I took a day in the woods for myself, yesterday. I call it my birthday trek, and I’ve been doing it for the last 6 years, or so. I try to make it something a little different, and I think I did, this year.
I hit the woods about 0900. It was nippy, about 26° but headed for 40°, clear, bright and calm, a good day for squirrel hunting. That was my goal, but I couldn’t start, just yet, because I had brought along no bullets. On purpose. I had a bag mold and some lead, though. I hiked a short distance into the woods lot, then, using shredded cedar bark, charcloth and char wood, and catching a spark from the lock of my .40 caliber flint rifle, I started a little fire. When the coals were right I melted some lead and poured a couple of balls.
I loaded one of them over 35 grains of 3Fg Goex, with a .008” patch and my beeswax/lard lube. Primed with 4F, and I was off to gather my lunch, because I had brought no food, either. On purpose. Well, unless you count one little corn pone. Think you're a hunter, huh? Well, prove it.
I hunted half an hour before I saw anything, then spotted a fox squirrel about 40 yards away, half-way up a tree, flagging its tail and squacking. It was in the clear, but that’s too long an offhand shot for this old man, so I sneaked toward it looking for a rest. Before I could reach one the squirrel moved on through several other trees, then went to ground and disappeared. I kept sneaking and soon spotted it in some heavy trash on the ground at 25 yards. My offhand shot was good. It was a young female. With the makings of lunch in hand I looked for a likely spot and found a nice little nook with rocks to make a fire pit and, more importantly, a big cedar tree.
I gathered piles of cedar twigs and branches for the fire from the big cedar, and also some bark for my tinder. Using my burning glass, char wood and the cedar bark, I soon had a fire going. Lord love a cedar tree. Recent rain meant absolutely everything was soaking wet, and starting a fire could have been a problem without it.
When enough coals had developed I put my tin kettle on, and cleaned the squirrel while I waited for it to boil.
Squirrel and salt were added to the pot, and I spent the next 45 minutes tending the fire. I shot at some osage oranges, threw my tomahawk and just generally enjoyed being alive and lucky enough to be there doing it.
When the squirrel was tender I took it out and added a handful of rockahominy to the broth.
I removed all the meat from the bones.
By this time the rockahominy was cooked, so I returned the squirrel meat to the pot.
Once it heated I served it up. By this time it was 1600, and I was ready for it.
A wooden bowl of that dish of squirrel and rockahominy, generously sprinkled with cayenne pepper, along with my corn pone, and I wouldn’t know what more to ask for. That may be the tastiest thing I have ever cooked in camp. I really enjoyed that meal, and I should have, I worked hard for it. Pleasant work, though, if you can get it.
Spence
I hit the woods about 0900. It was nippy, about 26° but headed for 40°, clear, bright and calm, a good day for squirrel hunting. That was my goal, but I couldn’t start, just yet, because I had brought along no bullets. On purpose. I had a bag mold and some lead, though. I hiked a short distance into the woods lot, then, using shredded cedar bark, charcloth and char wood, and catching a spark from the lock of my .40 caliber flint rifle, I started a little fire. When the coals were right I melted some lead and poured a couple of balls.
I loaded one of them over 35 grains of 3Fg Goex, with a .008” patch and my beeswax/lard lube. Primed with 4F, and I was off to gather my lunch, because I had brought no food, either. On purpose. Well, unless you count one little corn pone. Think you're a hunter, huh? Well, prove it.
I hunted half an hour before I saw anything, then spotted a fox squirrel about 40 yards away, half-way up a tree, flagging its tail and squacking. It was in the clear, but that’s too long an offhand shot for this old man, so I sneaked toward it looking for a rest. Before I could reach one the squirrel moved on through several other trees, then went to ground and disappeared. I kept sneaking and soon spotted it in some heavy trash on the ground at 25 yards. My offhand shot was good. It was a young female. With the makings of lunch in hand I looked for a likely spot and found a nice little nook with rocks to make a fire pit and, more importantly, a big cedar tree.
I gathered piles of cedar twigs and branches for the fire from the big cedar, and also some bark for my tinder. Using my burning glass, char wood and the cedar bark, I soon had a fire going. Lord love a cedar tree. Recent rain meant absolutely everything was soaking wet, and starting a fire could have been a problem without it.
When enough coals had developed I put my tin kettle on, and cleaned the squirrel while I waited for it to boil.
Squirrel and salt were added to the pot, and I spent the next 45 minutes tending the fire. I shot at some osage oranges, threw my tomahawk and just generally enjoyed being alive and lucky enough to be there doing it.
When the squirrel was tender I took it out and added a handful of rockahominy to the broth.
I removed all the meat from the bones.
By this time the rockahominy was cooked, so I returned the squirrel meat to the pot.
Once it heated I served it up. By this time it was 1600, and I was ready for it.
A wooden bowl of that dish of squirrel and rockahominy, generously sprinkled with cayenne pepper, along with my corn pone, and I wouldn’t know what more to ask for. That may be the tastiest thing I have ever cooked in camp. I really enjoyed that meal, and I should have, I worked hard for it. Pleasant work, though, if you can get it.
Spence
