Small Game Hunting [antikvár]

IntroductionThe small game of North America offers hunting for anyone to enjoy. Unlike big-game hunting, small-game hunting does not entail extensive planning, extended trips afield, or heavy expense. The hunter need not endure cold, nasty weather as he often must when hunting waterfowl, nor does he have to venture far from home to seek the habitat of a certain upland bird or the tame sport of the paid hunting preserve. Instead, small-game hunting normally requires nothing more elaborate than a walk through the fields or woods near home or a short hike after an equally short drive in the family car.The happy reason for this is that America is richly endowed with small game animals and birds of varied species and extensive populations widely spread over the entire country. The habitats of these different species often overlap, so that the hunter after one animal may often find another of equal interest to challenge his skill. Added to this is the fact that our smaller game repopulates much faster than do our larger game animals and, with wise game management, provides the countryand hunterswith a continuous supply. Nevertheless, the hunter should always check the game laws of his state to determine whether it is legal to hunt a particular species at any given time. Since game laws change from year to year, this precaution must be taken annually.Many small game animals are now being hunted on private lands. To earn the privelege of hunting on these lands, the hunter must respect private property, adhere to game laws, and show proper courtesy toward the landowner.As hunnng pressure increases and the populadons of small game diminish, hunters will have to be content in the future with smaller game bags and take their rewards from the other benefits of the hunt. Hunters will have to learn, in the interests of their own sport, the value of "leaving some for seed," whether they hunt pests or edible small game.But small-game hunting is more than just the pursuit of a quarry. Tramping through the autumn woods and breathing the clean air of the outdoors is a reward in itself, and escaping from the necessities of everyday life into the serenity of nature offers the chance for a rebirth of body and spirit. Alone in the woods for hours at a time, the hunter has a chance to observe his surroundings and gain an insight into the creative balance which keeps our physical world in equilibrium. Best of all, small-game hunting is a fine way to introduce a young person to the beaudes of field and wood, to instill in him a love of the outdoors and a respect for firearms, and to teach him the virtues of self-reliance and responsibility.Clyde Ormond Rigby, Idaho r