Seeing more Groumdhogs than usual around here. Along with Cottontails.
Shooting SC this evening we could have shot at least 30 rabbits. Small open ground surrounded by grown up knee high fields. Few trees for the Hawks and Owls to perch and wait.
Have had GC biologists tell me Pa never had many wild Pheasants because we never had the right habitat. But they were yet to be born when we did and flushing 10 to 20 birds a day wasn't all that hard if you had good legs.
Forgot to add that we had many more Deer then than we have had in the last 10 plus years. You also could easily flush 25 Ruffed Grouse daily in the same area that the GC considered overpopulated with Deer. And that was normal for decades. Reason being, great Deer cover and Ruffed Grouse cover are basically the same. I.E. New growth forest.
When it comes to upland birds, trapping died out and with it the nest robber numbers increased. Then the glamour birds-Hawks/Owls- became untouchables. Coyotes moving in obviously didn't help, but not sure they hurt all that much either. Too many Deer eating up the ground cover? He/she must have skipped too many classes or is guessing. Over mature forests? Bet on it.
Addition: Another example of people only knowing what exists in their present and assuming it always was the same.
Last edited by battue; 06/20/16.
