Anyone? Anyone?

[armed and humorous]

Does anyone have a clue why G&P goes around to all the state recreation areas and tears up the prime hunting areas so they look like a tornado came through?  They shove all the cedar trees and brush up into big piles, create a lot of bare ground (especially around the fence lines which were usually productive), and basically make it difficult to even walk the areas with all the plowing, and little stumps left by cutting everything off a couple inches above the ground.  Is this supposed to be improving habitat, or is there some other purpose?

There really isn't that much public land left to hunt anyway, and now most of it is ruined in my opinion.

[Lmbass14]

I assume to press your buttons.  I know they will burn 'em when they get a chance, but one would think of a better way to accomplish it.

[NE Bull]

A&H, Have you been walking around Medowlark? (which would be NRD land)  they tore that place up somewhat fierce. I'm not sure if they are thinking of putting camping grounds or what.  My kids and I can't even shake loose a rabbit or squirrel in there anymore.   There was a stroy in the Lincoln paper about it a while back, had something to do with removing invasive species trees, IIRC.

[SemperFiGuy]

Looks like NG&P is culling out the cedar trees, which are steadily taking over whole areas from the deciduous trees.

And everything else.

'Bout the only thing the cedar trees are good for is to support huge flocks of robins in the spring until the bugs start popping out.   Can't hunt in the thick cedars; can't see any distance.

Robins looooooooooooove those little blue-green berries.    Or--at least--eat them for sustenance until something more appetizing comes along.   Like....Big Fat Nightcrawler.

If those trees were juniper trees, then we could make gin from the berries.


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[armed and humorous]

Haven't been to Meadowlark, but I've seen this phenomenon at Branched Oak, Pawnee, Wagontrain, and other areas.  I can see culling out some of the cedar trees, although I occassionally flush a covey of quail from under one.  The rest of the stuff they are doing is beyond my comprehension (maybe that doesn't take much ).

[bk09]

Every rabbit but one I have taken this season came from the big piles on the south side of Yankee Hill. Big PITA over the weekend when I was deer hunting down there and heard some kind of machine tearing up the landscape a few hundred yards from me... Oh well I guess its money I can save by not paying processing fees...

[SemperFiGuy]

BRADKOLL Makes a Most Excellent Point.

Nothing in the world helps boost up the rabbit population like a hillside full of huge brush piles.

And a large rabbit population supports just about everything else:   foxes, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, .........all the meat-eaters.

So---better go out and buy your Beagle before there's a run on them.

Best fun in the world, especially with the kids and grandkids.   Standing there at the jump spot, listening to the Beagles going "Be-Yorkkkk!!!,  Be-Yorkkkk", waiting to see which way Mr. Cottontail will turn at the end of his run.

Good opportunity to use your Ruger Mk-II or some other sidearm instead of the shotgun.   That way, you won't have to skin out as many rabbits.



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[bkoenig]

Cedars are a nasty invasive species.  My family has an ongoing battle cutting those stupid things out of our pastures.  They seem to come back as fast as you take them out.

[armed and humorous]

I know that brush piles are a good spot for rabbits, but how the heck do you get them once they've wriggled deep within?  Even a beagle would be hard pressed to penentrate the ones I'm talking about, let alone my big chocolate labs.

[bk09]

I am the only one in my family who hunts or even likes guns for that matter. Never had hunting dogs and only used a dog once when I went pheasant hunting with my friend and his dad. I sneak up on the brush piles like Elmer Fudd and walk circles around them looking for one to be on the edge catching some sun. One I was lucky enough to see through some timber and was able to toss a stick in behind it so that it moved right into a shooting lane. 2 Seconds later Bugs Bunny had #6 shot from a 12ga at 3 yards in his head, luckily didn't damage any meat. Gosh I wish I had the luxury of hunting dogs, that would really help keep me from getting bored and calling my hunt after 2 hours

[armed and humorous]

bradkoll:

Actually, your method is probably the only way to get the bunny in the brush pile.  When you have dogs, there is no sneaking up on them.  They will be deep inside long before you get near them.  I used to hunt rabbits by stalking, or even just sitting down by a tree in a good spot along a creek and waiting for them to start moving around.  That worked pretty well.  Nowadays, however, I like to take the dogs and hunt for pheasant and quail, taking rabbits and squirrels if the opportunity presents itself.  About the only rabbits I ever see are moving at blinding speeds with a dog on their ass, so even trying to get a shot off in the one or two seconds they're visible is pretty hard and risky (to the dogs).

[SemperFiGuy]

The established rabbit-rousing procedure is to take a couple of young boys--say, 11-12 years old--from the family along with you.    Grandkids work great.   Nephews.    Whatever.    Even their buddies, with the parent's permission.   [Preferably in writing.]

They are not quite ready to be shooters, so they will not have guns.

Have them get up on top of the brush piles and jump up and down.   Make noise, which Young Boys do quite naturally.   Get ready.   Rabbits come flying out.    Shoot the rabbits.    [Not the Beagles.]

The boys will be up on top of the brush piles, out of the way.    No problem.

Important:   Have the boys carry the rabbits.

Great Fun.   Great Training.    Keeps the Boys out of the Clutches of PETA-Think.

sfg

[bk09]

The established rabbit-rousing procedure is to take a couple of young boys--say, 11-12 years old--from the family along with you.    Grandkids work great.   Nephews.    Whatever.    Even their buddies, with the parent's permission.   [Preferably in writing.]

They are not quite ready to be shooters, so they will not have guns.

Have them get up on top of the brush piles and jump up and down.   Make noise, which Young Boys do quite naturally.   Get ready.   Rabbits come flying out.    Shoot the rabbits.    [Not the Beagles.]

The boys will be up on top of the brush piles, out of the way.    No problem.

Important:   Have the boys carry the rabbits.

Great Fun.   Great Training.    Keeps the Boys out of the Clutches of PETA-Think.

sfg

Haha reminds me of the first time I went rabbit hunting. I read about rustling up brush piles and found one I could get on and kicked around branches. A few seconds later 2 bunnies rushed out and I went to shoot and couldn't get my glove into the trigger guard, when I did the safety was still on, and then I fell backwards after I realized the rabbits were gone... Glad I practice muzzle awareness and using safety, because looking back I don't think jumping on a pile of sticks with a shotgun in hand is a good idea.   

[armed and humorous]

Yeah, the kids on top jumping up and down would probably work!  Unfortunately, I don't have any of the right age.  When I was a kid, the right age was much younger, and we had our BB guns with us.  My brother and I were my dad's "bird dogs" starting at about age 6 or 7.  We walked down the middle of the hedge rows and learned to duck quickly when we heard the sound of rapidly beating wings!