Squirrels On The Menu

[airedale]

Season is coming up in a few days, the population around here seems to be pretty good. After getting some mowing done this morning I will be checking zero on a couple of my 22s today so I will be ready.

Al

[Doc]

I definitely will be going after the squirrels in our area. They stripped every pear off my two pear trees. I want revenge.

By the way, my wife asked a question about what the squirrels did with all those pears. Do they try to store them like nuts? It seems that that would not really work out all that well. On the other hand if they ate all that they took off my trees, they would be laying on their backs with their bellies about to explode. By the way, I know it was squirrels because I saw them doing it.

[First-light]

32 minutes ago, Doc said:

I definitely will be going after the squirrels in our area. They stripped every pear off my two pear trees. I want revenge.

By the way, my wife asked a question about what the squirrels did with all those pears. Do they try to store them like nuts? It seems that that would not really work out all that well. On the other hand if they ate all that they took off my trees, they would be laying on their backs with their bellies about to explode. By the way, I know it was squirrels because I saw them doing it.

My dogs eat the plums off my tree as far  as they can reach! I don't have any Grey squirrels by my house but the Reds are all over. Those get too close to the house and they get popped. They ate right through my wood siding and had babies in my attic one year. What a pain.  

[Northcountryman]

Which do you think taste better- Reds or Grays? To be honest, I dont find a significant difference in taste between the 2, though  my Grandfather always preferred the Grays.

[airedale]

Old reliable is all sighted in, Remington 541 S, bought new in the late seventies and one rifle I will not part with, if I do my part she can put one in a Squirrels ear at 50 yards.

Al

[airedale]

12 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

Which do you think taste better- Reds or Grays?

Like you I find if they are cooked up the same they pretty much taste the same.

Al

[airedale]

Tested the 541 with three different brands of ammo high and standard velocity and everything grouping great. That is one thing I love about this 541S, it is not real picky with ammo like some rifles I have. When the leaves come down so I can see something I will be ready.

Al

[airedale]

Squirrel number one, The season is long so I will only take one per day, this guy instead of being eaten he will be going into the freezer intact and will be used as a training aid for my young Airedale "Ruff". When I am done he will be able to associate those Squirrel tracks he finds in the woods with what is actually making them. I always try to use real animals when training instead of bottled scents.

Al

[Paula]

Hey guys, I forgot about squirrel hunting I should go out. @airedale good luck

[airedale]

Hey Paula there is no better tune up for Deer season than hitting the timber and still hunting for Squirrels, good luck young lady.

Al

[airedale]

Been hammering the Squirrels pretty good, one of the best seasons in quite a while, knocked one off with the Christensen Arms Ranger this morning.

The Squirrel skinning jig I picked up last summer has been working out great.

Al

[airedale]

Was out for a little while this morning, decided to change things up some and use a handgun. The Smith and Wesson model 17 masterpiece is one of my favorites and one of the first handguns I purchased. It is very accurate and I used it one whole season for Bullseye competition shooting.

Alas these days my eyes and shooting ability are not what they used to be, I had two misses before I scored but it was great to get the old revolver out and give her some love.

Al

[airedale]

Humbled today, went out for a walk with the Traditions Davy Crockett Squirrel 32 cal rifle and whiffed on two shots, they were just a tad too far for open sights and my old eyes, going to check the zero just to make sure and give her another go.

Al

[airedale]

Got the Davy Crockett Squirrel Rifle all set to go, will be taking a little walk to see if I can redeem myself and bag a Squirrel this afternoon before it rains.

Al

[airedale]

After checking the zero of this little Squirrel rifle I found it is pretty much right on the money, I just have to remember it is not the tack driver my dedicated Squirrel guns are and keep my shots short.

So a little redemption yesterday, took a Squirrel with her at around 25 yards, old Davy would have been proud.

Al

[airedale]

Out on maneuvers this morning for a little while with the Kingston Garand 22, I love this rifle and I can really shoot it well. Used for steel challenge matches mostly as she is a bit heavy to be lugging around for hunting.

Al

Al

[airedale]

Another Squirrel processing video, this is the old way that I use to do my Squirrels. it works perfectly fine.

Al

 

[New York Hillbilly]

I haven’t squirrel hunted in years, but when I did they were some of my best days in the woods. And, I always loved eating them. 

[airedale]

11 hours ago, New York Hillbilly said:

I haven’t squirrel hunted in years, but when I did they were some of my best days in the woods. And, I always loved eating them. 

To this day my best times hunting have been for Squirrels, the weather we have had has made the Squirrel hunting great and comfortable, and like you said, when cooked right the eating is as good as it gets.

Al

[airedale]

A portable version of the skinner I have, this one can be taken into the woods when hunting and used to dress out Squirrels as they are taken. They skin much easier when they are freshly killed.

Al

 

[Doc]

On 11/1/2024 at 1:58 PM, airedale said:

Another Squirrel processing video, this is the old way that I use to do my Squirrels. it works perfectly fine.

Al

 

That is exactly the way I do it, except I don't quarter them. I think quartering them may be a more neat way to finish them off, so I guess I will start doing that.

By the way, just a word of safety now that deer season is open. Don't forget the blaze orange outer clothing. I don't think it is required for us small game hunters, but safety is always more than just what the state mandates.

[airedale]

Now that the big game season is over in this neck of the woods I am back at it doing my favorite thing, hunting small game and especially Squirrels, and I finally connected on an off colored Gray Squirrel. In all the years I have hunted Squirrels I have only seen a handful of blacks, they are just few and far between in these parts and never seen a chocolate-mahogany colored one like I recently took with the Benjamin P-Rod Marauder pcp pellet rifle. These days there seems to be more than a few blacks in the area and I think this chocolate colored one is probably a cross between a black and a regular gray. Anyway, I think I will get this one mounted as he is pretty unique in my eyes.

Al