Steven Rinella - The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 2: Small Game and Fowl

A Spiegel & Grau Trade Paperback Original

Copyright 2015 by Steven Rinella and Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

S PIEGEL & G RAU and the H OUSE colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

ISBN9780812987058

eBook ISBN9780812987065

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eBook design adapted from printed book design by Christopher M. Zucker

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I f youre a small game hunter, or have a desire to become one, youre in luck. Right now, here in the first quarter of the twenty-first century, were enjoying what future generations are likely to regard as the good ol days of small game hunting. While many big game hunters lament the decreasing access to productive big game hunting grounds and the increasing cost of hunting tags, you seldom hear such complaints from small game hunters. Instead, they are talking about light hunting pressure, long seasons, liberal bag limits, and game populations that are generally thriving. For sure, now is the time to be out there hunting small game.

The fact that Ive been doing it for over thirty years is testament to my credentials in compiling this book, and also to my love for the food that small game hunting brings to the table. I remember my own favorite childhood meals of small gameroasted wood duck, broiled Canada goose, rabbit hasenpfeffer, chicken-fried squirrelfar better than I remember all those meals of venison that crossed my plate during the same years. What sticks with me are the endless varieties of flavors, textures, and visual qualities that came from the small game of our local woods and waters. And dont go thinking that I was raised on some sprawling farm or wilderness homestead. I was brought up in a semi-suburban Midwest setting, with a neighbors house not 50 yards from my front door. Believe me, if I could find small game ranging from fox squirrels to green-winged teal within reach of my home, then you probably can, too.

Beyond all the excitement and great food that have come my way as a small game hunter, I cherish the practical skills that Ive picked up as well. Ive been lucky enough to hunt big game throughout the United States and beyond, and Ive done so with a reliance on skills that l first began to develop as a kid out pursuing critters weighing just a few pounds. All of my foundational skillsstalking, ambushing, calling, wingshooting, rifle marksmanship, skinning, butcheringwere born out of experiences with squirrels, rabbits, grouse, and ducks.

But small game hunting should hardly be regarded as simply a training activity for future big game hunters. Some of the best hunters I know, including several who were consulted during the making of this book, are strict small game fanatics who prefer the unique challenges and constant action of small game hunting over the often frustrating and time-consuming world of big game hunting. Its easy for me to see where theyre coming from. If I had only two or three weekends that I could devote to hunting every year, I might choose to spend them in a duck marsh or a good patch of rabbit cover rather than waiting on a whitetail deer that might not ever show up. That way, Id be much more likely to get a good dose of action and excitementand quite a few tasty mealsfrom a limited investment of time and money.

Regardless of whether youll hunt small game a hundred days a year or just one day, youll find the information that you need for success within this book. It is divided into five primary sections. Section 1 offers a comprehensive overview of firearms, gear, and apparel for the versatile small game hunter. Section 2 covers the basics: how to interpret hunting regulations, identifying potential hunting locations, how to scout for game, and a fundamental overview of the hunting strategies and methodologies used by successful small game hunters. Section 3 covers biology and preferred hunting methods for a wide gamut of small game species, which are subdivided into three categories: furred small game (rabbits, hares, and squirrels), upland birds (grouse, pheasant, quail, ptarmigan, doves, pigeons, etc.), and waterfowl (puddle ducks, diving ducks, and geese). Field dressing and butchering small game is covered in Section 4. Finally, Section 5 provides a collection of beautiful and tasty small game recipes that will help you utilize your kill to its maximum potential.

The organization of this book is pretty straightforward, if I say so myself. But you might find that some pieces of information are missing from where youd expect to see them. For instance, you might be disappointed to see that turkey decoys are not covered in the gear section. If so, youll be relieved to learn that the subject of turkey decoys is treated thoroughly in the turkey-specific portion of the species section. Because of these inevitable bits of confusion, Id suggest that you study this book in its entirety before lamenting any omissions. Youll probably find everything that you need. Youll also learn a lot of stuff that you didnt know you needed. Each page has something to offer for every hunter, regardless of your particular specialty. Even if youre a waterfowl hunter who has zero desire to chase a blue grouse, youre still likely to learn something useful if you read that section. So dont just treat this book like a manual, in which you look up whatever bit of information you need at a given moment. Its best to read it from cover to cover at least once.

You might also be surprised to find contradictory opinions in here. Rest assured that that was my intention. While I am the author of this book, it might best be understood as a giant archive of opinions and strategies that were gleaned from dozens and dozens of hunters throughout the span of my lifetime and then filtered through my own brain before getting poured onto paper. When the opinions of others generally enhance or reinforce my own, Ive presented them as coming from the author. In cases where they dont necessarily jibe with my own personal findings, such as Ron Boehmes spirited argument in favor of using old, break-action shotguns instead of newer models of pump-action and autoloading shotguns, Ive been careful to attribute them to the source. But rest assured, everyone whos been given a voice in this book is highly credentialed. Their opinions are no more right or wrong than my own; instead, they are telling you what has worked for them under the circumstances that theyve encountered in their own lives. Do your own personal experimentation to see if these ideas will work for you.

Speaking of personal experimentation, this book is useless if youre not willing to get out there in the woods and subject yourself to failure. I have done some ridiculously stupid things in the woods, but Ive managed to get my moneys worth out of each dumbass move. I believe that its hard to understand what works without an equal understanding of what doesnt work. Missed shots, skunked trips, spooked game, cold feet: it all needs to be embraced as the stuff that makes you a betterand better informedhunter.