Best Places to Small Game

[ItalianHunter5]

I am a young hunter and haven't really been small gaming for a few years. Now this year we have plans to get a group back together and go out a few weekends for a nice small game hunt. I wanted to know if anyone knew about small game populations through out New York. I live in Putnam County and was thinking about going a day to state or DEP lands if the populations are good. We also hunt Columbia County and on the Tug Hill Plateau. Does anybody know how the hunting is??

[greybeard]

Ciao,

Just a thought:

 

I don't know Tug Hill, but since you live in Putnam and want small game why not hunt Cranberry Mt. They stock pheasants, and there's some small game including turkey...

  Aside from pheasants,I've shot some squirrels and even a grouse there. The only problem is that it can get crowded and at times all of the assigned parking spots are taken.(There is limited access) It only happened to me once, but it can happen, then you''ll need backup spots.

 

I never went on a weekend.

[ItalianHunter5]

Oh wow, that's great to know. Grazie, Greybeard! Do you know if any other state lands in Putnam are good for small game by chance?

[greybeard]

Prego.. I'll have to find my old logs and get back to you. I will pm you when I find  them.

 

Suggestion. I'm not familiar with Westchester, but you may want to check out small game hunting there too..

 

[ItalianHunter5]

Ok, Thanks a lot greybeard, I appreciate it!

[shawnhu]

Prego.. I'll have to find my old logs and get back to you. I will pm you when I find them.

Suggestion. I'm not familiar with Westchester, but you may want to check out small game hunting there too..

Westchester does not offer any state lands for public hunting that I know of. There are several city owned lands that require a permit, and there are no rifles allowed for hunting in Westchester. Everything is with shotgun, air gun, or bow only. Certain places are bow only and/or deer only. Pretty limited.

Putnum and Dutchess are probably your best bets for some small game action. Stewart and Sterling are big woods down here that are public and usually plenty of parking before deer season.

[ItalianHunter5]

I heard that Stewart is loaded with rabbit. Do you know if that's true? We have DEP permits so we might try some of those lands as well if the hunting is good. We just want to get back out after about 3 years of no small gaming especially because my cousin is getting into the sport and he recently won a CZ-USA 12 gauge at a raffle so that helps the cause.

[greybeard]

I sent you a pm hope it helps...  I don't know about rabbits at Stewart, but am sure guys here would know.. do you have a

beagle ?

[shawnhu]

Rabbits at Stewart is close to impossible without briar pants and/or a dog. I wouldn't say loaded, but there are opportunities.

[ItalianHunter5]

We do have a beagle, very inexperienced but when he gets out just for a run he really barks up a storm. And that's good to know shawnhu, we have areas upstate we can go but i would love to have closer options. The more hunting properties you have, the better

[martin]

tug area and surroundings are the best for partridge. I put up a few walking around their last year. Its a drive, but spend the night in a bed and breakfast and go 2 days. Can also hit the open fields for rabbit. May also want to try partridge run in berne county. I always put up birds. I'm sure their are rabbits their to.

[ItalianHunter5]

Thanks for the info Martin, we own a cabin up there and have heard good things for small game. The deer hunting is very rough up there so we leave that for down in the southern tier, but we are really gonna pick up small game again this year.