[RustyFoothold]

Today was my first day out small game hunting with my hubby. I love small game hunting. I love the moderate weather, the smell of Fall. I love the acorns dropping, the chipmunks gathering playing and fighting, the mice and voles peaking up at your from your feet.....

First harvest of the season goes to MOM!! One fox squirrel for the game dinner saturday before Bear Season. The husband also got a bonus ground hog. He will be pot pie!!

I would love to keep track of how we are doing out there girls or just your thoughts while out there in the woods.

Angela

 

[Guest3]

Great thread Angela. While I haven't harvested anything, I did get several kids out there, and many pheasants have been taken as well as some squirrels.

 

[wetnet]

First harvest of the season goes to MOM!! One fox squirrel for the game dinner saturday before Bear Season. The husband also got a bonus ground hog. He will be pot pie!!

I would love to keep track of how we are doing out there girls or just your thoughts while out there in the woods.

Angela

Sounds like a great day. I can't wait until I can get out for some small game. My favorites are squirrels and upland game birds.( I don't shoot the birds but have fun with the dog)

If you don't know it already just a word of caution with the groundhog,they carry hepatitis. I eat everything we kill but I will pass on groundhogs since I have a friend that is involved with health issues with them. Don't want to put a damper on a great day but hepatitis isn't something I'd want to get. I wouldn't risk it even in a pressure cooker, but that's just me. Maybe I wash my hands too much too. Glad you had fun, sounds like a day I've been itching to get out but my son does archery and has hogged our little patch of woods.

 

[RustyFoothold]

I had never heard that about groundhogs. How would they contract Hepatitis? I am a nurse and I am puzzled. I would love more info about this one! Now I am picturing a groundhog flop house with needle sharing and heavy drinking!

Thanks for the heads up I will have to check it out!

 

[PADingo]

Now I am picturing a groundhog flop house with needle sharing and heavy drinking!

That only happens with kangaroos.....nasty buggers!

Seriously, the WHV (Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus)is a virus very similar to HBV, the human hepatitis B virus, but Humans don't get hepatitis from woodchucks with WHV.

Woodchucks are the best available animal model for hepatitis B studies, ecause the woodchuck virus has a nearly identical effect on woodchuck livers as does human hepatitis B virus on human livers -- except that time is compressed. Disease processes that take 30 to 40 years in humans occur in three to four years in woodchucks. The only other animal model for HBV studies is the chimpanzee, an endangered species.

 

[RustyFoothold]

Thanks Dingo for clearing that up!! I was sort of puzzled about the whole thing and was planning on calling my contact at the USDA tomorrow to check on it. I know several people who swear by eating woodchuck and I had never heard of WHV. Awesome that we can do studies on hepatitis without harming an endangered species and I am encouraged that others who hunt show concern for such issues.

Gal, awesome that you had youth out hunting!! We have been taking Em out. It is good practice for her and a good gauge for us that she is still not quite ready to go deer hunting. She is still a little wiggly and gets cold and bored easily. I am anxious to get her out there hunting deer with us and had hoped that this was the year but being a proper mentor mandates that it is in her time not mine! I want to foster a lifelong love of the outdoors and ethical practices. Forcing her into something she is not ready for would more likely sour her to the whole deal. She was disapointed when I said this was not her deer hunting year and she has been a little more attentive small game hunting and sharing the duck/goose blind as an observer.

 

[Retired Donkey]

Never ceases to amaze me the things you can find out about on this site. Who would of thought it. Hepatitis in woodchucks.

 

[Rabbit Runner]

My husband and I run own and breed beagles.
We currently have 6.
We run them all year long and hunt rabbits and hare almost every day available.
We also field trial them.
3 of the 6 are champions in various trial areas.
Although we measure our successes on the performance of the dogs and not on our success I have taken about a dozen rabbits this year and handled our latest champion Maggie at on the day that she finished her requirements to be an AKC field champion.

Got my limit this day

Took a young hunter this day

Maggie the day she finished to FC.

Jane Lipko

 

[Guest3]

Greast! Congrats!

 

[RustyFoothold]

Awesome Rabbit Runner!!! Thank you for taking a Youth out as well!! Beagles and kids are near and dear to my heart! You are hanging with an awesome crowd!!

 

[RustyFoothold]

or...should I have said "running"?

 

[Janie]

I have shot 2 squirrels this year.
My 1st with a 20 gauge...


2nd with a 22 Marlin...


There was one that got away between these two. I looked everywhere for him.

I love squirrel hunting! Even if I don't get anything... I sure do try! I take my boy out with me and try to drag along a friend of his or the nephew. Next year, I'm hoping to take my daughter out! She's been showing intrest!

I'll be back out there soon! I can't wait til tomorrow!

 

[Dale Sholder]

Congrats. Hope you get her out with you. Much better to know they are doing that than other things.

 

[RustyFoothold]

Fantastic pictures!! I love the pumpkin background!! Isn't the 20g fabulous for small game. I had a "pretty" 20g still in the box looking fantastic! I broke it out and found it is pretty and functional!! Moral of the story, guns in boxes are basically useless. Keep it up folks, getting our kids out in the woods is not only great for them but I think it is beneficial for us as well.

 

[Janie]

The 20 gauge is pretty cool. I may switch between the two like every other day just to give them a work out!

 

[Rabbit Runner]

Really good day today.
I got my limit of rabbits and my first grouse ever,

Jane L

 

[bigt557]

Congrats to all