In my area, the Missouri Ozarks, small game other than squirrels, which no one seems to hunt anymore, has almost disappeared. The land was never really right for cropland and most of it has now been turned into grazing land. This in turn is covered with fescue and as far as quail and rabbits are concerned this might as well be a desert.
As a child, in Illinois, I cut my teeth hunting quail and rabbits along the many fencerows between the fields of crops. Today I look at that same land, in Illinois, and the fencerows are all gone and a rabbit would have to carry its own lunch to cross it. In the early 60s, if it snowed I could take a 22 and within a quarter of a mile of my house I could have a limit of 5 rabbits. About ten years ago I walked that same area after a snow and didnt see a rabbit track in at least a three-mile loop. I saw plenty of canine tracks. If it cant climb a tree the coyotes get it as there is little cover on the ground.
It is a shame that todays young hunters first game is probably a deer. Not that shooting a deer is wrong, I just wish that they could have the experience that I did while growing up. Geezer attack! Geezer attack!
RJ
