BTBowhunter

I tend to agree Jim. Avian predators were granted 100% protection back in 1970 or 71 and all upland small game has declined since that time.

I have no real evidence to back up that theory, other than personal observations but I really have a tough time believing that it's habitat alone when the decline , at least in my hunting experiences over the years, started to become noticeable from the mid to late 70's on. I'd say we've had a leveling off but the days of finding rabbits and pheasants everywhere the habitat is good seem to be gone for good.

I do see raptors everywhere I go thoughIt's a rare day afieild when you don't see a Redtail or hear a Greathorned or Barred owl these days


I'm not calling for their demise but some hunting of the avian predators might benefit our small game.

And yes, I realize thats a FED thing that we can't do much about.

bawanajim

To get a real feeling of just how many predators there are out there, do a little crow hunting. I don't keep a log but I would guess that 1 of three calling sites a hawk or an owl will comes to the call.[:@]

WestVirginiaBrent

I tried predator hunting one time and called an owl in within 5 minutes, it was the only thing I called in.

As far as the previous question, it's my own private land and I don't know the dates as I haven't really hunted anything but deer and turkey in years. As my kids get older I'll get more time afield.

I can tell you that Sleepy Creek WMA located in the Eastern Panhandle of WV is 22,000 acres intensively managed for grouse and they are all over that place and it's not overhunted except for deer rifle season.

BTBowhunter

Thats about what we get when we crow hunt..Ever get buzzed by a redtail? It's kind of anunnerving experience

bluebird2

Do they have the same predators in the mid west states where they have good naturally reproducing pheasant populations?

bawanajim

They have predators all right,they just don't have many trees,and the trees they do have are within rifle range of the kitchen window.

bluebird2

That is simply ridiculous. I suppose they don't have power poles,fence posts and there is a house every hundred yards along every stream channel. Do their yotes and foxes also perch in trees?

bawanajim

I know they don't let you outside much ,so I can understand your delusional view of the real world, that to you, seems so far away.
But just remember tomorrow is Tuesday, they will bring your crayons in the morning after breakfast and maybe you can post us a nice picture of theview from your window. [>:]

bluebird2

Well sweet pea, i lived in Oklahoma and Tex. and I have been in every western state except Washington and Oregon. So I know enough about the habitat in the west to know you don't know what you are talking about,as usual.

the outsider

In the sixties we had several great horned owls that we used for crow hunting. They were kept in cages in our back yard. My dad clipped their wings, and we tethered them to the ground in open cut corn fields. We used a record player with a crow distress call.

We set up at the edge of Lake Ontelaunee Propagation Area, which at that time was a winter roosting area for a huge population of crows. The shooting was unreal! There was this man named Smith who recorded and marketed records for crow hunting. We met him at a booth at the Sportsman's Show in Harrisburg, and he came to our house and recorded our owls hooting.