Because deer hunting is easier. Shooting house on a greenfield takes little effort. Kids used to be able to hunt squirrels in their own back yards, most can’t do that anymore. People used to have to hunt small game so they had meat to eat, and now I would imagine people don’t prefer squirrel or rabbit meat so they don’t want to kill something they won’t eat. Not as many people have rabbit or squirrel dogs, there for it’s not a social event making it less popular.

I’ll start my daughter shoot a 22, but more than likely a deer hunt will be the first hunt she goes on.