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Squirrel ... it's what's for dinner!

We always made squirrel noodle soup. When my buddy and I go out, I use a 10/22 and he brings a 20 ga, in case we run across grouse or quail.
 
texasred66 said:
How do you skin them without getting hair all over them?
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There was some hair on it. But not a lot. I slit it up the belly, removed the lower guts (below the diaphragm) intact and used my hands to work the pelt off the meat. I removed the diaphragm and there wasn't much left of the heart & lungs due to the bullet. I disjointed it at the wrists & ankles and the pelt came off like sleeves. I washed it well afterwards.

Oh, and I probably ate some fur :D
 
Masteroffajitas said:
Man, if I had a bb gun It'd be squirrel seasong in my backyard...they get in the trash, drive my already crazy boxer even more crazier...
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Actually even inexpensive .177 caliber air rifles will have no problem taking squirrel. In my experience squirrel is easier for an airgun to take then large crows. I actually think if you are within say 35 yards, that an airgun might be more suitable then a .22 because it makes less of a mess and less noise.
 
Squirrel season?!

that sucks, When I'm back in Alaska I keep the air rifle next to the door, suckers start chattering and I kill 'em, dang insulation stealing mofos!
 
kidwholaughs said:
Hey guys, what do y'all look for when you check the liver and kidneys? The squirrel does look tasty.

God Bless
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Not to gross you out, but there are several diseases that squirrels can get. Most don't appear to be transmissable to people, but a was mentioned CJD is one as is typhus. Some others:

Tularemia - http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-27293--,00.html

Not on the liver also squirrel pox - http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-27274--,00.html

Cysts - http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26630--,00.html

Of course, you can catch something from eating just about any animal, even if it's cholesterol.
 
Save the pelt and practice your tanning. If you case it out, (tube it out) it has a tough hide to make pouches with. Could be your new fire kit pouch. If you tie flys, the tail gives you some good material.
 
Loosearrow said:
Save the pelt and practice your tanning. If you case it out, (tube it out) it has a tough hide to make pouches with. Could be your new fire kit pouch. If you tie flys, the tail gives you some good material.
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I had planned to, but it was drying outside and the %&#!! coyotes got to it. Season for them opens in a month.
 
We got a few more weeks before small game opens here. My favorite way to eat them is to take the quarters, lightly flour them and season with salt, black pepper and a little garlic powder. Then pan fry the quarters in a dutch oven for a bit, take the meat out and make a dark roux in the oil, then bring that up to a fairly thick gravy with water or a chicken/veggie stock. Return the quarters, cover and slow simmer until the meat forks off the bone. Then serve the meat in gravy over rice. I'll have to disagree about the lot of work statement. A day in the woods and two of us can get enough for several meals, and be out less than $2 in ammo. Once you get some practice in, you can dress one out in less than a minute. When the river is up we hunt the backwater sloughs from a canoe; that is a lot of fun.
 
I grew up eating a lot of squirrel. Squirrel hunting was my form of homework procrastination - and a squirrel sandwich was a common afterschool snack (just shredded pieces on bread with mustard and mayo).

Food's a funny thing - people all over the world eat all kinds of things from insects to dogs. But it's always interesting when you encounter someone whose food choices are different than your own and you're the one eating something they don't. It wasn't until I moved up north and occasionally mentioned that I ate squirrel that I realized it wasn't a common thing to do. It's a funny reaction you get from people who come from a different culinary culture - that look that you get, "Really?!? Squirrel?!?" I always chuckle a little and say, "Yeah, sure" :D

Anyhow, it's made me much more respectful of other peoples' culinary cultures. Dogs, horses, insects - if you call it food, that's alright by me. :thumbup:
 
ieraseu said:
Actually even inexpensive .177 caliber air rifles will have no problem taking squirrel. In my experience squirrel is easier for an airgun to take then large crows. I actually think if you are within say 35 yards, that an airgun might be more suitable then a .22 because it makes less of a mess and less noise.
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That is why we have suppressors on our .22s :D the firing makes less noise than the bullet impacting:cool:

IMG_5616.jpg


The small one is the 22LR
 
fishshooter said:
We got a few more weeks before small game opens here. My favorite way to eat them is to take the quarters, lightly flour them and season with salt, black pepper and a little garlic powder. Then pan fry the quarters in a dutch oven for a bit, take the meat out and make a dark roux in the oil, then bring that up to a fairly thick gravy with water or a chicken/veggie stock. Return the quarters, cover and slow simmer until the meat forks off the bone. Then serve the meat in gravy over rice. I'll have to disagree about the lot of work statement. A day in the woods and two of us can get enough for several meals, and be out less than $2 in ammo. Once you get some practice in, you can dress one out in less than a minute. When the river is up we hunt the backwater sloughs from a canoe; that is a lot of fun.
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:thumbup:
 
As far as I can tell Squirrel season is year round here in Utah as long as you have a small game licence and the small game/fishing combo licence here is only $30. I'm thinking about trying my hand at hunting squirrels for dinner. Thinking a few squirrels slow cooked in the dutch oven with garlic, onion, herbs and veggies would make a great dinner.

BTW I don't like going out to just blast rabbits and such but if I am going to eat the animal, the idea of hunting doesn't bother me. Thinking Squirrel and Rabbit might be the way to start learning to hunt.

Heber
 
I visited the west this summer including Utah. Your squirrels are puny with long noses. The jack rabbits are huge. Id like to try jack rabbit.
 
dipbait said:
I visited the west this summer including Utah. Your squirrels are puny with long noses. The jack rabbits are huge. Id like to try jack rabbit.
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Out in the county by my mom's place there are tons of jack rabbits. Wonder how they are for eating in the spring and fall?

Heber
 
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