I passed on him

[svnmag]

Y'all kill me with the squirrel attitude!! I PROMISE: Shoot out it's eyeball or eardrum, take the same care to dress as a deer, debone (not necessary) trim then soak overnight in MILD saltwater (deboning allows for gentle treatment with a meat hammer/Jaccard)--rinse. Treat the beautiful white meat as chicken. I promise...

This is advice from the Hills. I don't mind squirrels in the bird feeder as it allows me to see something else alive during the asscrack of winter while eating cheese.

That is all.

 

[Davey Crockett]

They had a tunnel under the snow up to the bird feeder here , fun to watch them pack a few seeds home. If times ever get tough we will be able to get quite a few meals out of them, just keep the scurry healthy .

 

[svnmag]

They had a tunnel under the snow up to the bird feeder here , fun to watch them pack a few seeds home. If times ever get tough we will be able to get quite a few meals out of them, just keep the scurry healthy .

You got any gray/blacks up there? We've got all three "here". They seem to take turns giving the birds a break. In the Hills gray and fox (red) don't seem to get along with many fox kills being sans testicles. Blacks are as rare as hen's teeth. In high school I was once in a house with two mounted black fox squirrels. Holy shit and they were as big as cats: Which brings me to my next point: Should you shoot a "cat-sized" "red" ; deboning, soaking and tenderizing is imperative: Seriously!! What the hell do these things eat?! This should be enough to "know" the meat has a good flavor.

FWIW: This is what's called a red squirrel in the Hills. It's also called "fairydiddle" "boomer" and "pine squirrel". It's about as big as a gopher (etc), has dark red meat and tastes like shit:

Bonus (mute)--the meat looks good but I don't understand the furry feet:

 

[CatDaddy]

You got any gray/blacks up there? We've got all three "here". They seem to take turns giving the birds a break. In the Hills gray and fox (red) don't get along with many fox kills being sans testicles. Blacks are as rare as hen's teeth. In high school I was once in a house with two mounted black fox squirrels. Holy shit and they were as big as cats: Which brings me to my next point: Should you shoot a "cat-sized" "red" ; deboning, soaking and tenderizing is imperative: Seriously!! What the hell do these things eat?! This should be enough to "know" the meat has a good flavor.

FWIW: This is what's called a red squirrel in the Hills. It's also called "fairydiddle" "boomer" and "pine squirrel". It's about as big as a gopher (etc), has dark red meat and tastes like shit:

Bonus (mute):

I'm seriously looking to squirrel hunt with my boys, and of course.....we're going to eat what we shoot. Thanks SVN!

 

[LBrandt]

Deepfreeze is to damed full to go squirrel hunting. Will save for the next depression along with skunk and racoon with the rare jackrabbit. Cottontail is right next to pheasant to me. LB

 

[LBrandt]

Right now the Reds that I have here are too much fun to watch fight the bluejays for the sunflower and sweetcorn left over in garden. Sometimes they go tooth and beak all out hammer down brawl. LB

 

[PrairieGhost]

I'm seriously looking to squirrel hunt with my boys, and of course.....we're going to eat what we shoot. Thanks SVN!

Skin, quarter, Shake&Bake. Simple as it gets and good. If it's an old male with testicle the size of walnuts soak overnight in mild salt water as svmag indicated and also add a little baking soda to the water.

 

[Jiffy]

Cottontail is better than pheasant imo.

I've eaten a few squirrels. They look like big rats when you get them skinned but they taste good. They have never been something I've pursued.

 

[Davey Crockett]

worked with a guy years ago who raised butcher rabbits and he gave me one , It tasted good and I bet it was a heck of a lot easier to butcher than a chicken. It's something I'd consider if I was in survival mode like they were in the 30s

 

[LBrandt]

Tame rabbits during hard times = the most bang for your dollar. They would eat grass clippings all spring, summer and fall and think how far a big round bale of alfalfa would go much less than a pickup load of corn screenings. LB

 

[Davey Crockett]

I'm surprised the Norwegian tribe where I came from didn't raise butcher rabbits. My Dad had never tasted tame rabbit at the time. Rabbit hunting for fur value was a good income.

 

[Davey Crockett]

You got any gray/blacks up there? We've got all three "here". They seem to take turns giving the birds a break. In the Hills gray and fox (red) don't seem to get along with many fox kills being sans testicles. Blacks are as rare as hen's teeth. In high school I was once in a house with two mounted black fox squirrels. Holy shit and they were as big as cats: Which brings me to my next point: Should you shoot a "cat-sized" "red" ; deboning, soaking and tenderizing is imperative: Seriously!! What the hell do these things eat?! This should be enough to "know" the meat has a good flavor.

Mostly Reds right in the yard, the black ones up here are flying squirrels. Getting to be quite a few of those too.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Back when we still lived on the farm in ND, we fed the deer all winter with corn, screenings, barley, and alfalfa bales. The darn squirrels would come down and just pack those seeds out and they looked like a person with a ton of chew on both sides of their mouths.
Those suckers got as big as ground hogs, I kid you not. It sure slowed them down when the dog would give chase on those suckers.
Another thing that is hard on wires is chipmunks. Those darn rodents sure like the insulation on wires.

 

[svnmag]

I did not know ND had chipmunks.

 

[svnmag]

 

[svnmag]

^^^^I'd add some vegetables in the mix and cornstarch to the broth.

 

[sl1000794]

I did not know ND had chipmunks.

September 2019, Lake Metigoshe

 

[svnmag]

And there it is...I've seen one groundhog...are there 'possums?

 

[LBrandt]

I have heard of a few possums hitch hiking on loads of lumber but they don't take the cold very well. Kind of like parking lot lizards. So I have heard. LB