A small group of hunters, public land enthusiasts, and BHA members gathered at Granger Lake on Feb. 1, to experience the small-game hunting opportunities offered on public land at the Willis Creek Unit. There were six hunters from the Austin, Houston, and San Antonio areas. The event was organized as an informal meetup and an opportunity to gain experience in often-overlooked small game hunting.
The weather could not have been more beautiful. It was a clear, crisp morning that eventually warmed to a comfortable cool afternoon. Creek-side woods supplied the beauty and serenity that only nature offers. The squirrel hunting itself was slow going. There was a squirrel spotted right off the bat, but no one was able to get a shot off. After several miles of following the creek and slowly picking through the undergrowth of the trees, one squirrel was finally taken. BHA member Christopher LaBaume, of Spring, also bagged one raccoon.
Despite only one squirrel being taken, all of the attendees were treated to an up-close introduction to cleaning a squirrel. Jamila McBride from San Antonio, the squirrel hunting veteran in attendance, was kind enough to share her preferred cleaning process step-by-step.
If you judge success by the volume of meat taken home, it wasn’t a particularly successful day. However, the goal of this event was to meet fellow hunters, share stories, tactics, and advice, and ultimately gain experience by getting out there and hunting. Considering those goals, it was a great success.
Interested in learning more about BHA or taking part in one of our many events across the state? Visit our event page here: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/texas_chapter
About Nicholas Linzenmeyer
I'm a husband, father, Christian, photographer, writer, and outdoorsman.