Squirrel hunters

[weitzfc]

my idea of squirrel hunting

 

[oldwood]

City folk I have met ask me why would anyone eat a squirrel ? Well...I'm glad they haven't discovered the unique tastes of wild game over the chicken , beef , and pork on most of their tables. I was privileged to have been able to go out in season and harvest what I needed for many a meal. My Appalachian coal mining family all dined on Squirrel , rabbit , Grouse , and deer , in season. I didn't like how my mom cooked wild game , so i did the honors . Great memories.

 

[reeladventuresstjohn]

BARKING A SQUIRREL : How many readers know what “BARKING” is ???
My grandfather used to hunt squirrel for eating, back in the 1950s. He hunted using his antique 20ga. Flint Lock Musket. He loaded it up with a 20ga. lead ball with a thin cloth patch lubricated with what he called “BEAR GREASE”.

He taught me not to hit the squirrel, that would blow the squirrel but shoot just below his belly into the BARK of the tree branch. The force of the lead ball tearing through the bark would explode the bark with such force into the squirrel’s soft belly that it would instantly kill him.

The other advantage to “Barking” was your didn’t have a load of lead bird shot to pick out of the meat.

 

[Grimord]

I accidentally on purpose barked a squirrel once with my .32 long rifle. I hit the bark of the tree limb just under the squirrels head. He tumbled out of the tree and I thought it was a head shot like I was aiming for. couldn't find a hair out of place on that squirrel, just a trickle of blood out of his ear. I guess the concussion killed him.

 

[SciAggie]

This is a great thread. Making a comment just to bump it up for others to enjoy.

 

[david w]

Does squirrel taste good? I’ve never tried it.

Fried squirrel can quite delicious if prepared correctly. Always make gravy and biscuits to go along with it.

 

[hanshi]

As a kid I was an obsessive squirrel hunter. I would bring them home and my grandmother (she raised me) would cook them. They're quite tasty but I always liked rabbit more.

 

[Brokennock]

This is a great thread. Making a comment just to bump it up for others to enjoy.

I somewhat agree. It is a good topic to read.... But now we get people answering 3 year old questions.

 

[oldwood]

Comparing the taste of various small game animals........Squirrel........A very tasty meat with a unique flavor. Cottontail Rabbit.......Very good , especially fried. unique flavor ,and in stew. Quail , Grouse , Ring neck Pheasant. (can't remember the flavor of woodcock) Typical wild bird meat , all tasty , prepared same as the rest. Groundhog........A very neutral tasting meat. If pressure cookered , a chicken bullion cube puts a very good flavor to a natural meat. Dove breast meat if breaded and fried , has a hint of liver flavor. (If I knew how to be a better cook , dove would be more tasty. ).......oldwood

 

[SciAggie]

I somewhat agree. It is a good topic to read.... But now we get people answering 3 year old questions.

And there’s that… Sorry.

 

[Brokennock]

And there’s that… Sorry.

Lol. Is what it is.
I'm always looking for new info. When I see a topic as marked with new activity since my last visit, I go there. Oh well.
There was a topic thread on the ALR about showing off your favorite squirrel rifle, it went on and on forever. Most additions were worthy. But, it wasn't a matter of answering a question or solving a problem.

 

[Brokennock]

can't remember the flavor of woodcock

Liver

 

[appalichian hunter]

Grounhogs, wood chucks you want to kill early in the summer when the small ones are out and about, soak the parts in butter milk and then egg wash and panko bread crumbs fried in a bit of pure lard or bacon grease, in a good cast iorn skillet think chicken fried. Also the shake and bake product works well slow roasted in oven. Fried chuck, fried taters and biscuits and a gravy from the drippings good meal there.

 

[SciAggie]

Didn’t get a turkey this morning, but I did get a squirrel.

 

[oldwood]

Thanks Brokennock for the wood cock flavor reminder.........Liver..........Dear old Dad and I , had a wooded swamp to hunt early season small game , back in the early 1960's. It contained woodcock , ducks , ringneck pheasants , big swamp cottontails . Hip boots were needed to hunt it , due to foot deep troughs of water between the humps , and high spots. Some spots were very thick , and tricky woodcock usually hid there. Though I shot a lot of trap , those tricky critters went straight up in the brush , and leveled off at aright angle to the earth. I was too impatient , fired too soon , and when the bird gave me a chance , my gun was empty. . Dad's Barretta o/u , seldom missed , so we would through the woodcocks in the pot , with the other game we got. ......oldwood

 

[Bassdog1]

Every fall I dress out a few muskrats soak in salt water and cook on smoker good stuff with a slight taste of liver.

 

[Roundball2319]

Every fall I dress out a few muskrats soak in salt water and cook on smoker good stuff with a slight taste of liver.

Hmm I will have to try that way. How long do you soak them in brine water?

 

[Bassdog1]

Usually just 24 Hours changing the water once and rinsing before I put them on the smoker.

 

[Timbercruiser]

I will carry them n my hand but lots of the time im hunting up firelanes next to big creeks n when i kill one i will hang it in a sapling or across a log or in fence n pick them up when i backtrack back to the truck

Dog huntin they go in a vest. I eat them fried, fried n smothered in gravy or ill bake them in oven too. I like to fry then smother un gravy then either put in oven ir pressure cooker to make them tender