Anyone notice less small game in the woods this year ?

[Phantom]

Seems like this year  I'm seeing less animals in the  Forest . Less birds  Squirrels , everything   Just less  sightings then normal .  

Edited December 3, 2022 by Phantom

[DoubleDose]

Agree predators are up and would add hawks.

[Bucksnbows]

The pendulum will always swing back. Low prey means high predators. Then the predator population crashes from lack of food and the prey rebounds. Then the cycle repeats. Squirrels were noticeably low by us, but grouse numbers and bunnies were only okay, yet below normal. 

[cervidchasers]

Took out racoons and the turkey flock is in great shape. Deer not so much, guessing will have to do some yote hunting soon.

[G-man]

Opposite here rabbits and squirrels everywhere! Hadn't had rabbits for years  last 3 they have been increasing  they are all over now.. . Grouse holding steady with grouse habitat  projects doing their job. Woodcock were abundant  and nested here this year as well. 

[GreeneHunter]

Have not seen a Bunny on my property in years .... Coyote's yes Bunnies no  .... that explains it !

[mowin]

Squirrels, squirrels, and more squirrels...

Quite a few rabbits.  Lots of turkeys, overrun with deer, and coyotes. Rare to see or hear a grouse.  

[Phantom]

Yea like I notice drop off of animals about the time covid started just before that I was seeing lots of small game all over in the forest then it just get worse and worse this year being the worse. I wonder if the virus had something to do with it or less acorns this year  that is  another thing I notice . Mayhe   combination of factors ,  Predators , virus and less acorns in the forist. . 

[ZAG]

1 hour ago, Skillet said:

Yes. Very few squirrels at my place, where there used to be tons. Few turkeys. No grouse.

One thing there's no shortage of is predators. Fisher & coyote all over the place.

Two years in a row of little to no mast doesn't help anything either 

 

Same for us a few hills to the west. Yr 2 of no oak mass whatsoever. 

Occasional fisher and fox, fair amount of yotes on cam.

[GroanALot]

Normal amount here except I saw twice as many rabbits as usual this year…lots of clover this summer

[Northcountryman]

Im not seeing as many grey squirrels as usual, probbaly cuz theyre all in my backward

 

[lucky118]

Lots of everything here except bucks lol

[Teamhoyt]

No squirrels or chipmunks, coyote and fox tracks, no deer

[Robhuntandfish]

This year I've seen fishers at least 1/2 of my hunts. Also saw an otter which is a definite rarity.  I was hunting between two ponds and it went right under my stand that was cool. Out rabbit population is def down. Which I am sure is relevant to the amount of fishers. Our yote population seems to be down as well which I am all good with. 

[ATbuckhunter]

Woods are becoming more mature so less and less small game will be normal. While more predation has an impact, nothing has more of an impact than less habitat.