Big game hunting. That’s what we always hear about. Big Game. Big, bad, and better right? In this post, we go over the most popular small game animals and also give you the list of all small game animals that are commonly hunted.
Well, I don’t know about you, but hunting small game is fun as hell too. Especially if you make a DIY blowgun and go squirrel hunting. So we wanted to make simple lists of these animals just for broad overview purposes.
What Animals Are Considered Small Game?
Small game animals don’t have an exact dimension and weight definition. Small game animals are considered to be animals that are in general, smaller than deer.
Popular Small Game Animals
Survival is our basic instinct. When it comes down to it, we need two things: water and food. We are going to explore finding food. To be more specific, we are going to look at the common popular small game animals.
Small game is identified as mammals, birds, or amphibians usually no bigger than a small dog. This list identifies small-game that is available everywhere and can be taken with basic hunting skills.
Mammals
Squirrels – Their bushy tail is their most recognizable feature. Their color can be red, brown, black, or gray. They are about the size of a kitten. They are mostly found in wooded areas.
Rabbits – Rabbits live in every environment. They are found in fields or small stands of trees and briar patches. Identified by their long ears they are around the size of a house cat. Most wild rabbits are brown in color.
Groundhogs – The groundhog is about the size of a small dog. They have a brown coat and the appearance of an enormous squirrel without a tail. They are found in wooded areas and fields.
Birds
Ducks – A duck is recognizable by its bill and webbed feet. Around the size of a football, the duck is found near water sources. Their feathers may be brown, white, and black. Their “quacking” call is a dead giveaway.
Geese – Geese are recognizable from their bill and webbed feet. The goose has a long neck and the body about the size of a watermelon. Their feathers can be black, brown, white, or gray. Geese are usually found near bodies of water but are also known to nest and feed in fields. The goose has a call that sounds like a “honk”.
Turkey – The turkey is roughly the same size as the goose. Found in wooded areas and fields, the turkey can have feathers coloring black, brown, and gray. The call of the wild turkey resembles a “gobbling” sound.
Amphibian
Turtles – Turtles have the same distinct characteristic: the shell. Their size can be as small as a couple of inch diameter shell up to twelve inches and larger. Turtles are commonly found by the water, but some species can be found crawling along with dry land.
Frogs – There are many types of frogs. They can be as small as a field mouse or as large as a dinner plate. They are green, but sometimes are brown and can have black thrown in for camouflage. Mostly found near water sources, they sometimes travel out into nearby fields. Their calls vary but are close to the “ribbit” sound associated with them.
There are many other species of small game animals that can be located in certain regional locations. Being familiar with those regions and the animals that live there is vital knowledge to survive there. The animals on this list are common throughout the world with variations of their breed.
Finding any of these small game animals will provide a lifeline in a survival situation.
List of Small Game Animals
Here is an overview of the complete list of small game animals.
- Beaver
- Bobcat
- Bullfrog
- Coyote
- Gray fox
- Grouse
- Muskrat
- North American River Otter
- Quail
- Woodcock
- Wilson Snipe
- Crow
- Opossums
- Rabbit
- Racoon
- River Otter
- Red Fox
- Skunk
- Squirrel
- Snipe
- Snapping Turtle
In case you’re wondering like many do when it comes to wild hogs.
Are Wild Hogs Considered Big Game?
Wild boars have a large range in weight, which is why it’s debated whether they are small game or big game. They can weigh as little as 100 lbs all the way up to 1000 lbs. The lower end of 100 lbs would be considered small game and a 900 lb wild hog would be considered big game.
There is a debate about this. Some say wild hogs and wild boars are big-game. Some say they’re small game. Mostly because their weight and size can vary significantly.
Some boars can be 100 lbs and they have been hunted all the way up to 1000 lbs. Is a 1000 lb animal big game? I’d say so.
Conclusion
Do you want to see a list of big game animals? We’ll make the list soon so it’s more organized and easier for you to access. We also have a massive bowhunting guide here as well.
I hope you like this small game animals list and learned what some of the most popular small game animals are. You might also want to check out our Bowhunting Skills Guide.