Hunting Squirrel

[familytents]

Have you ever hunted and eaten squirrel? My brother would shoot them in the head. But do you know of any bushcrafting skills that are easier than shooting them? They can dart off awfully fast.

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

I use a 16 gauge shotgun in the early part of the season when the leaves are on the trees, since I'm usually shooting upwards without a good backstop.

Later on when the leaves are off and the squirrels are on the ground, I tend to use a .22.

Squirrel is good eating, and not hard to clean, if you know the trick.

I soak them in salt water overnight after skinning them to get any blood out of the meat, and then cut them up and coat them in flour and pan fry them, or cook them in a crock pot and pick the meat off the bones for squirrel BBQ.

One tip- for old (especially male) squirrels, you will want to give them some time in a pressure cooker to tenderize them. I've had a few old boar squirrels where even the gravy was tough. The meat itself was like trying to chew a rubber tire.

 

[CozInCowtown]

I have had squirrel but not my favorite table fare. I will still eat it with no reservations, just not a favorite of mine.
Very fun to hunt though!!
I like rabbit much better, quail even better than that.
DC

 

[Hikenhunter]

best thing to do with squirrel meat is use it in a stew. I add chunks of other meat as well and it makes for an interesting meal. Can't wait to go the season will be here soon enough.

 

[Esperahol]

You can try trapping them, if you have the patience. I prefer shooting them. Does anyone besides me cut off the little bit that looks like of a handshaped birthmark? I was always told that was bad mojo so I removed it before dropping them in a crockpot to make stew.

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

You can try trapping them, if you have the patience. I prefer shooting them. Does anyone besides me cut off the little bit that looks like of a handshaped birthmark? I was always told that was bad mojo so I removed it before dropping them in a crockpot to make stew.

Musta been bad mojo for the squirrel if he's headed for the stewpot.

 

[dinosaur]

I do it the way the breamfisherman does it. I also like to bow hunt them. This is done with a blunt arrow. There is a good way to trap them. Find or cut a branch 3 to 4 inches in diameter about ten feet in length. At 15 to 18 inch intervals toward the middle of the branch, tie four to six wire nooses onto it just a bit bigger than a squirrel's head. Lean the branch up against a tree at a 45 degree angle with the nooses up. Squirrels can't seem to resist running up the pole as a ramp to climb the tree and at some point will hang themselves.

 

[familytents]

Great information, pretty elaborate, thanks everyone. I'm going to try that trapping method, dinosaur, sounds good. Fantastic cooking tips too, wvbreamfisherman, bet it's tasty. Stew too, good idea. Excellent learning tips here!