Celebrating National Squirrel Appreciation Day!

[MIOutdoorsman]

Aptly named. Little fellow winds up with its pants down around its ankles and it’s shirt over it’s head. To be honest I’d never seen it done or even heard about it until I just tried it one day after laboriously trying to skin one like a deer.

I have only been squirrel hunting one time last year, and I was mainly walking around looking for the next season's deer sits. It's been too dang cold for me to get out this year--temps in the teens mostly, and my understanding is that the little buggers tend to hang out in their nests when it's that cold. I'm ready to get out there when it warms up a little, and I think the shirt/pants method looks to be the easiest from what I've seen.

Question though... do you gut the animal before skinning and quartering? Or do you just skin it out, then as you quarter it you just toss the guts at that time??

 

[Whughett]

I gutted after removing the four paws, head and tail.
I never hunted squirrel with a scatter gun. Not Germaine to this forum but my method was sitting quietly a grove with a scoped 22 rifle. In good years one could limit out in a few hours. Head shots or even “barking” was the goal.

 

[dhaverstick]

I've always used the "pants and shirt" method for skinning squirrels. If I'm doing the job by myself, I keep stepping on the tail to give me some tension on the body while I work his pants off. After the pants are down, I use a pair of anvil pruners to cut all 4 paws off and then I remove the head. After that, I split the pelvis and run my knife carefully up the belly and through the chest. I grab the entrails at the front end and pull them towards the back end. Usually everything comes out in one handful.

I remember my brother and I helping our dad clean squirrels one time when we were kids. My dad always kept a pack of Walker running hounds and there were 5 or 6 at our feet fighting over the goodies we were tossing their way. We also had an ole black cat that was trying to sneak in and get his share. Well, one of us threw a tidbit down and the cat and a hound grabbed it at the same time, one on each end. That dog snapped his head around to take it away from the cat and for a brief moment I was in a Looney Tunes cartoon. That cat left the ground still holding onto the scrap with his teeth. His front paws were sticking out in front of him, his eyes bugged out, and I swear his neck was stretched out a foot! It was like watching a little kid get an "airplane ride" from an adult. Centrifugal force finally won out and the cat was slung off in the dirt and the hound gulped down his prize. One of the funniest damn things I have ever seen!

Darren

 

[Whughett]

One can catch the head in a convenient crotch of a small tree to make the encircling cut which also helps to pull the breeches part down.

 

[hanshi]

" Fiest" or "feist"? Is that where the term "feisty" comes from?

 

[pilot]

Feist is a German word. German pronunciation is the second letter of the e-i combination is the long letter. So feist is pronounced like fight. If the spelling was fiest, it would be feast.

 

[JamesT]

I've always used the "pants and shirt" method for skinning squirrels. If I'm doing the job by myself, I keep stepping on the tail to give me some tension on the body while I work his pants off. After the pants are down, I use a pair of anvil pruners to cut all 4 paws off and then I remove the head. After that, I split the pelvis and run my knife carefully up the belly and through the chest. I grab the entrails at the front end and pull them towards the back end. Usually everything comes out in one handful.

I remember my brother and I helping our dad clean squirrels one time when we were kids. My dad always kept a pack of Walker running hounds and there were 5 or 6 at our feet fighting over the goodies we were tossing their way. We also had an ole black cat that was trying to sneak in and get his share. Well, one of us threw a tidbit down and the cat and a hound grabbed it at the same time, one on each end. That dog snapped his head around to take it away from the cat and for a brief moment I was in a Looney Tunes cartoon. That cat left the ground still holding onto the scrap with his teeth. His front paws were sticking out in front of him, his eyes bugged out, and I swear his neck was stretched out a foot! It was like watching a little kid get an "airplane ride" from an adult. Centrifugal force finally won out and the cat was slung off in the dirt and the hound gulped down his prize. One of the funniest damn things I have ever seen!

Darren

Now thats funny right there. I pictured that in my head. Had me laughin. Nice job with the squirrels. Ever think about getting a smallbore rifled flintlock? Can be alot of fun. You could use it on other critters too.
James

 

[dhaverstick]

Now thats funny right there. I pictured that in my head. Had me laughin. Nice job with the squirrels. Ever think about getting a smallbore rifled flintlock? Can be alot of fun. You could use it on other critters too.
James

James, I have a 32 caliber squirrel rifle, "Miss Daisy", that Mr. Pruitt made for me a couple of years ago. I love hunting with her but only bring her out when the squirrels are cutting acorns and sit still long enough for me to get a bead on them. She is a tack driver, for sure! The main thing I like about hunting with Miss Daisy over Ole Betsy is I don't have to carry nearly as much stuff with me. With Ole Betsy, I have a vials of powder, vials of shot, wads, cards, etc. With Miss Daisy, everything I need to kill a mess of squirrels, besides powder, can be carried inside a plastic turkey diaphragm call box.

Still yet, if I want to make sure I bring home some meat, I take Ole Betsy!

Darren

 

[JamesT]

James, I have a 32 caliber squirrel rifle, "Miss Daisy", that Mr. Pruitt made for me a couple of years ago. I love hunting with her but only bring her out when the squirrels are cutting acorns and sit still long enough for me to get a bead on them. She is a tack driver, for sure! The main thing I like about hunting with Miss Daisy over Ole Betsy is I don't have to carry nearly as much stuff with me. With Ole Betsy, I have a vials of powder, vials of shot, wads, cards, etc. With Miss Daisy, everything I need to kill a mess of squirrels, besides powder, can be carried inside a plastic turkey diaphragm call box.

Still yet, if I want to make sure I bring home some meat, I take Ole Betsy!

Darren

Nice. I understand what youre sayin.

 

[JamesT]

James, I have a 32 caliber squirrel rifle, "Miss Daisy", that Mr. Pruitt made for me a couple of years ago. I love hunting with her but only bring her out when the squirrels are cutting acorns and sit still long enough for me to get a bead on them. She is a tack driver, for sure! The main thing I like about hunting with Miss Daisy over Ole Betsy is I don't have to carry nearly as much stuff with me. With Ole Betsy, I have a vials of powder, vials of shot, wads, cards, etc. With Miss Daisy, everything I need to kill a mess of squirrels, besides powder, can be carried inside a plastic turkey diaphragm call box.

Still yet, if I want to make sure I bring home some meat, I take Ole Betsy!

Darren

Who's Mr. Pruitt. I'm related to Pruitts in SW Virginia. Any connection?
James

 

[illinois old fart]

I’d be interested in hearing about that really long long gun you got there. Lefty ? Caliber, that stock looks nice, roll over comb ? More details more photos. .??

Mr.Haverstik, used to work with John.

 

[Whughett]

That’s interesting. I take it that gentleman, Mr Pruitt has retired or passed on. Absolutely beautiful long guns. Darren is fortunate to own several.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

James, I have a 32 caliber squirrel rifle, "Miss Daisy", that Mr. Pruitt made for me a couple of years ago. I love hunting with her but only bring her out when the squirrels are cutting acorns and sit still long enough for me to get a bead on them. She is a tack driver, for sure! The main thing I like about hunting with Miss Daisy over Ole Betsy is I don't have to carry nearly as much stuff with me. With Ole Betsy, I have a vials of powder, vials of shot, wads, cards, etc. With Miss Daisy, everything I need to kill a mess of squirrels, besides powder, can be carried inside a plastic turkey diaphragm call box.

Still yet, if I want to make sure I bring home some meat, I take Ole Betsy!

Darren

That's a gorgeous rifle there. Too bad the lock's on the wrong side though... hehe.

 

[dhaverstick]

The rumors of John Pruitt's demise are greatly exaggerated! He'll be 81 this year and is still as feisty as ever. Here he is in all his glory.

Mr.Haverstik, used to work with John.

John Pruitt moved from Galesburg, IL several years ago and now lives on top of Shut In Gap Mountain in Spring City, TN. He still makes guns and bows and can crank either of them out faster than anybody I know. I have a pretty good deal going on with him where I have the gun parts sent to him and he sends me the finished product. I think Miss Daisy cost me three dozen homemade cookies plus the price of parts. I made the mistake of feeding John once and now I can't get rid of him. He's like an old hound, that way.

Darren

 

[1971fx]

In the last 10 years I've seen about 5 of these finally got a closeup

seup

 

[oldwood]

........Hey , looks like your feeding the little guy green coated grass seed?? Might give him a belly ache ? Just kidding. Up in Central Pa. hemlock pine woods , these black squirrels used to be plentiful. Oddly ,they were much more jumpy than grey's. . You had to be quick on the draw to git 'em

 

[1971fx]

Sunflower seeds

 

[Timbercruiser]

I usually take a kot here in etxbut after the ice storm last year we didnt have any this year. Biologist said was a strain if parvo that squirrel get. Last tesr i could take the boys n my dog out n limit out n no time this year didnt even get them out.

good pic, liked the eagle pic too.Though we have way to many here around toledo bend lake!!