small game on li

[long island hunter 5]

anyone ever hunt small game on the island? what kind? how was it? if so, any tips, spots, other info would be awesome!

[First-light]

I haven't in a while but last year at shotgun season (Otis Pike area) I kicked out Grouse, Pheasant and a couple of bunnies. Looked to be pretty good. 

[greybeard]

Yes, a lot.. since the mid 60's.

A lot of land  that I hunted has houses now, but there's still enough to hunt.

Long Island is no where near as it was when I started, but you'll find and get game. My first hunt on Long Island I decided to try one late morning, so I went to a Dept. store, bought a 12 gauge goose gun , a box of shells and drove east and hunted. I had hunted upstate only before that and this sure was easier...and no 25 cent toll on the bridge.

 

I assume that you don't want to include waterfowl.

 

Remember, watch for the ticks!! ..

 

So

 

Now, mostly squirrels and crows.I love to eat squirrels and only eat crow figuratively, but people eat them

 

I call red fox, in my special secret  spots, but never shoot them. There are a lot of reds, but you have to find good spots ( I got great photos)

.

I also hunt pheasants and a few times a year  with a friend and his beagle,  I hunt rabbits. Both are tough, but doable without a dog.

 

The coop at Rocky Point and Otis Pike stock pheasants usually every week ...The last week of December, they supposedly let out the remaining birds, so we used to try to get there then. I never verified that, but it was good to think that anyway.

 

I used to see a lot more quail, and  do see them "sometimes"

 

I hunted raccoons with hounds for a number of years on Long Island, but don't anymore.

 

I have also hunted raccoons  in the daytime, on sunny days, by searching tree tops for "coon fur". Not overly effective, but I've taken a few with #4 high brass like that. So there's plenty of them.My good spot for that is now gone.. It was great for squirrels too, and no one really knew it was s good spot.

I want to eventually call coons  in the daytime , but so far can't with my mouth calls. I'm looking into a mouth call now that'll supposedly work. Most do it with ecallers (see daytime coon hunting on youtube if interested), it looks really good, but they come at you pissed.  I've squalled them at night  when treed and they turn and have even come down the tree at times, but that's not what I want, .I don't know if that interests you, but it is out there to learn and do.

 

I saw lots of 'possoms(old smiley), but didn't shoot them.

 

I used to see grouse in a spot on 25 near Ridge, it was known by some for getting shots at grouse, but don't see them anymore.. And I THINK that there is no season on grouse.. You'd have to check that.

 

I prefer small game because it requires less time than deer and it's easier to skin and butcher. I can pop into a spot that I like hump around the woods, and/or fields and get stuff.

 

When I used to tan skins for making things and mounting it was easier to do smaller game and I had more room to display.... For making things, feathers and fur for flies, and lures, and skins like squirrel, and coon for maklng pouches and things. It took less breaking then deer to soften.(I don't know if you're interested in that). My wedding ring holder at night is a pheasant foot standing up.(looks weird, but I never misplace my ring.)

 

As far as spots, the best bet is Otis Pike and Rockypoint. The problem is that some days you have to wait on line to get out. After DEc. 31st. During the gun deer season small game is only open on weekends...Feb. is still good for some stuff.... Double check that if you are planning small game Jan.

 

There are a couple of tidal wetland spots that you are permitted small game, but only a couple, the others are for waterfowl only .Get the permits, they are free, last for 3 years, I think,and you need them to hunt the coop for small game after the check station closes .( I gather that you know that you have to check in and the other procedures from Nov. 1 thru Dec. 31)

 

There's a spot in Yaphank that guys used to hunt, it's mainly for bow deer hunters. There lots of squirrels and crows and quail there.Years back,  I got thrown out of there by a Deputy sheriff  on the North side of the tracks, but was told from guys here that it's ok on the other side.. You'd have to check that out, I'm not up to date on that spot.. The place has lots of deer, and , not that it'll do you any good, but a sh$#@# load of Turkey(s) too,   some guys here, 'll probably chime in on this.

 

I just woke up so my brains foggy, there's probably more, but for now that's all I got. I hope it answered your questions

[long island hunter 5]

helped a lot thanks! as far as specific spots go, id think id be better off in field? or are woods okay? are their any spots that i would not have to check into to to hunt some small game?

[Ford]

Yeah, used to be so many quail on LI it was crazy.

 

I would say up to like 12-15 years ago.

[greybeard]

As far as woods, or field it kinda depends what you want...It's hard to say. Example, I like fields for crows, but have called in , and shot a lot of them in the woods. I like hardwood for squirrel, but have gotten them on the edge of fields.I've shot pheasants in woods as well as fields..That's why I really can't say.. You will try it all and develop your own systems..That's the fun of it..You do it your way.

 

Yes there are non check in spots, many you'll have to scout and find .. those are the best, but I'll try to list a few here:

 

Get the free permit from the DEC (online)which covers the Tidal wetlands and off season coop.Even I did it and I'm computer illiterate.. The off season coop, before nov. 1st and after Dec. 301st you do not check in. You put the parking permit in the car, park in the numbered assigned hunting spot, carry the access permit and hunt. Check the regs like .. no small game on weekdays in gun deer season.

 

I don't like Saranoff, but check the rules for that on line.. It's coop hunting, but unless they changed things, no check in.(you may need that 3 year permit for this all times, I'm not sure.

Wetlands that allow small game.. they list them on line.. I can help with that if you can't find them.. Not all allow small game. No check in.. some good waterfowl spots, if you like that.(remember.. permit)

There's that Yaphank spot  way back behind Suffolk pd hqs., but you have to see if it's open to firearms, I'm out of touch with that. It was written about here, last year I think...

 

There are other coop spots out east that don't require check in, but I just can't remember them now...You can find them on line...

 

 I gotta run.. DR. appointment... ask more and if I can I'll answer later, or pm

[greybeard]

Ford.. Yeah, there were lots of quail.. My old coonhound would hunt birds in the day for some reason. She'd act birdie, as we'd say, then flush them. I used to run her off rt. 110 in some fields(no guns), and she'd find and flush quail.. I guess that's Melville. Guys used to hunt off New Highway, I always assumed for rabbits, but I'd bet quail too... Boy, was that a long time ago..Long Island was a different place then, but I guess that the same is true for a lot of places now.

[A Sportsman]

I started hunting small game in the early 90s on the island. Can't believe that's 20 yrs ago already. In order to compensate for losing spots to development, it seemed like we would need to find new spots every 2 years or so. It got to the point where every time we would go out to a spot we would basically wonder if this was going to be our last time there. These were all non-state land spots. Eventually my dad lost interest and I got tired of having to find new land. I also never developed much of a taste for rabbits, which is what we were mostly hunting. So I may get out once a year these days. But to answer the OPs question, yeah small gaming is pretty good on the island. Rabbits, squirrels and quail, and pheasant. Fields are nice but usually get hit the hardest. I like to find cover that holds game in the woods, not too far in off the fields. I also like to get into areas that are super thick, where other hunters don't go. Yeah its tough to get shots off in that stuff, but the rabbits are in there.

[long island hunter 5]

how do you guys call or hunt rabbits/squirrels/ crows? calls? still or moving? 

[shawnhu]

Crows are the easiest to call out of the three mentioned. Squirrels can be called, but they often only respond by barking or moving their tails. Sometimes, that's enough to zero in on their location and stalk them.

Crows usually respond better to decoys along with calls. They also LOVE McD's large fries!

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://Facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[long island hunter 5]

what about red fox? spots? calls? weapon? any luck on island?

[shawnhu]

There's red fox on the island, Greybeard calls them in all the time. As far as spots, that may be hard to get/find. Calls definitely work. You can try baiting as well, but as to weapon, you're limited to bow, shotgun, or air gun for most practice purposes. You can legally use a falcon, but that's probably not a realistic option.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://Facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[greybeard]

Scouting is the one thing that you should do. You save a lot of time by knowing the best spots. I found a good deer spot while still hunting for squirrels. So now it's my squirrel spot. Watch squirrels locally and see their habits.. It may be different in the woods, but you get an idea. especially activity times.

 

I still hunt for squirrels. I never did well with calls, but it does make their tails twitch nervously at times when they hear it. Some guys like the higher pitched squirrrel call that makes distress calls and beat th4 ground with  hat or branch to sound like a hawk killing a squirrel. Worth a try. I just never had that work.If you can ty it in your backyard if you decide to call.. Get one that has the bellows and the whistle in one call if you can, and want to do it

Look for squirrel nests, acorns, edges of corn fields, other food sources...I prefer hunting hardwood areas. I like 12 gauge #6 loads, but alo airgun..Ask Shawnhu about airguns.

I skin squirrels with a scalpel, or single edge razor, but get cut a bit. When you skin one watch the bladder and don't get urine on the meat. I love eating them ..they have too be tenderized though(my opinion).

Squirrel Tails are good for lures/fly tying. Fur dubbing for flies. Skin, if tanned, and if you do it yourself, is nice and strong to make things.(It would be expensive to send it out to be tanned). If you ever tried taxidermy it is probably best to start with a squirrel..There is some good info on squirrel hunting on the internet, also look at you tube .

 

I'll get back to you with my OPINION on crows later. I recommend going to crow buster site and read info. It's REALLY good. they have instructions, sounds,etc. and a message board. Crows have a language. Learn a little and increase your odds. I'll write more about that  when I get back... (I own over 25 crow calls, and do have advice on them)..

[greybeard]

I forgot to mention above, I wear camo, including mask for squirrels s well as other game(not all). However, many times I wear an orange vest to get to my spots, or have to leave it on so others see me.. I hunt squirrels in Putnam , where they stock pheasants, I wear the orange vest there because I want to be visible.  I also hunt pheasants on my way to my squirrel stands so I need the orange.

 

Note :  When you are doing any calling, you may have a hunter think that you are game and stalk YOU. It has happened to me twice while calling game this year, and a few times over the years. Maybe they wouldn't have shot me, but it's something to think about. So even if not calling, think orange, and use your judgement.(I don't hunt small game during deer(gun) season.)It's  mostly a respect thing for me, they work hard and don't need me blasting away, but it IS also for safety.

 

CROWS: I do more calling, then shooting, They are smart and I just love pissing 'em off. Also, I always carry a crow(and predator) call with me so I pop in and out of spots and call. I also call when I fish in some spots. I do, however, shoot them too.

 

Like I mentioned above Crow Busters web site is really good. I started crow hunting almost 50 years ago, and wish they had info like that then. There's a guy on tht site, Bob Ahronson, he lives in Kansas, as I recall, but from what I remember had lived on LI. I was in touch with him a few years back and bought an instruction tape from him which taught me the language of crows. My crow scores shot up unbelievably after practicing.. He is an unbelievably good crow caller and hunter, and REALLY knows about crows..He impresses the hell out of me ..

 

I'd follow the info from Crow Busters more than my info, but I'll give you my take on it.

 

Although crows fly and pass over many different areas at any given time, I scout. because they are my target and I want the best chance....My personal rule: I will never shoot a crow that I do not call with a mouth call, but it's fine to do it...It's just my thing..To me, it's the calling, not the killing.but I'll kill them when I have a mind to.

 

 Carry orange in your bag, and use judgement, of when to wear it..BUT Camo is a must, my crow gun is mostly camo, I wear total camo including gloves and mask. I don't use any shot larger than #6, and actually prefer smaller.

I put out some decoys, including an owl, but I'm thinking of getting a red tail decoy that I saw on a site, I think Ace Hardware.. it's under $20 and we got a sh&^%^& load of redtalis now, so I think it may work better. The owl works,most times, but sometimes not..

I carry a piece of fur with red paint on it and lay it under my crow decoys to look like it's something that died. I don't really know what they think about it, so maybe it's dumb, but I do get crows and it's easy to carry so why not !!

I carry a fold up camp chair, why not be comfortable and it has a sling(Sports Authority. around $7. on sale at times). I carry lotsa shells, and usually 3 to 5 crow calls and 2 predator calls.

Crows at times, respond very well to distress calls on a predator call..Just make it sound like something in agony.. Short loud screams of anguish.. You may call a fox while doing that too.

Not all calls are created equal, some suck, but all can work.. You gotta get the cadence, kinda like ducks, or turkey calling....

Some calls freeze from spit, and worse in the cold...don't ruin your day, carry a few..I have favorites, but it's a personal thing.. I have 2 that I made that I love(of course),

I don't want to bore you too much so I won't go into the calls that  I like, and why.. I can overdo it.I'm REALLY into calling stuff., and get carried away.

 

When you set up, if you can, break your outline by sitting with your back to a tree, bush, etc. They have great eyesight and are  smart. 

They seem to fly slow, but atre faster than you think.

 

I hope this helpps , I'll get back, if you have questions, or I think of something else.

 

Most important.. Have fun and be safe..

 

 

 

 

[greybeard]

Red Fox..

 

There are many guys on this site that have good info on predator hunting, better than what I got... PREDATE is one. So  check posts here for some good info. But I'll give you my opinion..

 

Trappers are good sources too....

I learned more about fox when I coon hunted. They used to drive my old girl(hound) crazy in winter when they'd bark. I found spots(unfortunately) like that.

 

For spots, look for tracks, den areas, scat, I know that this sounds crazy, but  sometimes by smell,etc.

Sometimes hunters will talk about fox that they had seen while bow hunting for deer, flushed by beagles while rabbit hunting, etc. so ask guys that target other game too. A lot of pheasant, rabbit, and other small games hate predators, because they are competitors and will be happy to give you a spot .

I even got a spot, for crows, and fox  from a tree hugger, who didn't realize that I hunt.I was just asking about local wildlife and she loved telling me.. Bird watchers are good sources too, unless they know that you hunt.

 

There was a mange problem on LI  quite a while back, that, as I recall, led to a decline in the fox population, but I'm seeing more now.So get more current info on spots.

 

I'm into mouth calling only, so as far as ecallers, etc. I'm clueless, except that they work.

 

There are different types of mouth calls, and even hand calls(shakers). We covered that here a while back, so maybe someone can remember where it is. If you can't find it, I can try to give you a condensed version. I do a lot of red fox calling on L.I. If you want some call info, it would be best to pm me rather than do it like this. I have easily as many predator calls as I do crow calls.

 

I have spots,. However,  I know I sound like a sob here, but I never share those. They are too limited. I took my wife to one a month ago, and called a red, and swore her to secrecy. I'm reluctant to show her my best ones, and we're married for over 42 years. She

wouldn't tell anyone, but why chance a slip up... I even have to kayak to some spots, and 'd hate to have someone else educate those. They get educated quickly, which is why I have a load of predator calls, and also use pheasant , turkey, duck, etc. calls to get them in.

 

Location is the main thing, but full camo, wind direction, lack of movement by you, and  being very observant, in my opinion, are essential.

Those suckers appear out of no where,. They can be on you within a minute at times. As I said , I don't shoot them, but at times have my shotgun because I'm hunting other things, and in case they try to run me over. I have , on a couple of sessions, used my 6 foot "fox stick", of longer fishing rod to push them when they were almost right on me. They were running right into the bushes where I was..kinda cool !! It's not common, but can happen. Sometimes, I smell them, before I see them, that's when you know that they are close. You turn around and there it is,a few feet away..

 

I don't shoot them, but would probably use 12 gauge #2 high brass, maybe even #4( I have 3 1/2 inch mag turkey loads in #4 that 'd probably be ok). I have shot a number of coons with #4, and they're tough bastards, and killed them, I so I'd guess it'd be fine for fox at the appropriate distance. I would pattern my shotgun with the loads at different distances and chokes to know what to use. The predator guys here can give you good info on that.

 

Watch youtube.. Fox calling, predator calling, etc.  to get some good ideas. Some calll makers let you hear their calls.  The Fox Pro site has sounds of taped calls so you can get an idea of sounds.

 

There is a radio show I think it's Predator Talk, hosted by a guy named Brian Downs, which is on line, and is excellent. He covers lots of stuff, with experts. He has loads of shows to listen to. He does  red fox shows with a guy named Andrew Lewand, that you really should hear. I think you type in Talkshoe, Predator Talk....I Should remember, because I do it a lot, but for some reason, I'm blank today.. I can find if you ask me.

Predator xtreme, on line, if you can find it has Red Fox ariticles (Lewand did some...really great !!)..  He's from New York !!

 

I hope that I answered some Long Island stuff for you.