Are you getting bored with hunting in the fall or winter? Summer can be an excellent opportunity to switch it up and try something new. With some luck and experimentation, this season may just be your next favorite hunting spot!
It’s also an ideal time to hone your shooting skills and boost field accuracy. Whether you use modern firearms, muzzleloaders or bows, the more practice you get, the better your shot will be.
Coyotes
Coyotes can be seen in almost every hunting area during the summer months as they breed and rear their young.
When hunting coyotes, the best times to do so are early morning and late afternoon. This is when mature females will leave their den in search of a quick meal.
Utilize the same techniques you would during a spring turkey hunt to attract coyotes in. Use howl calls and Howlin’ Heat Coyote Attractant for optimal success.
It is also an ideal time to hunt the young rabbits and fawns that are on the ground. You can use a young rabbit distress call, bleat call, or both to attract these pests into your trap.
A fawn is an excellent value and one of the easiest meals for coyotes to catch. However, it should be noted that they prefer whitetail fawns due to their speed and agility.
If you haven’t had the chance to hunt coyotes during the summer yet, now is your chance. Not only does it keep your hunting skills sharp, but it’s an affordable way to satisfy that itch that arises leading up to deer season opening.
Wild Hogs
In many areas, hunting hogs isn’t allowed during the summer months due to heat-sensitive meat and tall standing crops that could potentially interfere with hunting. However, if you have the time and desire to pursue these animals during this season, it is legal to do so.
Pigs tend to be nocturnal creatures, but you can still spot them during the day if you know where to look. The best places for hunting are low-lying wet areas where hogs often congregate.
Hogs often congregate around water sources in hot weather to cool off and become caked in mud. They also visit water sources regularly, making it easy to spot them during summer days.
You can hunt hogs with either a rifle or bow, but make sure your weapon has the appropriate caliber. With rifles, aim for right through the front shoulder where wild hog vitals are located.
Bows and crossbows should always use a broadhead. A well-placed broadhead will easily penetrate a large boar’s ribs and shoulders, while a sharpened fixed-blade crossbow can deliver an impressive shot.
Ducks
Ducks can be found throughout the world, but some places offer an especially ideal combination of water, food and shelter that draws large flocks. Examples include prairies in North America as well as Saskatchewan and Alberta provinces of Canada; coastal regions in Texas and Louisiana; European marshes; and even parts of Russia’s Caspian Sea coast that attract ducks from faraway territories.
Hunting with ducks can be an enjoyable, rewarding experience. But it requires both time and money to invest.
The initial step to developing your own duck hunting land is contacting your local game agency. This is essential as rules and regulations differ from state to state.
Next, scout the area for potential duck holes. Check flooded corn and bean fields, wetland areas and recently-flooded soybean fields that may contain invertebrates or other duck-attracting bugs.
Finally, create an oasis or refuge on your property to attract ducks for a long stay. While this may require more effort and time than simply building cover, the results will be worth it in the end.
If you have friends who enjoy duck hunting, they may be willing to rent part of your property for the season. Generally, this will cost one lump sum of money for the whole season and is an excellent way to get into prime duck country.
Rabbits
No matter your experience level as a rabbit hunter or veteran hunter, there’s always something new to learn about these cunning creatures. Rabbits are voracious feeders who feed off small plants and tend to retain water well for extended periods. This makes them great targets for hunters of any skill level or experience level.
In the summertime, you may spot them feeding on green shoots and twigs from trees, flowers and grasses growing in fields and food plots. It’s also common to spot them grazing through brush piles and thickets across the state.
They breed from March through September and can produce up to three litters annually, averaging around 4-5 young per litter. Females may even breed twice.
If you don’t own a dog, stalking a rabbit is still possible. This tactic works best after snowfall when rabbits have retreated into their hiding places.
Once you’ve identified a bunny, stalk it and wait. They often run past your stand in an apparent circle to find safety elsewhere; so wait until the rabbit is completely clear from your sight.
Woodchucks
Woodchucks (Marmota monax) make excellent summer hunting prey. These common mammals in Pennsylvania can be found throughout the state, often in dense forests or along rivers.
Chucks are vegetarians and will consume a variety of vegetation, such as grasses, chickweeds, clover, plantains, wild flowers and fruits. Additionally, they enjoy nibbling the bark from trees such as hickory or maple trees.
Woodchucks breed in the springtime and produce a single litter of two to six young. These babies are born blind and hairless and usually weaned by late June or July.
Woodchucks can be a nuisance to homeowners and farmers, but they should be accepted as part of the natural ecosystem in most places. Woodchucks make excellent foragers and their burrows provide shelter to many types of wildlife.
Woodchucks in Pennsylvania are classified as game animals, meaning that they may be hunted on public or privately owned land with permission from their property owner. Without permission, woodchucks will likely be killed or trapped.
Property owners experiencing woodchuck problems should reach out to their local wildlife agency for assistance. Most agencies have knowledgeable pest control operators who can provide solutions.
Prairie Dogs
Prairie dogs are herbivorous ground squirrels native to western United States and Canada. Their name derives from “prairie,” which refers to long grasses they feed upon.
They typically live in colonies or coteries that have their own territories and burrow system. They use these burrows to conceal themselves from predators and protect themselves. Furthermore, they communicate with other members of their community through barking.
Black-tailed prairie dogs breed once a year, depending on the location of their colony; usually between January and March. Females give birth to litters ranging in size from two to eight pups on average and care for their young until they are ready to leave the burrow.
When young, prairie dogs can smell their mothers’ pheromones. This helps them distinguish one mother from another.
They communicate with one another by sending out a signal that alerts their colony they are being hunted. These signals contain information about the size, color, direction and speed of their predators.
Prairie dogs possess an acute sense of hearing, making them particularly vulnerable to gunshots. That is why it’s essential to bring at least two guns when hunting with these canines.
Crows
Crows make for an excellent alternative when you’re missing duck or pheasant hunting season. They’re easy to locate and provide plenty of chances for outdoor activity while you wait for the fall harvest. Crow hunting provides plenty of chances to get out in the field while waiting for success with other species of game.
Crow hunting is much like hunting ducks and geese; you must scout out the right locations, set out decoys, and call. Additionally, be wary of owls – which are the crows’ primary predator.
Crows typically engage in breeding season during the summertime, and this is when they can be found scattered across rural areas as small family groups. It’s an ideal time to scout, set up and call for some crow hunting action.
In my area of south-central Wisconsin, a setup with a blind and decoys works well. Five to ten decoys will usually provide enough for an entire day’s worth of crow hunting action.
Crows are highly intelligent creatures and will often come running when they hear your call. Some of the best calls involve large groups of crows gathering, fighting or other noises that pique their interest and curiosity.