Your Favorite Backyard Hunts

[Big Fin]

'Tis the season for debates about fee increases, non-resident restrictions, etc. When results start coming out in the next two months, those debates will get even more heated.

Rather than focus on that, I read a post by @JLS about a trade off he made and how he found something in his local area that he enjoys greatly. Got me to thinking, a dangerous endeavor for me. What are the simple "backyard hunts" or fishing or trapping or foraging or (insert here); the things nearby your location that give you pleasure about where you live.

Speaking for myself, I always make assumptions about what is available in certain locations, based on my ignorance of what is there. I like learning of what other people do and the stories of what their landscapes provide in terms of outdoor activities.

For me, it is a hike in the mountains looking for evening dinner or a quiet morning on a creek. I don't ever see myself living where there are not birds to distract me from the problems of my day, whether grouse, quail, waterfowl, or whatever. I will always live where there is nearby bird hunting. It was what I first hunted and when to infirm to chase big animals, it is likely that birds will be my last hunts.


Without pictures, it didn't happen.

 

[Kaitum]

There isn't much challenge in hunting these birds on the edge of my yard but for whatever reason I find I can't pass it up.

 

[Crumb]

I’ll start with my son’s favorite, he has a love for hunting ducks. Doesn’t matter what kind he just loves to hunt them, and I sure do enjoy watching the joy he gets out of it!

 

[WalkingBird]

When I lived in NY, it was all “backyard” huntin, but spring turkeys were always my favorite. Out here in AZ, I love those quick before work September dove jaunts

 

[rwc101]

I've never had a huge interest in traveling far and wide to hunt. Grouse are my go-to "backyard" hunt here. Growing up in NC, grabbing a cane pole and some worms was an easy way to get a fish fry going.

 

[Bob-WY]

I grew up hunting every day after school. Grab the single shot 16 Guage, walk down the street and chase grouse, woodcock and occasional pheasant. Added duck after college then went totally away and did whitetail only for years living in NH

Now in WY first year here we were non residents. Now however wife and I have taken up trout fishing, hope to add walleye. Pheasant in the fall and maybe back to some ducks.

All within a short drive

Love living in Wyoming

 

[406dn]

Anymore, my backyard outdoors fix is usually taking a horse for a ride. From where I board them, there is an adjacent parcel of blm land along a river bottom. It is a six mile ride out and back, mostly along or thru cottonwood stands. The bird watching is very good, and one year in particular, I kept meeting a red fox in about the same place on many rides. I also rode over a skunk on morning. The only thing missing from really getting a horse ready for hunting, is the lack of any sort of hills. I can pick thru deadfall, ride in the river, etc.

I also enjoy looking for wild asparagus in the spring,, that's some good eating.

 

[huntin24/7]

my favorite thing about where I live. 1.5 mile drive from my house in town and .5 mile hike to chase roosters.

 

[JTHOMP]

My girl is always up for a hunt whether it’s in the front yard or back.


I wish I lived in an area where there is good public land. The 2 closest tracts are a 20 minute and 30 minutes away. But both very small and hold little game. What I am fortunate in is that I live in a rural area and thanks to my grandfather have family land with relatively few family members. As a kid, others my age only hunted on weekends and holidays. I hunted after school. It wasn’t the best hunting and most of them still killed more than me but the opportunity was there to chase squirrels, pond jump for ducks, and to sit and pray for a deer.
I now travel and mostly hunt other areas in state 2-3 hours away since my dad and brother prefer to hunt around the house.

One of the neighbor’s has a track of land about 75 acres of woods. I got permission to hunt and with a little scouting found it’s better hunting than I realized. While it wasn’t the big tracks of public land that I usually prefer I enjoyed chasing a few particular bucks and trying to figure their pattern going into the rut.


We are also blessed with a pond on our place that has turned into a very productive duck roost. I don’t hunt it anymore but Ashley and I like to go sit in the field and watch the hundreds of ducks fly in at dark. Mostly wood ducks, and a few mergansers. Reason I don’t hunt it is because I much prefer to wait until my nephew or another friend’s kid can get a similar experience as I had as a kid and kill some of the early birds.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Until we moved to the NE corner, running out for a quick hunt after work was not something within my experience. Now, being able to go out after a crazy day at the office and wander in sharptail country is good for the soul, birds or no.

With birds:


Without birds:

 

[JTHOMP]

Oh and we have pig problems off and on. Occasionally catch some out in the open, but kill the vast majority by trapping.

 

[406dn]

The other almost backyard thing I do is run birds dog from a horse. The dogs got me into horses and the horses got me back into elk hunting.

 

[npaden]

My first deer shot on the property we live on. Watched this buck chasing a doe in the harvested cotton field next door for over an hour and then she lead him onto our property and the stalk was on. About a 250 yards stalk from my front door with my wife and son watching from the upstairs window.

If you look really close you can see the roof of our barn in the top right corner of the picture.

 

[noharleyyet]

Critter of opportunity 24/7. Need to get out & on em, tis opportune conditions & excellent social distancing criteria.

https://flic.kr/p/2bKvvHm

 

[3855WIN]

25 acre spot in the suburbs. Nice bow spot. A passing car honked their horn and I picked up my bow, assuming a deer was crossing the road.

 

[mtmiller]

Always fun to to chase birds with my partner.

 

[rwc101]

If the city wouldn't get on my case I'd have some real backyard hunts with Eurasian collared doves.

 

[jlong17]

There aren't many "great hunts" out my backdoor here in Southern California... but being outside chasing quail with my dog and daughter is something special for me. Although this picture was out of season and we were just having fun watching our boy Gunner work, I'll remember the giggles from my daughter and the smiles shared with my wife... God is good

 

[Pucky Freak]

IA within 20 mins of the house:
-running with my dog on country roads
-urban bow hunting (private land)
-squirrel hunting
-wood ducks
-morel hunting
-rabbit hunting
-pheasant hunting
-dove hunting
-WT sheds and deadheads
-canoeing with my 3-year old

 

[Gerald Martin]

. Does a video count? My son’s first squirrel hunt in Granddad’s woodlot.