I cut my teeth so to speak on small game as a kid learning to hunt with a stickbow.

Here are some great benefits for anyone young or old, now or even veteran Bowhunter for chasing small game with a traditional bow.

Hunting small game like grouse with a traditional bow can significantly improve your skills in several ways:

1. Develops Stealth and Stalking Abilities: Hunting small game requires getting close, teaching you to move quietly, and navigate terrain undetected.

2. Improves Marksmanship: Small targets like grouse demand precision, helping you refine your aim, anchor points, and release technique.

3. Enhances Observation Skills: Spotting small game hones your ability to observe subtle signs, tracks, and movement.

4. Increases Patience and Persistence: Hunting small game often requires waiting and persistence, building mental toughness.

5. Simulates Big Game Hunting: The skills learned hunting small game translate to hunting larger game, like deer.

6. Opportunity for Frequent Shots: Small game hunting provides more shot opportunities, helping you develop muscle memory.

7. Low-Pressure Environment: Hunting small game offers a relaxed setting to practice and refine skills without the pressure of hunting larger game.

8. Develops Adaptability: Small game hunting requires adapting to changing environments, weather, and animal behavior.

9. Improves Tracking and Sign Identification: Hunting small game teaches you to recognize tracks, scat, and other signs.

10. Builds Confidence: Success hunting small game boosts confidence, translating to increased effectiveness when hunting larger game.


By honing your skills on small game, you'll become a more proficient, patient, and effective traditional bowhunter, prepared for bigger challenges!

When it comes to arrow points for small game use, this can often divide folks. For smaller game such as cottontail rabbits, quail, grouse etc, there are many options out there.

I have found great success from Ace Hex blunts, available in different weights they pack a punch, I used Zwickey judo’s a lot as a kid and into my adults years as well and they do work great! But for the most part I have relegated them to a stump shooting head or a head shot only point for game such as grouse.

The only issue I have is that less than perfect hits with blunts can result in lost game which is not ideal. I use hex blunts for ruffed grouse still, but most of my small game hunting even for squirrels, rabbit, grouse and especially larger small game that is tough such as pheasants is all with older sharp broadheads and 2 or 3 fletch flu flu arrows.

Now safety is of course an issue but even a marginal hit with a used broadhead on small game becomes lethal when compared to a hit with a blunt or a judo type point.

Good luck to everyone already in pursuit of game in the Western states!

Shoot straight! And have may your arrows fly true!