Hunting help

[Saltwater60]

I have not hunted in about 20 years. I do t really care to deer hunt. I just don't really want to mess with an animal that large.
So my kids want to start to hunt. So in thinking pheasant and squirrels. Possibly grouse. I know grouse can be tricky. I do have some property to hunt and the pheasants are released by my parents property. I'm not looking to do state land during shotgun season. I live in the buffalo area and my parents property is Scio ny by wellsville. I don't have a dog. I'm just looking for a few pointers. I have a .22, 20 gauge, and 12 gauge. I will most likely use the .22 for squirrel and the shot guns for the birds. Let me know your advice guys and thanks. My older son is not willing to get up too early that's how I lost him on turkey hunting. My parents property has a reveen, a creek running through it, and some mixed trees. There are acorns, pines, and apples. I sat on the edge of the reveen and there were 8 grey squirrels so I'll go there. Also no dog for pheasants and I know nothing about it.

 

[NirvanaFan]

Squirrel hunting is typically easy and you don't have to get up before the crack of dawn. It's definitely a good starter hunt. Birds will be tough if they're not used to shooting at moving/flying targets. Shoot some clays before you take your kids. If they have trouble hitting clays (especially thrown away from them), they're going to have trouble with birds, and it may discourage them.

 

[Saltwater60]

Yes I know about the birds being hard to shoot. For now my kids are too young to shoot or have guns while hunting. It was going to be just a trip for them to go along with me and experience the hunt. As for now my older son is afraid of a shotgun so maybe I'll just stick to squeriels with them. I thought the pheasants would be cool because you can move around and talk a bit.

 

[MilesTeg]

Have you thought about rabbit hunting. If you can find someone local with a dog it can be a lot fun for a kid.

 

[Saltwater60]

Have you thought about rabbit hunting. If you can find someone local with a dog it can be a lot fun for a kid.

Oh see my wife has 5 rabbits and the kids love them. I'm not so sure that will go over to well. I will shoot one, but I don't think the kids would.
I have started a saying if you get another bun I get another gun.

 

[MilesTeg]

LOL ya don't shoot the wife's rabbits! That won't end well. Rabbit hunting over a dog is a ton of fun.

 

[Criticalt]

Rabbits taste good.
Birds are tough without a dog but not impossible. Kinda like rabbits, walk around in fields and brush with your shotgun ready. If they stock pheasants there, you will find them, they dont go too far from their release site usually.
Squirrels are easy, walk around, sit quiet a bit, shoot the tree rats.
Grouse, good luck, they are more picky about habitat than pheasant and they arent as likely to flush. They sometimes stand their ground. A dog will flush them easy.

 

[Saltwater60]

Thank you. That's what I was looking for. I will go to the pheasant release sites. I have one by my parents property, one not too far from me and there is a gun club that releases them by me. Not sure how that works so is have to check it out. As for the squirrels that's exactly what I was hoping some one would say. I have tons of woods available to me to hunt. As for the grouse we must be lucky everything my parents pull up there are 3-4 sitting in their drive way, the road on their hill has them, and the guys property a crossed the creek has tons of them. There is a creek, some mixed woods, and a brushy area. There are also some open fields with sparse tree cover. That might just be what the grouse are looking for. I know grouse are tough to shoot. What do you think about sitting for grouse under a tree?