Know Your Hunting Seasons

In prehistoric times when farms did not exist, humans hunted animals for food. People still do this and now hunting is used for more than just filling one's stomach.

For the more than a hundred years indiscriminate killing of animals led to the extinction of some of these species. People have taken notice of this and enacted laws to protect those species that are endangered.

Small game hunting is done during different times of the year. Specific hunting seasons were created to maintain the animal population in the limited areas where these animals live.

In most states, there are different seasons for bow hunting and firearm hunting. Your choice of weapon will determine your hunting season.

People who want to hunt have to obtain a license from the state and strictly follow the rules; both for the safety of the people and the environment.

There is an open season and a closed season for hunting most animals. People are allowed to hunt only at certain times in a given year; the time (season) may last only a few weeks or months.

An example is the squirrel which can be killed from mid-summer until early spring. Regulations only allow the person to hunt a maximum of 10 on a single day.

The regulations for birds are different because of their migratory patterns. Those who want to hunt ducks are only allowed to do so in the fall. The season for hunting ducks varies in different areas and lasts for varying periods of time. Since there are many duck hunters, the maximum number that a single person can bag (shoot down) is generally 4 in a single day.

Those who want to hunt smaller and more plentiful birds can hunt doves; since the bag limit of these birds can be as many as 15 per day.

The regulations regarding the hunting of crows are very different from any other bird. They can be hunted from summer until early spring - about 6 months. There is no limit to the number that can be shot down and hunters kill as many as they desire.

Animals such as the armadillo, skunk, coyote, and beaver can be hunted year round and there is no limit to the number of these creatures that are killed.

As an alternative to using guns, hunters can use baited traps to catch these animals. There are a variety of these devices available for purchase at the sporting goods stores.

Check with your state DNR to determine the dates of the open hunting seasons and how many of the desired species can be killed; have fun hunting in the wild rather than getting in trouble with the law.

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