For the serious hunter, there are still some opportunities to get that rifle or shotgun back out into the countryside for several different small game species.

This recent winter weather, however, will certainly make hunting a challenge.

I’m sure I don’t have to remind you, readers, that ice has taken over much of our outdoor territory. You know it’s bad when you have to put on a pair of ice-fishing cleats to walk through your yard to pick up the mail. As I write this, the bitter cold continues, and the icy conditions could continue even after this article is published.

Well, for the diehard hunter, that little bit of ice probably won’t be a deterrent.

For starters, squirrel season is still in until February 28, and squirrel hunting is about as basic and simple as it gets. Some warm clothes and a .22 rifle are about all you need.

In my early hunting days, I spent a lot of afternoons parked on a log or tree stump, watching for any movement on the ground and up in the trees. A .22 rifle with a decent scope made for some fun hunting and often provided some tasty morsels for the dinner table.

If squirrel hunting doesn’t do it for you, how about some rabbit hunting; it’s still in until February 28 as well.

This type of hunting, of course, requires some considerable moving around. If you don’t have a good rabbit dog, you’ll work a lot harder kicking brush piles and wading through thick cover trying to kick out a rabbit.

In my younger days, that was my style of rabbit hunting because I didn’t have a rabbit dog. As I got older, I got wiser, and I made friends with guys who owned beagles or other rabbit dogs and trust me, that made rabbit hunting a lot more fun and rewarding.

Believe it or not, there is still some flying game to be hunted since pheasant season is also in until February 28. The Pennsylvania Game Commission released pheasants on February 12 and 13 in an effort to provide extra hunting opportunities during the final two weeks of the season; over 8,000 pheasants were released.

This late-season stocking was experimental, and it may not be repeated. These stocked birds can probably be hunted fairly successfully even without a dog, but a good bird dog greatly increases your chances. Watching a dog suddenly go on point adds to the excitement and it also helps prepare you for that sudden loud flush. It will be interesting to see if that late-season pheasant release takes place again next year.

If the small game hunting that’s already been mentioned doesn’t turn you on, how about a coyote hunt?

With just a few exceptions during the big-game seasons, coyotes can be hunted year-round. Some serious coyote hunters use dogs, but they can also be called, and they can be hunted day or night. I have never taken a coyote, but my wife nailed one during the antlerless deer season a number of years ago; we have a life-size full mount of that one.

If you don’t want to put those ice cleats on and go hunting for something, you can still put the cleats on and go ice-fishing. There seems to be plenty of ice.

If that doesn’t do it, put the ice cleats on and go check your mail.