My Favorite Small Game Firearm
Emily Flory 06.08.11
Even when I was a little kid, small game hunting was always a fun Sunday afternoon activity. My brother and I have spent many hours stomping around the woods in search of squirrel, rabbit or any other animal that popped its head out of the wrong hole (during the right seasons of course and Iowa regulations). Many people stick to their main big game and that is all they hunt. Hunting small game gets you out in the outdoors during different times of the year and really helps me when I have hunting fever.
Choosing the right firearm can vary between different animals but usually when I am hunting for small game in Iowa I use a .22 caliber rifle. It is legal and is what I usually use in any small game situation. But even my first gun was a Red Ryder BB Gun and I needed something to do with it! For youth starting to get the technique of shooting down, a BB gun is a great idea. Taking them out and teaching them the basics of how to shoot is a great way to get them learning about how hunting actually works. I know when I was young all I wanted to do was carry my own gun, this gives them a chance to be satisfied and help out with pest control. Also air soft and pellet guns have been used for smaller game as well.
Born and raised in Iowa, I have been an enthusiastic outdoors woman from a very young age. From the very beginning my dad had me throwing a line in the water and following him out into the woods to sit and wait for that big Iowa buck to walk by. By doing all of this, I was raised country and always will be.
With my home being positioned literally in the boondocks surrounded by timberland and no one else around, I had a pretty good opportunity to make the best out of my resources and my love for the outdoors came when I scored my first whitetail from my backyard. Seeing that 8 point buck come hiking up the path from the riverbed, this little girl’s life was changed forever. Since then, I've had the chance to score some nice whitetail and have also developed a love for bird hunting as well. If it flies, it dies in my case. I love the challenge and will continue broadening my trophy room around the United States.
If it wasn't enough to grow up in an area of heaven like this, we of course needed to put some of our experiences on TV as well. Starting in November of 2010 my family aired the first episode of Outdoors on the Farm, a Farm Journal production. Hosted by Chip Flory, aka the wonderful dad who is the reason why I am the way I am, my family along with our pro staff have been able to put a unique twist on the usual hunting show. OOTF brings farmers and hunters together to maximize their habitat by explaining and teaching what they can do around the farm to increase their profits and quality of their land and even more importantly, how they can have more fun outdoors on the farm. The most important people in my life are my family and to be able to experience this with them is more than I could ask for.
Outdoors on the Farm airs every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. (central time) and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on RFD TV. You can also view any of our episodes on our website at outdoorsonthefarm.com at any time. Be looking out for our 2nd season to start in Fall of 2011 and check out our blogs to keep up with the Flory family and our pro staff!
