Fall is in the air! It’s time to think about hunting as the small game. 

Archery seasons are now open, so it’s a great time to get out and enjoy the outdoors with the many different hunting opportunities that will be available to us.

Looking back to my days as a youth, I don’t have many memories of doing any actual hunting until I was a teen. Pheasant hunting was the only hunting I did that didn’t involve my Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. 0 

When hunting with my trusty BB gun, I of course never hunted anything that was actually considered game. Usually none of the critters that were afoot or in flight had any need to worry when me and “Old Red” were on the prowl.

I can remember waiting for summer vacation so that I could do anything (within reason) I wanted for almost three whole months. The first couple of weeks of my summer vacation were spent anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first copy of the Weekly Reader. 

I didn’t get much mail (I was a kid) so I’d be patiently waiting for the mailman to drive up to our mailbox just hoping that he’d have that mail that was just for me.

I guess like most kids, after a couple of weeks of summer vacation, I would get bored. But, there were ways to solve that little problem. 

Does anyone remember a game called stretch, or did we just make that one up? Roger, the oldest kid in our neighborhood came up with this game where you had to stand in one place and throw a knife so it would stick in the ground. You’d then move one foot out so it touched the knife while keeping the other foot in place. 

The one that had the longest stretch would win. You could do as many sticks as you dared in order to extend your leg. 

If we got caught by one of the “warden moms,” the knives would be confiscated and the party was over unless a butter knife was snuck out of the kitchen drawer. 

I don’t think we ever figured out why Roger, who was older and taller always won at that game.

Do you know how smart a guy must have looked when he stabbed himself in the foot with a butter knife? Boy that hurt!

There are a few sayings that I used to hear while growing up that most kids today wouldn’t have a clue as to the meaning. Most of these are phrases that I heard used by the adults (mainly my mother).

A few weeks ago, we had what is called a Blue Moon, which is two full moons in the same month. And because that is rare, the phrase “once in a blue moon” was more than likely derived from that. 

Have you ever had to toe the line? Are you worth your salt? Have you ever taken someone under your wing or worked on something until the cows came home? 

I can remember the saying go to bed with the chickens and don’t let the bed bugs bite. At one time or another, we have all gotten up at the crack of dawn or gone on a wild goose chase and, when you didn’t have much to say, someone would undoubtedly ask you if the cat had gotten your tongue? 

This would sometimes be followed by a penny for your thoughts, which isn’t much in today’s money market. If you had found some lint somewhere or a dust ball that was called “roosk.” 

You could have as many of something as Carters had little liver pills. If you were trying to achieve a great feat, you were attempting to make your mark and, someone may have told you that you were a chip off the old block. 

You could be fit as a fiddle and cuter than a bug’s ear, but if someone told you that you were full of beans, it could make you madder than a wet hen.

Small game hunting big opportunity for new hunters

Minnesota small game hunting seasons are an ideal way for friends and families to get outdoors and discover the opportunities Minnesota has to offer, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Small game hunting started on Saturday, Sept. 15, when the season for ruffed grouse, rabbit and squirrel began.

“Small game season is a forgotten pleasure,” said Mike Kurre, DNR mentoring program coordinator. “With nothing more than a small caliber rifle or shotgun, a bit of patience and some blaze orange, Minnesota’s fields and forests are there to be explored and enjoyed.”

Small game hunting is inexpensive. Youth licenses (age 15 and under) are free and those for 16 and 17 year olds are just $12.50, a discount from the standard license price of $19.

Hunters must meet firearms safety requirements or obtain an apprentice hunter validation and go afield with a licensed hunter. Minnesota’s apprentice hunter validation program enables those who need but have not completed firearms safety training to hunt under prescribed conditions designed to ensure a safe hunt.

“Once you’re in the field, careful observation of wildlife habits and a bit of stealth will begin to give small game hunters the experience they need,” Kurre said.

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Until next time, hunt safe and always try to take a little time out of your busy day to enjoy the outdoors experience.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the great freedoms that we have today.