seems like everywhere I have been lately , especially in north ga , there is less squirrel and rabbit population . maybe they all moved to town . in the woods on public land population is way down . they say small game hunter numbers have dramatically decreased . do you think the animals decreased too ?
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- Thread starter Mark R
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Yes, I enjoy rabbit hunting with beagles. I’ve put in some miles on WMAs trying to jump a bunny.
The small game hunter decrease is due to the lack of emphasis by DNR. The money is in horns and feathers so little attention is given small game. We’re our own worst enemy by not making more small game hunting readily available to start the next generation of hunters. Much easier to get a kid interested walking about with the excitement of hounds running vs sitting quiet in the cold in my opinion.
Plenty around here. Except in places where people "take care of" their property too much.
When I get invited to private property there seems to be plenty around. The land is managed different. Some WMAs here are pretty sparsely populated by small game.
I believe coyotes work on the rabbit population where I hunt
Doug B.
Senior Member
I see plenty of squirrels and rabbits here in the mountains. I have squirrel dogs and seems to be plenty to hunt every year if you are willing to get out there with them.
Went 8 to 10 times on Warwomam finally saw 2 cutting in a hickory nut tree, felt sorry for them and never even took my gun off my shoulder, no dog just walking. As a kid there was plenty of small game and that was how most of us started hunting, now you see squirrels like we used to see deer. Went to Lake Russell and walked for couple of hours and finally there it was, a bird flew in front of me. Scared to take my grandson as it would probably scar him for life.
Loads of squirrels on the National Forest here. And coons. Nobody much hunts them any more. Not nearly as many rabbits or grouse since they quit logging, though.
We`ve got plenty of every small game that South Georgia supports, and that includes wild quail. Up until last year, we did have a shortage of rabbits, but they have come back really good.
I have herds of rabbits around my house this year. And probably about 6-8 squirrels in the yard right now eating maple seeds.
Doug B.
Senior Member
Everywhere that I went on Warwoman that had mash I saw several squirrels. Not everywhere on Warwoman had mash. No mash = no game.
Respectfully, your spot on about habit. Please provide links to habit improvement efforts on the WMAs target at small game. Further, please provide links to organized state funded small game hunting events or seasons on WMAs.
I’ve lived in a number of states and saw cooperative efforts through food plots and habitat improvement specifically for small game. It isn’t happening here. Again, I appreciate your opinion and response.
across the river
Senior Member
My statement was small game hunter numbers have nothing to do with the DNR still stands. I've never heard of any game agencies managing for raccoon, opossum, squirrel, or fox, so I will assume you are referring to quail and rabbit, both of which obviously thrive in early succession habitat. There are several WMAs managed for quail, and nearly 50 quota quail hunts. There is at least one rabbit quota hunt that I know of. You can obviously use a computer, so you can look them up if you are interested. If you combine all of the applicants for all of the quail and rabbit hunts combined, it wouldn't total a 10th of the applicants for deer hunting. However, you can't blame that strictly opportunities presented by the DNR, because there are nearly as many alligator applications as there are deer, with very fewer opportunities available comparitivly. There are also way more applicants for fewer waterfowl opportunities, so the notion that the DNR opportunities provided correlates to the hunter numbers is again, hogwash.
They are cutting trees all over the state on public land. Doesn't do much for quail in areas there aren't many quail, but it does provide opportunities for rabbits. I get that small game hunters want more opportunities for small game hunting, but like everything else in life, if you are waiting on the government to provide them for you, you will be disappointed.
Things are controlled by supply and demand. There is way more demand for deer, waterfowl, and turkey than there is for rabbit and quail. It would make no sense for the DNR to pour a bunch of time and money into specifically managing habitat for small game (or even waterfowl) in "hopes' of bringing on more small game and waterfowl hunters. In large part because the DNR can't create enough "public land" habitat to really make a difference in either case. The DNR doesn't have the money and the state overall doesn't have the hunter numbers to justify it.
We’ll leave it a disagreement that we and DNR can invest in the future of our sport by more focus and investment small game.
Google "Georgia Bobwhite Quail Initiative" or look at the Tall Timbers website or better yet take a tour of Chicasawhatchee and Elmodel MWAs in SOWEGA.
Around my subdivision, plenty.
Out at Redlands when I went in Feb, I walked from the station down to the pond, followed the creek to the river, then cut through back to the road, then walked back up to the fields, then walked the entire perimeter of the field, then up and down several of the rows of crops, and finally back to the car.
I saw one spot of squirrel sign, a chewed up pine cone.
I neither saw nor heard a single squirrel.
I saw zero rabbits and zero droppings, and zero sign.
Deer sign everywhere though.
Out at Redlands when I went in Feb, I walked from the station down to the pond, followed the creek to the river, then cut through back to the road, then walked back up to the fields, then walked the entire perimeter of the field, then up and down several of the rows of crops, and finally back to the car.
I saw one spot of squirrel sign, a chewed up pine cone.
I neither saw nor heard a single squirrel.
I saw zero rabbits and zero droppings, and zero sign.
Deer sign everywhere though.
alwayslookin
Senior Member
I found what looked like rabbit hair/kill on two separate food plots in March while turkey hunting. I know I had a rabbit on cam there last fall too. Figured yotes.
It may have been a coyote but a lot of predators enjoy a rabbit dinner hawks owls bobcats any of them will kill one given the chance. Coyotes seem to always get the blame for anything killed in the woods. Just my two cents good luck to you and yours..
"My statement was small game hunter numbers have nothing to do with the DNR still stands."
Really? The absolute worst thing DNR could have done and has done to small game hunting in recent years is expand the deer season clear through January 12th of each year.
This single action has put the nail in the coffin for small game hunters who run dogs for either rabbits or coons.
i know this first hand as I run beagles. I cannot tell you how many people I know that are letting their packs thin out or getting out of it all together and say that its hard to justify keeping dogs to only be able to run them for 6 weeks.
This has impacted private property the most. Deer hunters dont want you running dogs on the club during deer season. Most public land stinks for rabbit hunting.
"Things are controlled by supply and demand. There is way more demand for deer, waterfowl, and turkey than there is for rabbit and quail." You fail to mention the auto insurance lobby......thats who controls our deer season. Who are you kidding?
God knows what goes on with our state reps and the insurance industry but I assure you ...it aint clean and DNR isnt either.
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