Stinky squirrel

AKHunter · 03-08-2008, 02:41 PM

A couple years back a hunting partner shot a red squirrel while at moose camp. he promptly cleaned and skinned it then spitted it to roast beside the camp fire. The smell as it cooked was unpleasent. Is this typical of squirrels or was there something up with this example? Needless to say none of us tasted it. It smelled wrong. I have heard that squirrels are rather tasty normally.

Lng Rng · 03-08-2008, 03:22 PM

I may be wrong, but red squirrels might not be fit to eat. I have never personally tasted one, but don't know of anybody that has either.

jerry · 03-08-2008, 04:09 PM

Depends on thier diet. We used to shoot the in the mountains near Tucson (2 week season) the darned things ate so many pine cones they tasted very piney. I eventually quit hunting them because I believe in eating what I harvest (with exception of varmits etc.)

mitch_mckee · 03-08-2008, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKHunter

A couple years back a hunting partner shot a red squirrel while at moose camp. he promptly cleaned and skinned it then spitted it to roast beside the camp fire. The smell as it cooked was unpleasent. Is this typical of squirrels or was there something up with this example? Needless to say none of us tasted it. It smelled wrong. I have heard that squirrels are rather tasty normally.

Squirrel is usually quite tasty, even the reds.

Could he have gut shot it, tainting the meat with bile and such?

samuel · 03-08-2008, 04:13 PM

Red squirrels are perfectly good to eat altho you dont want to invite too many guest,s.My guess is your friend spitted his squirrel on a willow branch or some other obnocious stick.Tell hom check the spit before using it. sam.

LakerDad · 03-08-2008, 04:33 PM

I agree, the red fox tail squirrels are great fried, baked whatever, I would guess along the same lines as suggested that there was something else up that caused the smells. The little grey squirrels I have here are plenty but would be a lot of work for diner lol [tasty tho] the worst smells come from bull frogs, but they sure taste good! or how about deep fried crawdad's with some spicy dipping sauce...I think I just made myself hungry...lol
fried rabbit and quail oh my!

AKHunter · 03-08-2008, 04:43 PM

It was a willow spit but I use those all the time. It was a headshot with a pellet pistol. He may have done a poor job gutting it and tainted it that way. I figured it was an anomaly or such. Glad to hear it was abnormal. I think I may take a few next time and give it another go.

samuel · 03-08-2008, 04:47 PM

Are you sure you use willow?When it burns it smells like pee burning. sam.

AKHunter · 03-08-2008, 05:02 PM

Oh yeah, frequently, smoke fish with it and roast marshmallows etc. Ate a bunch of moose and grouse off of willow spits last fall at moose camp. I am beginning to think it was carelessness while cleaning.

samuel · 03-09-2008, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKHunter

Oh yeah, frequently, smoke fish with it and roast marshmallows etc. Ate a bunch of moose and grouse off of willow spits last fall at moose camp. I am beginning to think it was carelessness while cleaning.

This has bugged me all night.I must confess I am wrong and AKHunter is right.The only excuse I have is I must have been thinking of elm,which stinks.I apoligise AKHunter.(I still don't like to be wrong). sam.

AKHunter · 03-09-2008, 12:13 PM

Lol. np Sam. It got me to thinking though and I consider that a good thing .

ArkansasHunter · 03-09-2008, 12:18 PM

Red or Fox squirrels can be tuff but they are as delisous as Gray or Cat squirrels.
It's unbelievable how good squirrels taste.

killer · 03-09-2008, 12:37 PM

Are we talking about the smaller "pine" squirrel here? I know what a fox squirrel and a gray squirrel are but the term "red" squirrel can mean something diff in diff parts of the country.

AKHunter you don't mean this squirrel do you?

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...t5-07x1941.jpg

AKHunter · 03-09-2008, 12:41 PM

Yes that looks just like the red squirrel we have in alaska, they eat primarily spruce cone nuts. They are not very large, perhaps the smallest of squirrels.

mitch_mckee · 03-09-2008, 01:01 PM

I thought you were talking about a red Fox squirrel.

Fox Squirrels

I think you are talking about what we call "Boomers" around here. Little squirrels that live only at high altitudes and live off pine cones.

North American Mammals: Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

I've never eaten one of those.

Mooseman684 · 03-09-2008, 01:41 PM

Alaska Squirrels eat spruce cones and so they will never taste like a southern squirrel that eats acorns, walnuts, etc...I consider tree Rats inedible up here...Even Spruce grouse taste sprucey until they have been eating berries for a week or 2 , then they are deliscious...
Its a matter of diet...
Rich

NHmsj · 03-09-2008, 01:46 PM

Up here in NH I've eaten not a few of them Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Reds.) As a matter of fact, one needs to have a number of them to make a meal; but nonetheless, even though they keep to the conifers, they taste just fine.

msj

killer · 03-09-2008, 11:41 PM

Yuck....I'm not eating one. It'd be like eating a gopher to me. I have eaten fox and grey squirrels...usually in a mushroom gravy we'd cook them.

mitch_mckee · 03-10-2008, 12:06 AM

OK. This is a traditional recipe from the pioneer days in Tennessee:

Squirrel Dumplings

2-3 grey squirrels, dressed
Self rising flour
Milk
Oil

Boil squirrels for about an hour
Make biscuit dough.
Roll to about 1/2" thich, dusted well with flour
Remove squirells from boiling broth
Drop strips of dough into boiling water (rolling boil)
Reduce heat and simmer about 5 min.

Eat dujmplings.
eat tree rat at own risk. (I do)

AKHunter · 03-10-2008, 12:08 AM

I'll give it a go next time I get a couple. I will try most anything once.

03-08-2008, 02:41 PM	#1
AKHunter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 899	Stinky squirrel A couple years back a hunting partner shot a red squirrel while at moose camp. he promptly cleaned and skinned it then spitted it to roast beside the camp fire. The smell as it cooked was unpleasent. Is this typical of squirrels or was there something up with this example? Needless to say none of us tasted it. It smelled wrong. I have heard that squirrels are rather tasty normally.

03-09-2008, 12:37 PM	#13
killer Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In the rat race Posts: 905 Images: 6	Are we talking about the smaller "pine" squirrel here? I know what a fox squirrel and a gray squirrel are but the term "red" squirrel can mean something diff in diff parts of the country. AKHunter you don't mean this squirrel do you? http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l8...t5-07x1941.jpg __________________ "Yeee Hawww...I'm a cowboy on an iron horse." Killer's cabin: http://buckmountainchateau.com/

03-09-2008, 01:41 PM	#16
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 9,668 Images: 2	Alaska Squirrels eat spruce cones and so they will never taste like a southern squirrel that eats acorns, walnuts, etc...I consider tree Rats inedible up here...Even Spruce grouse taste sprucey until they have been eating berries for a week or 2 , then they are deliscious... Its a matter of diet... Rich __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

03-09-2008, 01:46 PM	#17
NHmsj Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127	Up here in NH I've eaten not a few of them Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Reds.) As a matter of fact, one needs to have a number of them to make a meal; but nonetheless, even though they keep to the conifers, they taste just fine. msj __________________ "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam!" (Popeye the Sailor)

03-09-2008, 11:41 PM	#18
killer Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In the rat race Posts: 905 Images: 6	Yuck....I'm not eating one. It'd be like eating a gopher to me. I have eaten fox and grey squirrels...usually in a mushroom gravy we'd cook them. __________________ "Yeee Hawww...I'm a cowboy on an iron horse." Killer's cabin: http://buckmountainchateau.com/

03-08-2008, 03:22 PM	#2
Lng Rng Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 944	I may be wrong, but red squirrels might not be fit to eat. I have never personally tasted one, but don't know of anybody that has either.

03-08-2008, 04:09 PM	#3
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,875 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	Depends on thier diet. We used to shoot the in the mountains near Tucson (2 week season) the darned things ate so many pine cones they tasted very piney. I eventually quit hunting them because I believe in eating what I harvest (with exception of varmits etc.)

03-08-2008, 04:13 PM	#5
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,087	Red squirrels are perfectly good to eat altho you dont want to invite too many guest,s.My guess is your friend spitted his squirrel on a willow branch or some other obnocious stick.Tell hom check the spit before using it. sam.

03-08-2008, 04:33 PM	#6
LakerDad Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Central Missouri Posts: 209	I agree, the red fox tail squirrels are great fried, baked whatever, I would guess along the same lines as suggested that there was something else up that caused the smells. The little grey squirrels I have here are plenty but would be a lot of work for diner lol [tasty tho] the worst smells come from bull frogs, but they sure taste good! or how about deep fried crawdad's with some spicy dipping sauce...I think I just made myself hungry...lol fried rabbit and quail oh my!

03-08-2008, 04:43 PM	#7
AKHunter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 899	It was a willow spit but I use those all the time. It was a headshot with a pellet pistol. He may have done a poor job gutting it and tainted it that way. I figured it was an anomaly or such. Glad to hear it was abnormal. I think I may take a few next time and give it another go.

03-08-2008, 04:47 PM	#8
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,087	Are you sure you use willow?When it burns it smells like pee burning. sam.

03-08-2008, 05:02 PM	#9
AKHunter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 899	Oh yeah, frequently, smoke fish with it and roast marshmallows etc. Ate a bunch of moose and grouse off of willow spits last fall at moose camp. I am beginning to think it was carelessness while cleaning.

03-09-2008, 12:13 PM	#11
AKHunter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 899	Lol. np Sam. It got me to thinking though and I consider that a good thing .

03-09-2008, 12:18 PM	#12
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 10,690	Red or Fox squirrels can be tuff but they are as delisous as Gray or Cat squirrels. It's unbelievable how good squirrels taste.

03-09-2008, 12:41 PM	#14
AKHunter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 899	Yes that looks just like the red squirrel we have in alaska, they eat primarily spruce cone nuts. They are not very large, perhaps the smallest of squirrels.

03-09-2008, 01:01 PM	#15
mitch_mckee Banned Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 1,085 Images: 3	I thought you were talking about a red Fox squirrel. Fox Squirrels I think you are talking about what we call "Boomers" around here. Little squirrels that live only at high altitudes and live off pine cones. North American Mammals: Tamiasciurus hudsonicus I've never eaten one of those.

03-10-2008, 12:06 AM	#19
mitch_mckee Banned Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 1,085 Images: 3	OK. This is a traditional recipe from the pioneer days in Tennessee: Squirrel Dumplings 2-3 grey squirrels, dressed Self rising flour Milk Oil Boil squirrels for about an hour Make biscuit dough. Roll to about 1/2" thich, dusted well with flour Remove squirells from boiling broth Drop strips of dough into boiling water (rolling boil) Reduce heat and simmer about 5 min. Eat dujmplings. eat tree rat at own risk. (I do)

03-10-2008, 12:08 AM	#20
AKHunter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 899	I'll give it a go next time I get a couple. I will try most anything once.