ZT 0561 and Squirrel

AddictedToGear

AddictedToGear

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Aug 28, 2013
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This weekend was very beautiful here in Kansas so I decided to go hiking and took the shotgun along in case I found either rabbit or squirrel. I had no luck with rabbit, but saw tons of squirrels and took on. This was actually my first squirrel as I am still relatively new to hunting (just started deer and rabbit hunting last year). I really enjoyed my day outside spending it in nature. From other squirrels I have seen throughout various states these were fairly good size. I shot it with my Mossberg 500. I switch between this and an air rifle, but somedays I suck with the air rifle and the shotgun is easier as squirrels do not stay still. As this was my first squirrel I really did appreciate the beauty of this lean animal. The fur was beautiful and I was blessed to have taken this animal.

It was a good clean kill. The squirrels in the area were of good size and I would not kill small to medium sized squirrels usually because there is not much meat and I do have a respect for the animals if I kill them then usually I eat them. (there are a few exceptions where I just keep the fur) In this case I kept the fur and ate the squirrel for Sunday breakfast after cleaning it Saturday night. Tasted pretty good as I was a little unsure, but the thigh muscles were the best.

When home and ready to clean the squirrel I realized after my recent folder spree that the best hunting knife I had was a cheap chinese Winchester which was fairly big and dull. So I looked at a few folding knives and narrowed it down to the Spyderco Delica 4 and ZT 0561. I figured it would be a fun test and I always like to use my knives. I picked the ZT 0561 as I figured it would be easier to clean since it has standoffs. I skinned it with the ZT and then cleaned the knife when i was all done. The knife was cleaned and now operates smoother than before which was already fairly smooth and fast. Now it is very fast flipping while still having no blade play and it is clean and operates smoothly. Figured I would share my little story and pictures should be below.

WARNING GRAPHIC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/102713545@N04/10793152415/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/102713545@N04/10793283004/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/102713545@N04/10793147015/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/102713545@N04/10793144125/in/photostream/
 
salmonkiller said:
Thank for sharing.How did you cook your squirrel?
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I put a little bbq rub on it and cooked it in a skillet. Most people I know or at least my family like to cook most of their "game" with bacon, but I do not eat bacon for health reasons. I will probably try something different the next few times. I did see quite a few more squirrels where I was hunting and all good size enough to eat. (Just do not want to over hunt an area so one or two more trips to that spot for this season)
 
tastes like chicken. Its good rolled in flour and fried just like chicken too. Good in soup with dumplings too.
 
Your day sounds fun, always enjoyable. What technique do you use to clean them? Looks awaful bloody but by all means do what works for you tho. Either way awesome, last time I cleaned squirrel I used my BM555 which worked surprisingly well.

Btw I only eat the back strap and the back legs from squirrel, the rest of the meat and all the organs (other than the brain and heart) I give my dogs (I don't give my dogs the brain or heart cause of fear of disease and/or heart worms).
 
Nicely done. id eat them more if i could find bigger ones down here. no shortage....like fuzzy tailed rats all over. most are loaded with parasites though and scrawny.........one of the downsides of hot weather year round....i guess.
 
heavyfoldersarebest said:
How would you describe the taste of the squirrel?
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It did not quite taste like chicken but was a little similar. It was definitely a darker meat, but the texture of most of it was very similar to chicken.

"What technique do you use to clean them? " I used a technique off of the wildernessoutfitters youtube channel as I wanted to save the hide. I will most likely not use this too often unless I am saving the hide as it took me a long time and honestly I sucked at it. This was my first time squirrel cleaning so next time I will either have my cousin help me or I will experiment with a quicker and easier way. I want to try and get as much meat as possible and I am not sure if I was able to do that this way. The back legs definitely were the best, but I had a little trouble cutting the backstraps. The meat right around the spine was good to though.
 
Cereal_killer said:
This is the technique I use, learned when I was about 7, ive made a few small tweaks to this guys method but same general idea. I can gut/clean them in under 5 minutes in the field then I don't have to carry them around bleeding all day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUUR6lxnAME

(The guy's entertaining too lol)
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This actually helps a lot. I did not clean mine in the field last time, but will try to do so from now on. After I clean it like this can I just put the meat in a cooler and continue hunting?
 
AddictedToGear said:
This actually helps a lot. I did not clean mine in the field last time, but will try to do so from now on. After I clean it like this can I just put the meat in a cooler and continue hunting?
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Yes after its cleaned just put it right in your pack and go on, it'll last a little while before needing to drop it off at the cooler, personally I use 1g bags and clean the squirrel when I get it, put it in an individual bag and put that in my pack, I only make a trip back to my truck every couple hours to drop them on ice. (Use your judgment here, if its 90* out they're not gonna make it as long before needing ice) but the good part is once cleaned they'll actually last longer than if the guts are all intact.

I say "if your taking it home put it on ice" because if your going to eat it for dinner that day or sooner I put them down into ice water ASAP after killing/cleaning. Not that its necessary, its just how I was raised, when we go hunting we have the ice cooler for what's being taken home and the ice water cooler for that night's meat.
 
AddictedToGear said:
I did see quite a few more squirrels where I was hunting and all good size enough to eat. (Just do not want to over hunt an area so one or two more trips to that spot for this season)
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Not much chance of ever over-hunting the squirrel population if these are Blacks/Greys you're talking about. They're a GD nuisance here and my parents have been live-trapping (and then drowning) 200+ squirrels a year on their 1/2 acre wooded property and haven't so much as put a dent in the population. Squirrels in a urban/suburban setting have no natural enemies (except for automobiles) and breed like flies. Further out of town and in real forest there are virtually no black squirrels at all; Fishers (medium-sized weasels) run them down and dine on them!
If you find them palatable go for it! Problem with using a shotgun is you often wind up gnawing on lead pellets. I'm a fan of 22 CB longs myself; peanuts to operate, make no noise and go clean through those 'furry chewing machines'. Just mind your back drop so you don't send errant heavy metals on into people's cars and houses.
 
Well the area I am hunting in has a decent amount of squirrel, but are all fairly large which is good for hunting but they are no in excess. I would love to use a .22, but many times I am shooting up into trees so I use a shotgun, but I do use an air rifle as well. The squirrels are Fox squirrels, I am not sure about hunting grey squirrels as I would do that only if they were a nuisance. If the animal is not bothering me or the habitat around it and I can not use it for food and it provides only minimal fur then I do not justify taking its life. Squirrels usually just go about their business and do not bother wildlife or the habitat. The larger ones like the fox squirrels I hunt have great fur and and have the most meat on a squirrel that I have seen (I just need to be able to save as much meat as I can). Fox Squirrels are definitely my favorite as they have a beautiful color
 
300Six said:
... I'm a fan of 22 CB longs myself; peanuts to operate, make no noise and go clean through those 'furry chewing machines'. Just mind your back drop so you don't send errant heavy metals on into people's cars and houses.
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In my browning lever gun I am a huge fan of .22 short CB's, now those are freakin quiet and great for squirrel and other pest control. Every once in awhile I'll get called down to come dispatch live-trapped rat or 'coon and I shoot them with the short CB's right in the barn/garage, did I mention they're QUIET?!

Out in the woods tho I use your standard bulk pack .22lr HP's in my browning and my other semi-auto's, I use to buy those CCI stingers and mini-mags but they're less consistent in accuracy than standard/bulk-pack stuff. .22 rim fire is much more fun/challenging to get squirrel and rabbit both and is what I use ~90* of the time but if it were a "find food or don't eat tonight" situation then yea I'd go for my 20ga.
 
Thank you for sharing! Love seeing the 561 getting some use. I actually enjoy squirrel from time to time when camping. Pretty good when cooked over a fire! Just can't do it when my wife is with me, she just thinks they are too cute.
 
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