a crossbow, you can practice in your house, basement or back yard and add months of outdoor enjoyment to your standard deer hunt.
Additionally, calling deer can get them into bow range.
In Maryland, for example, our deer season opens in early September and continues until the end of January, nearly half a year. Additionally, neighboring states like Pennsylvania and West Virginia offer lengthy seasons with even more species. Should you fill your tags in one state, you can buy an out-of-state license and be on high-potential public land with a short drive.
Varmints and Critters
Groundhogs are often called “little griz” due to their tough nature. This prolific animal is widely distributed and considered a pest in all agricultural communities. One of the best ways to gain permission to hunt big game on a ranch or farm is to ask permission to hunt groundhogs. You will rarely be denied and the conversation opens the door to other adventures. Richard will expand your hunting horizons with this post from The Outdoor Hub:
Most hunters live for two seasons, spring and fall. They’ll go near insane in the spring chasing gobblers that are too stupid or stubborn to come to their calls. Then, in the fall, they sit high in oak trees blowing on a grunt call hoping a whitetail gets curious enough to come see what all the racket is about.
What many don’t realize is that you can hunt in the winter and the spring, and with the right call you can entice critters that are just dying – pardon the pun – to pay you a visit
