Small Game With A Bow

During the off season, it is easy to get cabin fever and bored. One thing all bowhunters can do to overcome the boredom is small game hunting with a bow. Back before bows were thousands of dollars and broadheads were $50 each, small game hunting with a bow was far more popular than it is today. The number of people who bowhunt small game is only a fraction of the overall bowhunting population. The good news is the opportunities are endless.

 Small game hunting with a bow is fun, rewarding and doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Grab a few old arrows, a couple small game broadheads and go hunt rabbits or squirrels. Most bowhunters only let an arrow fly at a live animal when it is deer season. Because of that, many bowhunters struggle with target panic and as a result, often struggle to fill tags during deer season. A squirrel or a rabbit is a living breathing thing that requires the bowhunter to outsmart in order to kill it. Bowhunters who take small game hunting with a bow seriously will likely become better bowhunters.

 One reason I like small game hunting with a bow is because if I make a bad shot and miss a squirrel, chances are later that same day I will have another opportunity at another squirrel so it isn’t a big deal if I miss. 

 Another reason I like small game hunting with a bow is 99% of the time if I make a bad shot, I recover my arrow. Most small game broadheads are designed to bounce off of trees or the ground which makes finding the arrow after the shot quick and easy.

Another benefit of small game hunting with a bow is building confidence. Squirrels and rabbits are small and require me as a bowhunter to focus on executing a good shot. Every squirrel I harvest is going to make me more confident.  The more confident I am in the field, the better odds I have of killing a buck in the fall. 

 Young bowhunters need to have fun in the woods and build confidence. There is no better way to help a young bowhunter succeed in the field than to take them small game hunting. The first time they watch a squirrel fall off the side of a tree after a successful shot, they will be hooked for life.

 Of course like any type of bowhunting, one of the greatest perks is coming home with dinner. A full day in the woods bowhunting squirrels will likely provide enough meat for a small meal. There are few things more rewarding for my teenage son than bringing home a few squirrels and putting them in a crockpot with some potatoes. 

 Over the years as bowhunting equipment has advanced and as social media has become more popular, bowhunters have become more serious about killing big bucks. The problem with this is often bowhunters only fill a tag a time or two a year. Bowhunting small game allows bowhunters to go out and enjoy bowhunting 6 months a year.

 If you have never bowhunted small game, grab your bow, a few old arrows that have been sitting in your closet for years, grab a 3 pack of small game broadheads and go hunting. I promise you once you try it, you will be hooked for life.