Small Game Hunting

Small game hunting is great fun, great food, and great practice. I'm primarily talking about hunting rabbits, squirrels, and game birds.

This page has more about the tools than the hunting. Many writers use the term 'weapon', but I feel 'tool' is more appropriate. I'm hunting, not doing battle. Be sure to check your regulations for what tools are allowed where you hunt.

Movement and noise are important factors in choosing your tool. Noise or movement can cause game to flee before a shot can be taken. They can also eliminate a second shot chance and alert any nearby game for further hunting.

Slingshots: These simple, inexpensive tools have several advantages. I don't go small game hunting with a slingshot; I take one with me when bow-hunting, fishing... I keep one in my truck.

I can carry and shoot a slingshot where I'd hesitate to use my guns or even my bow. An adult with a slingshot is less likely to be noticed or taken as a serious threat by neighbors, landowners, or law enforcement.

Pictured: Fox Squirrel

The slingshot is quiet. The movement required to draw is only a little more than raising a rifle to the shoulder. Getting a second shot is not unusual. The disturbance from a shot is small and the woods are often back to normal in a short time.

Small game hunting's fun, but the slingshot makes it a challenge. The slingshot requires me to get close and have the practiced skill necessary to make the shot. I wouldn't shoot a quail on the ground with a firearm, but I took two with a slingshot and consider it an accomplishment.

Click on this quail picture to go to my Slingshot Hunting page.

Pictured: Cottontail Rabbit

Archery small game hunting
is typically at ranges under 30 yards. Many archers use small game arrow heads, blunts, judos... Most of these arrow heads are not designed to cut, but simply to stun small animals.

Arrows are fairly expensive and can be difficult to retrieve. Retrieving an arrow is especially troublesome with elevated shots at squirrels or birds. Walking around looking for an arrow can disturb a fairly large hunting area for some time.

Several years ago I knocked a squirrel out of the top of a fairly tall tree with my third arrow. I'd been smart enough to maneuver around where a miss would land in a open field behind the tree. The field was bare, mostly sand, with some short one inch grass. In that "clean" field it took a lot of walking and about half an hour to retrieve two arrows.
More on archery at: Stick Bow!

Air Guns: The variety of guns is tremendous but not all are adequate for small game. The best air guns are nearly equal to the rimfires for small game hunting. Some air gun fans would probably say they are better.
For more on air guns read: Best Air Gun!

Experts with the very best guns may make clean kills at 50+ yards, but 30 yards or less is a more typical range. Using small pellets accurate shot placement is critical, but I believe in head shots with any of the tools.

Some air guns are quiet, but others can produce a surprising amount of noise. Getting a second shot could depend somewhat on the gun used.

Spring air guns are generally fairly quiet. Their disadvantage is that they should not be carried around cocked and ready to fire. They require considerable movement, but only one stroke to cock.

The pneumatic air guns can be carried with a charge ready to fire. Some have a fairly loud pop when fired. Once fired most pump-up guns require 8-10 strokes to recharge. Typically a lot of noise and movement.

The pre-charged pneumatic guns are often charged from a large air tank or multiple pumps from a separate hand pump. Neither is easily carried, but the limited number of shots between charges may be enough for hunting.

Rimfires: The .22 is 'the' classic small game rifle. It would take a book to discuss all the different loads for the standard .22, the .17s, and .22 mag. I'll simply say the range depends on the gun, sight, load, and shooter. See also: Rimfire Cartridges!

I've taken a fairly large number of rabbits, squirrels, and pest with rimfires. I've probably made head shots 90% of the time. My experience has been that almost any hit to the head with a .22 will stop the animal. Body shots have not been as reliable for me.

A rabbit or squirrel's head is a small target. Shots of 100 yards may be possible, but I believe most small game is taken at less than 50 yards, probably less than 30 regardless of the tool used. A typical rimfire makes considerable noise which reduces second shot opportunities. It can also take some time for game in the area to return to normal.

Shotguns: My first real game animal was a fox squirrel treed by a dog.
I was eight years old and I used a 12 gauge which was as tall as I was.

Some like to use dogs to tree squirrels or to chase rabbits. Dogs or not; small game hunting with a shotgun is deadly effective to 25 yards or more depending on the gun, load, choke...

If your likely to get running, jumping shots, the shotgun is surely the most effective tool for the job. The shotgun is very noisy and will disturb a larger area for a longer period of time. More at: Shotgun Gauges!

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