Small-game animals include ducks, squirrels, rabbits, pheasant, quail, doves, or wild critters that weigh below 40-50 pounds. However, the definition of the small game depends on which state or area you’re hunting. In general, small game animals are smaller wild animals intended for hunting for meat and recreation. For instance, a state may consider foxes as either small game or furbearer. Or a quail can either be a small game or upland bird. So you have to check on a species-specific license before you go out hunting. Arizona considers pigeons a small game, but Iowa classifies them as upland. Quails are upland birds in California and Texas, but they are small game in Arizona. Here are more examples of small games, depending on the area: Mammals include prairie dogs, muskrats, beavers, skunks, groundhogs, badgers, and foxes. Birds include geese, turkey, swans, grouse, snipe, crane, woodcocks, and partridges. Reptiles and amphibians include turtles, toads, and frogs. Ducks You can hunt as many as 22 varieties of ducks in the United States alone. It depends on the preferred landing spot. Crossbow hunters set up decoys and calls to lure them into the field or waters. One preferred setup is finding a pond or field where ducks rest and hide along with the decoys or banks with more cover. Then, aim at them as they get near your range. Use a standard duck call to attract them to your spot. Rabbits Rabbits are a sight to see for small game hunters too. North America has the eastern cottontails as the most common rabbits, and you can find them in eastern, midwestern, and southern states. When you hunt them, prefer to look for an open field with underbrush or tall grass. Walk on the edges and circle around them to find them. If you haven’t shot at anything, cut further into the area and have another lap. Repeat until you find some. Squirrels The good news for small game hunters is the familiar gray squirrels are endemic in North America. People often call them tree rats. But their wild meat is sought after by people. Hunting them goes back to the early Native Americans and is passed on to future generations. They are easy to harvest, and you can hunt them with your crossbow by walking and listening to them while you’re under a food tree. Camouflage is optional as you can move slowly and surely to shoot at the animal. Doves Hunting doves is a tradition in the southern states during Thanksgiving diner. They don’t have much meat if you only eat one. A typical person can eat about six to eight doves in one sitting. Open fields are the go-to spots for doves. You will have a good shoot if you are in a field surrounded by woodland or has power lines set on it. Doves also eat small pebbles and stones to grind their food, so check out parking lots and gravel roads. Pick a game species common in your area Choose a small game animal that is abundant in your area or region, and study it to get the best success rate. Contact the state agency or research small game populations so you can learn about their habitat and behavior. For example, experts recommend squirrels. Check out some facts and details about these rodents: They dwell in nut-producing trees in mixed forests. They leave their nests to look for food after or during daybreak. They prefer to eat berries, seeds, and nuts. Scout for hunting land Aside from your crossbow equipment, prepare for areas where you see the small game. Inspect there on-site to check for signs that animals dwell there. Squirrels tend to stay in tree cavities and leafy nests on the treetops. For rabbits, they are usually in farmlands. They eat herbaceous plants in open grassy areas by the woods.