Anybody Killing Any Squirrels?

webs · 10-02-2007, 05:48 PM

I have had a decent season so far but have got busy with work and it has got into my hunting time.The bow season for Deer also opened yesterday and I plan on bowhunting as much as I can.I have Squirrel in the freezer and plan on taking a shot or two at them while Deer hunting.I like eating them and would hate to run out of my favorite wild game. The Squirrels are on the ground now in my area(Indiana) and are in the nut burying phase of the season.Anybody else still after them?

jerry · 10-02-2007, 06:08 PM

I shot one in the back yard with the RWS tonight.

I have harvested about a dozen otherwise. I'm trying a new plan this year. I'm trying not to stoke up the freezer. As much as I hate to admit it, I end up throwing a little meat away every year because of too much. So, I'm going from the field to the grill so to speak. I froze a batch of dove for a few days, longest I went this year. All the squirrell I went to cook at least the next day. Squirrell chili was the cats behind.

NHmsj · 10-02-2007, 07:10 PM

Bagging squirrels for sure up here in NH. In fact, so much so, that I have had to back off a bit. My wife does not (and that’s does not as in DOES NOT) eat any wild game. She tolerates me bringing venison into the kitchen, preparing it and eating it in her presence. She will even, herself, throw some into the crockpot for a stew on my behalf. However, she simply can not tolerate tree “rats” in her kitchen. None. Nada. No way. So, since I do like her an awful lot, and since it really is her kitchen, I process, prepare, cook, and for the most part, eat the fruits of my game bag outside or in the nether parts of the house that are my domain, i.e., workshop. I even maintain a small refrigerator down there to keep the squirrels I bag. A five-a-day bag limit really is far more than enough. I simply won’t bag more than two at any one time (unless a Red is mixed in, then I’ll take more.) And, I won’t hunt again if I have more than two or three busytails already in the fridge. In fact, just this evening I cooked up the last of my squirrelly larder. Even with that, however, I still have some leftovers in my little game fridge that I’ll probably finish off tomorrow. So, I can be out in the woods again by Thursday morning, Sunday at the latest. The hunting’s been good for sure. We have had some spectacular weather as of late, going on to four weeks of clear, dry, cool to warm then cool again, weather. The woods have been great, and the hunting even better. As a matter of fact, last Saturday morning had two kills that I thought somewhat notable. Nothing dramatically remarkable, but, nonetheless, sort of noteworthy in simple ways. However, I’ll leave those for another post sometime later on.

webs · 10-02-2007, 07:25 PM

Good rule of thumb guys..............never take more than you can use or share with others.

Triggerjerk · 10-02-2007, 07:30 PM

It's deer archery season in NH, too. My wife does not want me to show my bow hunting friend where I saw fresh scat on our property. (She saw Bambi) So now I have to show him where my property lines are and set him up in a good spot three feet off my land.

I'm on a wetland and there is a lot of deer activity.

two-70 · 10-02-2007, 07:32 PM

there just starting the burying phase here in Oklahoma, and deer archery season opened the 1st, muzzleloading season opens the 27th and then fall tukey and deer rifle, i always wait till after deer rifle to start the squirrel hunting here, that way its nice and cool or cold and no ticks or skeeters, and lots easier to hunt them with the trees bare lol but from December to end of January i get plenty

rtch77 · 10-03-2007, 06:37 AM

yes indeed! Squirrel keeps going through all the season then meat saved for summer too. I grilled the last 2, kind of a quick job so the taste wasn't up to my liking. No problem the cat is having an awesome time. Its fall turkey season, great time to hassle squirrels with different calls. I will stock up again on squirrel aside from turkey attempts later today or tomorrow. A recipe with squirrel sliced, wrapped in bacon w/onions and such is planned.

OZHUNTER62 · 10-03-2007, 06:38 AM

Just how many types of squirrells are there??
Seems like folks that eat them really love them!!
What makes them so popular?
Could you compare the meat to rabbit/pidgeon? chicken?!!!??

Regards.

killer · 10-03-2007, 06:58 AM

I used to love to hunt them. Even went to a Ruger .22 mag with FMC to make the 50 yard head shots...alas the daughter brought a couple of baby squirrels into the house and I raised them.

They were some of the coolest pets I ever had, always wanted to play. I cannot hunt them anymore. They always maintained a little wild in them though and would chew on stuff constantly. They were released eventually.

I did shoot at one this spring with the RWS after he chewed on my motocycle. Made the mistake of laying the barrel directly on the window sill which proabably caused me to miss it being spring operated and all.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...quirrel007.jpg

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...quirrel011.jpg

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...de/treerat.jpg

NHmsj · 10-03-2007, 07:30 AM

rtch77, would you share that bacon/onion recipe a bit? You mentioned sliced squirrel. Do you mean completely boned? If so, bone raw or pre-cooked? However it is prepared, bacon and onions are always tasty additions.

OZHUNTER62, there are a number of squirrel species. Here in New England we have, for the most part, two - Grays and Reds, with the Grays running about twice the size of Reds, but both tasty enough. As for comparison with other meat, to me Squirrel is a cross between chicken (leg, thigh meat) and pork (somewhat.) Why so popular? Well, we're not talking about one's neighborhood/backyard squirrel, only semi-wild and accustom to human activity. We're talking about wild, in-the-woods squirrels that are very suspicious of two-legged predators. Hunting squirrel can be a challenge, indeed. Still-hunting, stalking or sitting, all aspects of the hunt are part and parcel of squirrel hunting. And besides that, there is a distinct sense of satisfaction when one heads home after some time in the woods with the feel of some weight in one's game bag. A hunter can go weeks hunting deer without even seeing one let alone bagging one. And for many deer hunters (not all, of course), after dropping that long sought buck, or perhaps two, the season is over. As already mention, hunting squirrel, as with hunting any game, encompasses all the traditions and experiences of the hunt. And of course, it's just fun.

webs · 10-03-2007, 08:23 AM

Very nice job of answering OZHUNTER62's questions NHmsj.You certainly hit the nail on the head in every detailed aspect.Very well written and said.Hey OZHUNTER62,that mess of hogs you have hanging in that picture is impressive.No doubt,lots of bacon there.

rtch77 · 10-03-2007, 03:39 PM

NH its a recipe I am imagining and try out. I will carefully cut the meat into long strips off the bones. Cut onions into "long" slices' line up on cutting board then roll in layers of bacon...tie off, maybe 'plug' ends with zucchini or carrot cork? then turn in increments in a wok, using cover for vent/humidity control. Hopefully squirrel will absorb bacon and onion juice, soften up squirrel. Its a cooking experiment in flavor any ideas?

jerry · 10-03-2007, 03:49 PM

Sounds like a good recipie.

Squirrell is a little hard to get cut up in long strips. You can pre tenderize by boiling a bit or putting it in a pressure cooker.

rtch77 · 10-03-2007, 05:44 PM

yes maybe carrot, zucchini, celery onion in long strips minced meat in middle, wrapped tight in bacon, tied off. cook on low in wok covered, get that steaming effect to embed flavor. remove cover, clean out wok then roll on medium heatto crisp bacon and further cook to right zesty/crispy texture. Then cut string and unroll, or even roll in tortilla and heat. Well see , wish I could fish and hunt all day every day but life gets in the way. cool project.

NHmsj · 10-03-2007, 06:43 PM

rtch, it sounds like cooking might be a hobby or yours - or perhaps, a profession? I'd love to hear how your "imagining" recipe pans out. It sounds fairly involved and beyond my skills. But, nonetheless, it does sound delicious indeed! Please, post how it turns out.

Jerry, I've been reading back on some posts of past years. It seems you have contributed quite a lot regards squirrel hunting, and not a few recipes as well. I'm looking forward to hearing more of what you might have to share about the hunting, cooking and eating of the little critters. There is always room to learn more. No?

jerry · 10-03-2007, 07:39 PM

Rtch needs to go on top chef! Very creative.

I love to talk hunting almost as much as going NH, just thankfull to have a place to do both.

OZHUNTER62 · 10-04-2007, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webs

Very nice job of answering OZHUNTER62's questions NHmsj.You certainly hit the nail on the head in every detailed aspect.Very well written and said.Hey OZHUNTER62,that mess of hogs you have hanging in that picture is impressive.No doubt,lots of bacon there.

Thanks for your comments NHmsj ,Like webs said you are spot on in what you say,I have no doubt they are fun to hunt and I also firmly believe in the joy and satisfaction hunting brings
For me it satisfies a primitive craving to be among nature and all its wonders big and small,I pity the man who does not hunt!
Food on the table never tasted so good as when its hunted or gathered by your own hands and labour.
Id pass up on any fancy restaraunt meal for a good game cookup round an open fire in the bush with some good friends and family.
As for squirrell eatin, there aint too many things walks crawls or swims on the earth that I wont eat and rest assured if I ever get to the USA I will most certainly try to get me some of them tasty lookin little critters bbqd on a plate of seasoned rice or some other delicious way.
Oh yeah,webs them hogs are just a picture I got from somewhere,I cant claim them ones,I have however hunted pigs for over 25 yrs now and have caught with dogs and trapped and shot many in that time,its a hobby I love for basically the same reasons NHmsj spoke about,I currently hunt with rifle and bow and enjoy some modest success in terms of bagged game,but the enjoyment I get out of it is priceless!!! Im sure you all know exactly what I mean.

Regards

neophyte · 10-04-2007, 02:22 PM

killer; that was one fine cross hair picture
Hate you missed the shot; but fellow; you made a mighty fine shot.
thanks for posting

Joshua M. Smith · 10-06-2007, 01:41 PM

Not yet. It's measuring about 85* here in Northern Indiana and it's October 6th!

I like to wait until it gets cooler during the days and the parasites are mostly gone.

Josh <><

rtch77 · 10-06-2007, 03:36 PM

I bagged a fat squirrel for above recipe. That scheme was too fancy. So another method was tried:

Boiled squirrel with pepper, paprika, chili powder, hot sauce to embed some flavor until tender, separated from bone, had minced meat pile.

Fried some bacon, kept pouring out grease along the way and saved it. Placed bacon aside. Stir fried chopped onions, carrots, peppers, dry Jalapeno slices and some of above spices. Added bacon grease a bit. Strained minced meat through clean kitchen cloth, added when veggies were "on their way" , stirred on low using lid as vent/humidifier. Added spaghetti sauce and kept stirring, used with pasta cooked on side. Amazing outcome, a fistful stuffs you silly squirrel meat is power packed. Besides I will bag more for the cat feed him raw style.

10-02-2007, 05:48 PM	#1
webs Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 255 Images: 3	Anybody Killing Any Squirrels? I have had a decent season so far but have got busy with work and it has got into my hunting time.The bow season for Deer also opened yesterday and I plan on bowhunting as much as I can.I have Squirrel in the freezer and plan on taking a shot or two at them while Deer hunting.I like eating them and would hate to run out of my favorite wild game. The Squirrels are on the ground now in my area(Indiana) and are in the nut burying phase of the season.Anybody else still after them?

10-02-2007, 06:08 PM	#2
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,881 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	I shot one in the back yard with the RWS tonight. I have harvested about a dozen otherwise. I'm trying a new plan this year. I'm trying not to stoke up the freezer. As much as I hate to admit it, I end up throwing a little meat away every year because of too much. So, I'm going from the field to the grill so to speak. I froze a batch of dove for a few days, longest I went this year. All the squirrell I went to cook at least the next day. Squirrell chili was the cats behind. __________________ I'm a down home back woods redneck

10-02-2007, 07:10 PM	#3
NHmsj Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127	Hunting's been good. Bagging squirrels for sure up here in NH. In fact, so much so, that I have had to back off a bit. My wife does not (and that’s does not as in DOES NOT) eat any wild game. She tolerates me bringing venison into the kitchen, preparing it and eating it in her presence. She will even, herself, throw some into the crockpot for a stew on my behalf. However, she simply can not tolerate tree “rats” in her kitchen. None. Nada. No way. So, since I do like her an awful lot, and since it really is her kitchen, I process, prepare, cook, and for the most part, eat the fruits of my game bag outside or in the nether parts of the house that are my domain, i.e., workshop. I even maintain a small refrigerator down there to keep the squirrels I bag. A five-a-day bag limit really is far more than enough. I simply won’t bag more than two at any one time (unless a Red is mixed in, then I’ll take more.) And, I won’t hunt again if I have more than two or three busytails already in the fridge. In fact, just this evening I cooked up the last of my squirrelly larder. Even with that, however, I still have some leftovers in my little game fridge that I’ll probably finish off tomorrow. So, I can be out in the woods again by Thursday morning, Sunday at the latest. The hunting’s been good for sure. We have had some spectacular weather as of late, going on to four weeks of clear, dry, cool to warm then cool again, weather. The woods have been great, and the hunting even better. As a matter of fact, last Saturday morning had two kills that I thought somewhat notable. Nothing dramatically remarkable, but, nonetheless, sort of noteworthy in simple ways. However, I’ll leave those for another post sometime later on.

10-02-2007, 07:30 PM	#5
Triggerjerk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 978	It's deer archery season in NH, too. My wife does not want me to show my bow hunting friend where I saw fresh scat on our property. (She saw Bambi) So now I have to show him where my property lines are and set him up in a good spot three feet off my land. I'm on a wetland and there is a lot of deer activity. __________________ We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ

10-03-2007, 06:38 AM	#8
OZHUNTER62 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 174	Just how many types of squirrells are there?? Seems like folks that eat them really love them!! What makes them so popular? Could you compare the meat to rabbit/pidgeon? chicken?!!!?? Regards. __________________ You dont need a weather man to know which way the wind blows

10-02-2007, 07:25 PM	#4
webs Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 255 Images: 3	Good rule of thumb guys..............never take more than you can use or share with others.

10-02-2007, 07:32 PM	#6
two-70 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: ponca city, oklahoma Posts: 1,778	there just starting the burying phase here in Oklahoma, and deer archery season opened the 1st, muzzleloading season opens the 27th and then fall tukey and deer rifle, i always wait till after deer rifle to start the squirrel hunting here, that way its nice and cool or cold and no ticks or skeeters, and lots easier to hunt them with the trees bare lol but from December to end of January i get plenty

10-03-2007, 06:37 AM	#7
rtch77 Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 69 Images: 6	yes indeed! Squirrel keeps going through all the season then meat saved for summer too. I grilled the last 2, kind of a quick job so the taste wasn't up to my liking. No problem the cat is having an awesome time. Its fall turkey season, great time to hassle squirrels with different calls. I will stock up again on squirrel aside from turkey attempts later today or tomorrow. A recipe with squirrel sliced, wrapped in bacon w/onions and such is planned.

10-03-2007, 06:58 AM	#9
killer Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In the rat race Posts: 905 Images: 6	I used to love to hunt them. Even went to a Ruger .22 mag with FMC to make the 50 yard head shots...alas the daughter brought a couple of baby squirrels into the house and I raised them. They were some of the coolest pets I ever had, always wanted to play. I cannot hunt them anymore. They always maintained a little wild in them though and would chew on stuff constantly. They were released eventually. I did shoot at one this spring with the RWS after he chewed on my motocycle. Made the mistake of laying the barrel directly on the window sill which proabably caused me to miss it being spring operated and all. http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...quirrel007.jpg http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...quirrel011.jpg http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...de/treerat.jpg __________________ "Yeee Hawww...I'm a cowboy on an iron horse." Killer's cabin: http://buckmountainchateau.com/

10-03-2007, 07:30 AM	#10
NHmsj Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127	Question and Answer rtch77, would you share that bacon/onion recipe a bit? You mentioned sliced squirrel. Do you mean completely boned? If so, bone raw or pre-cooked? However it is prepared, bacon and onions are always tasty additions. OZHUNTER62, there are a number of squirrel species. Here in New England we have, for the most part, two - Grays and Reds, with the Grays running about twice the size of Reds, but both tasty enough. As for comparison with other meat, to me Squirrel is a cross between chicken (leg, thigh meat) and pork (somewhat.) Why so popular? Well, we're not talking about one's neighborhood/backyard squirrel, only semi-wild and accustom to human activity. We're talking about wild, in-the-woods squirrels that are very suspicious of two-legged predators. Hunting squirrel can be a challenge, indeed. Still-hunting, stalking or sitting, all aspects of the hunt are part and parcel of squirrel hunting. And besides that, there is a distinct sense of satisfaction when one heads home after some time in the woods with the feel of some weight in one's game bag. A hunter can go weeks hunting deer without even seeing one let alone bagging one. And for many deer hunters (not all, of course), after dropping that long sought buck, or perhaps two, the season is over. As already mention, hunting squirrel, as with hunting any game, encompasses all the traditions and experiences of the hunt. And of course, it's just fun.

10-03-2007, 08:23 AM	#11
webs Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 255 Images: 3	Very nice job of answering OZHUNTER62's questions NHmsj.You certainly hit the nail on the head in every detailed aspect.Very well written and said.Hey OZHUNTER62,that mess of hogs you have hanging in that picture is impressive.No doubt,lots of bacon there.

10-03-2007, 03:39 PM	#12
rtch77 Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 69 Images: 6	NH its a recipe I am imagining and try out. I will carefully cut the meat into long strips off the bones. Cut onions into "long" slices' line up on cutting board then roll in layers of bacon...tie off, maybe 'plug' ends with zucchini or carrot cork? then turn in increments in a wok, using cover for vent/humidity control. Hopefully squirrel will absorb bacon and onion juice, soften up squirrel. Its a cooking experiment in flavor any ideas?

10-03-2007, 03:49 PM	#13
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,881 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	Sounds like a good recipie. Squirrell is a little hard to get cut up in long strips. You can pre tenderize by boiling a bit or putting it in a pressure cooker. __________________ I'm a down home back woods redneck

10-03-2007, 05:44 PM	#14
rtch77 Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 69 Images: 6	yes maybe carrot, zucchini, celery onion in long strips minced meat in middle, wrapped tight in bacon, tied off. cook on low in wok covered, get that steaming effect to embed flavor. remove cover, clean out wok then roll on medium heatto crisp bacon and further cook to right zesty/crispy texture. Then cut string and unroll, or even roll in tortilla and heat. Well see , wish I could fish and hunt all day every day but life gets in the way. cool project.

10-03-2007, 06:43 PM	#15
NHmsj Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127	Interesting rtch, it sounds like cooking might be a hobby or yours - or perhaps, a profession? I'd love to hear how your "imagining" recipe pans out. It sounds fairly involved and beyond my skills. But, nonetheless, it does sound delicious indeed! Please, post how it turns out. Jerry, I've been reading back on some posts of past years. It seems you have contributed quite a lot regards squirrel hunting, and not a few recipes as well. I'm looking forward to hearing more of what you might have to share about the hunting, cooking and eating of the little critters. There is always room to learn more. No? Last edited by NHmsj; 10-03-2007 at 06:46 PM. Reason: Grammar

10-03-2007, 07:39 PM	#16
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,881 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	Rtch needs to go on top chef! Very creative. I love to talk hunting almost as much as going NH, just thankfull to have a place to do both. __________________ I'm a down home back woods redneck

10-04-2007, 02:22 PM	#18
neophyte Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 3,566 Blog Entries: 2	picture killer; that was one fine cross hair picture Hate you missed the shot; but fellow; you made a mighty fine shot. thanks for posting __________________ Craig By the standards of most

10-06-2007, 01:41 PM	#19
Joshua M. Smith Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Wabash IN Posts: 381	Not yet. It's measuring about 85* here in Northern Indiana and it's October 6th! I like to wait until it gets cooler during the days and the parasites are mostly gone. Josh <>< __________________ Is it better to live by a corrupt society's standards rather than face persecution for not doing the same? This is the dilemma we now face. We must hold fast to our convictions as we confront this dilemma. Knowing one's self goes a long way in the crisis. - Me, Standup Philosopher

10-06-2007, 03:36 PM	#20
rtch77 Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 69 Images: 6	I bagged a fat squirrel for above recipe. That scheme was too fancy. So another method was tried: Boiled squirrel with pepper, paprika, chili powder, hot sauce to embed some flavor until tender, separated from bone, had minced meat pile. Fried some bacon, kept pouring out grease along the way and saved it. Placed bacon aside. Stir fried chopped onions, carrots, peppers, dry Jalapeno slices and some of above spices. Added bacon grease a bit. Strained minced meat through clean kitchen cloth, added when veggies were "on their way" , stirred on low using lid as vent/humidifier. Added spaghetti sauce and kept stirring, used with pasta cooked on side. Amazing outcome, a fistful stuffs you silly squirrel meat is power packed. Besides I will bag more for the cat feed him raw style.