Varmints to hunt in the off-season

To some, hunting has become a daily activity. It has become their source of livelihood as they specialize in hunting to sell their catch and get money to cater for their families’ needs. To others, they have become addicted to it, and when the off-season sets in, they become withdrawn and depressed. This however, should not be the case as even in the off-season, there other types of varmints that can keep one occupied.

This article will highlight some of the varmints that one can hunt during the off-season.

Studies into the behavior of prairie dogs show that they reproduce fast and thus their population rarely declines. These animals like digging holes on the farm where they live, and this should be a cause of concern to livestock farmers as their animals can step in the holes and get injuries. Also, due to their high population growth, it means even in the off-season, they will still be available in numbers. As a hunter, therefore, you should focus on hunting for the prairie dogs during the off-season.

During the off-season, foxes wonder into households and might cause havoc as they capture kittens and other human pets. As a hunter with hunting dogs, especially the foxhounds, you should take advantage of this and hunt for them as they will be readily available and it will not need a lot of work to find them.

Raccoons’ population grows fast as they reproduce in masses. These animals are pure pests as they spend most of their time in stores tearing through bins in the store to get food. During winter season when deer and other animals have withdrawn, you should make the raccoons your hunting target. You need a rifle with best varmint scope to make your hunting comfortable. Apart from being available in their numbers, they are also easily available in the store and within the homestead.

These varmints present a unique challenge in the hunting field. This is because of their speed, skittishness and their ability to disappear within the tree and jump from one branch to another. This ability of the squirrels makes it undesirable for hunters to put much effort on them especially when deer and other animals are in plenty during summer. During winter, however, you should try and hunt squirrels. You will mostly need a hunting dog to be successful.

Coyotes thrive well during the winter season. As a hunter, you should consider going for these varmints especially because of their effect on the deer population. You should ensure you reduce their numbers during winter to a manageable size so that once the deer season comes, you do not have to keep competing with coyotes in the hunt for deer.

Feral hogs are aggressive with razor sharp tasks which make them very dangerous not just to other varmints, but also to hunters during summer. During winter, therefore, you should put much effort to try and reduce their numbers so that they do not become a bother during summer.

As we have seen, hunters do not just have to focus on deer and other big game to hunt. There are plenty of small varmints out there that can keep you busy while at the same time helping you sharpen your hunting skills. Reading through this article will help you know some of the small varmints for you to hunt.