Don't Overlook Small Game Hunting

Small game hunting, specifically cottontail rabbits, was my introduction to hunting as an older teenager. I grew up in prime cottontail habitat, which consisted of farmland and overgrown pastures in southwestern Vermont. Some of the best days outside were spent on the first sunny, warm, calm day after a period of cloudy, cold weather. The rays of sun reflecting off the snow onto your face is something you learn to appreciate very quickly during the winter months and cottontails take advantage of this weather, too. They will often sit at the edge of thick cover soaking up the sun and when there is snow on the ground, they are easier to spot. Cottontail rabbits can be found in valley locations and agricultural land is often a great place to look. Hedgerows and overgrown fields provide rabbits with plenty of food and cover.

Another small game favorite of mine are gray squirrels. Gray squirrels are abundant throughout much of Vermont in the right habitat and cottontails can commonly be found throughout the Champlain valley and southwestern part of the state. In the Northeast Kingdom, snowshoe hare and ruffed grouse are the sought-after small game species, where you can find young forest and abundant coniferous cover. Gray squirrels will often be found in oak forests or other nut bearing species such as hickories and beech.

Small game species provide ample opportunities for people to spend time outside, explore new places and even get a little exercise. This is a great way to enter the hunting community and an excellent way to introduce someone new to hunting. It can be advantageous to hunt cottontails or hares with a couple of friends to work a likely area more effectively.

Besides the fulfillment I get by spending time outside, the delicious meals small game provides is one of the top reasons I choose to hunt. People shouldn’t be intimidated by cooking wild game, there are endless resources available now on how to properly prepare your harvest and in my opinion, it is some of the most underrated meat available. My favorite small game meal is chicken biscuits and gravy but substitute rabbit or squirrel in place of the chicken.

Regardless of if you are new to hunting or if you are an avid hunter, I encourage you to spend a few days this season pursuing these often-overlooked species.