Squirrel Season

[Stevens]

All year squirrels have been running across the yard back and forth from the wood/swamp to my fig, persimmon, citrus, pecan and oak trees. We live in a rural area where our back yard joins the woods, I have never hunted squirrels nor eaten one. Last week I told my wife I was going to shoot a couple for her to make some squirrel sauce piquant or stew with. Yesterday morning, Oct. 3rd, squirrel season opened. Guess what, I haven't seen a single squirrel since, I did hear some shooting from the woods across the highway I guess the squirrels did too, we'll see if they get brave and venture out later in the season. The woods are full of Poison Ivy I'm not going in there hunting for them!
Steve W

[Catwrangler]

http://smith-wessonforum.com/usercp.php
Be careful in the woods, lest the Hunter becomes the hunted.

[rufgr]

Squirrel season started here in Indiana August 15 and so far it has been great. My 2 sons and I hunt with 22 rifles, i have a Kimber hunter and my sons both use Remington 513-s. We try for only head shots and use hollow point ammunition so we either have a miss or a dead squirrel. So far this year we have 34 so we will be able to have several squirrel fries.

[Golphin]

Hunted squirrel when I was younger. The only way I have ever eaten any was fried and they were good. I don't think I would cook it any other way myself.

[Rpg]

Many years ago, my dad and I were duck hunting. Things were very slow.

Dad took the opportunity to shoot a squirrel. He was of the view that you should eat what you shoot so we took the thing home.

We had a second kitchen in the basement, so Dad took the carcass to the basement and commenced to cook it. Squirrel wasn’t something we’d ever cooked or served in our family.

Shortly after the cooking began, the most foul odor Mom, my sisters or I had ever experienced in that house began wafting up from the basement.

Dad and the dogs came upstairs in a rush. The dogs wanted out. Dad wanted to open all the windows and turn on the attic fan. This occurred in December in Colorado.

Once the fan was going strong and the house began to air out, Mom sent Dad back to the basement with instructions to clean up the mess and get rid of the rodent.

Dad took the now cooked rodent to the yard and offered it to the dogs. No takers!

We made a big fire in the trash pit and cremated the squirrel. That stank too.

Since then, I’ve not hunted squirrels. I have killed squirrels for pest control purposes but not as game.

[K Frame Keith]

Originally Posted by Rpg

Many years ago, my dad and I were duck hunting. Things were very slow.

Dad took the opportunity to shoot a squirrel. He was of the view that you should eat what you shoot so we took the thing home.

We had a second kitchen in the basement, so Dad took the carcass to the basement and commenced to cook it. Squirrel wasn’t something we’d ever cooked or served in our family.

Shortly after the cooking began, the most foul odor Mom, my sisters or I had ever experienced in that house began wafting up from the basement.

Dad and the dogs came upstairs in a rush. The dogs wanted out. Dad wanted to open all the windows and turn on the attic fan. This occurred in December in Colorado.

Once the fan was going strong and the house began to air out, Mom sent Dad back to the basement with instructions to clean up the mess and get rid of the rodent.

Dad took the now cooked rodent to the yard and offered it to the dogs. No takers!

We made a big fire in the trash pit and cremated the squirrel. That stank too.

Since then, I’ve not hunted squirrels. I have killed squirrels for pest control purposes but not as game.

Damn Dude! Sounds like you shot a grey skunk. A common first timer mistake!

[Grayfox]

Some years back, My M-I-L bought a house way back in the boonies. Squirrels became a down right pest. Gettin' into everything, chewin' on everything and just being a general nuisance. She wanted help and I was glad to oblige.
Yep, come opening morning there wasn't a squirrel to seen anywhere. In fact, they completely disappeared until spring.

[ralph7]

Originally Posted by Rpg

Many years ago, my dad and I were duck hunting. Things were very slow.

Dad took the opportunity to shoot a squirrel. He was of the view that you should eat what you shoot so we took the thing home.

We had a second kitchen in the basement, so Dad took the carcass to the basement and commenced to cook it. Squirrel wasn’t something we’d ever cooked or served in our family.

Shortly after the cooking began, the most foul odor Mom, my sisters or I had ever experienced in that house began wafting up from the basement.

Dad and the dogs came upstairs in a rush. The dogs wanted out. Dad wanted to open all the windows and turn on the attic fan. This occurred in December in Colorado.

Once the fan was going strong and the house began to air out, Mom sent Dad back to the basement with instructions to clean up the mess and get rid of the rodent.

Dad took the now cooked rodent to the yard and offered it to the dogs. No takers!

We made a big fire in the trash pit and cremated the squirrel. That stank too.

Since then, I’ve not hunted squirrels. I have killed squirrels for pest control purposes but not as game.

You have to skin and gut them...

[ancient-one]

In the late 40's and for several decades their were no deer or turkey in central OK and you mainly hunted varmints, rabbits, squirrels, ducks, possums, coons and crows My favorite hunting memories were the squirrel hunts with one of the best buddies that one could ever have. He had a Winchester pump 22 with the hammer(can't remember the model) and I had a Remington 121. We still hunted, as and someone stated above, took only head shots.
We would usually take a hunk of rat cheese(you had to seal it up pretty good because it became oily and greasy), some peanut butter and crackers and water. That stuff tasted better than steak when you were sitting in the timber listening to the spring trickle by. The place that we hunted could not have been better. The strip of big trees started about a half of mile from the river which itself was loaded with squirrel because of all the big cottonwood trees. . In the area that we hunted the ground slanted slowly downward toward the river. It had lots of big trees and about a 15-20 acre cornfield next to it. A nice spring started at the beginning of the tree area and ran into a creek that emptied into the river. The spring was a beautiful thing. It started beneath a huge red sandstone rock that was altogether about 15 feet wide. Underneath it about 15 foot was a cave like area from which the spring flowed. It formed a pool before it started the trip to the river.
I became acquainted with the farmer and his wife when I was delivering gasoline and kerosene to them. I was 16 and just out of HS and even being young and fit, bucketing five gallon cans of fuel up a ladder got tough when you were talking about 3-500 gallons. I think that Mrs. Cundiff felt sorry for me. Anyhow, I had no problem getting permission to hunt after I returned from the Navy.
Mr. Cundiff loved squirrel but never hunted so we always made sure to clean him some. If we a bad day we would leave him all that we had. Those are memories that will never leave me, for instance a squirrels teeth print in the toe of my boot. It was head shot but not in the deadly area and it became alive all of a sudden it started to take off. I stepped on it's tail and it whipped around and bit the toe of my boot. Some how it didn't make it clear through.
I think that I will get my grandson to go with me and take a trip back to that farm. I don't know who lives there now but surely they would let me have one more look at the spring. I hope that it is still running. I couldn't walk to the spring but unless things have changed you can drive within fifty feet of it.
My friend is gone like everyone that I worked with. He was AF and flew in the old Martin B-26. He was wounded in the butt when a bullet came up from the ground and through his seat. His comment about his wound was I was butt shot and I am sure glad it wasn't centered.

[Tubbsy]

Early season i use my old belgian 12 with light load #6's, later i move to a scoped .22.... then archery deer season comes in and squirrel take a back burner until deer season is done. Swear I saw more sitting in the stand today than I did all season of hunting them....

[Nevada Ed]

Never had Squirrel , here in Nevada.......... no trees !!

but we do enjoy Pigmy and cottontail rabbits, after a good frost and freeze to get rid of any skin works, before we go hunting.

Toss some chucker in the pot and now you have a stew that is worth something with carrots and onions, for that French bread to soak up !

[Dave.357]

Squirrel hunting with a .22 handgun will sharpen
Your skills.Only hungry people with a handicap
Would use a shogun.

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Originally Posted by Dave.357

Squirrel hunting with a .22 handgun will sharpen
Your skills.Only hungry people with a handicap
Would use a shogun.

Have a friend that thinks like you do. He throws a rock. He is right handed but has gotten so good at it he now uses his left hand so he doesn't tear them up too much

[rubiranch]

Its open season on squirrels here year round.

[ralph7]

Originally Posted by Dave.357

Squirrel hunting with a .22 handgun will sharpen
Your skills.Only hungry people with a handicap
Would use a shogun.

I wasn't aware Japanese military leaders were that adept at squirrel catching.

[Texas Star]

Originally Posted by ralph7

I wasn't aware Japanese military leaders were that adept at squirrel catching.

Yep: he spelled "Shogun", not "Shotgun."

[2sharp2]

Always loved squirrel hunting with Dad. What I wouldn't give for my Mom to be able to make squirrel gravy and biscuits like I grew up eating.
They are pretty smart and you can't just tromp off into the woods and expect to see them.
Tennessee squirrel season is August 22nd to Feb. 28.
The gravy and biscuits is the bomb.

[TheHobbyist]

Squirrel is delicious if cooked properly; like any game animal.

...remove scent glands...If unfamiliar, google this.

Some of my favorites are pressure cooked with beer, salt, black pepper; and the same, minus the beer, with tomatoes and garlic. You need two per person, per meal, or more if you prefer a large helping.