Doc Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Now here is something I want to work in a bit more this year. The only thing is that it interferes with my bow hunting. However, I want a few good squirrel diners and get to take my old .22 hornet out and try to get a shooting challenge from the "tree-rats". Great sport, and some pretty darn tasty meat. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burmjohn Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Never ate one, however they annoy the crap out of me in my deer stand. There must be about 20 around me at all times, making noises, running, yelling at each-other.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted June 6, 2010 Author Share Posted June 6, 2010 You ought to try eating a few if you can get yourself to do it .... lol. They really are great tasting when cooked right. They sure can be a pain when you're trying to listen for approaching deer. More than once I've gotten all excited only to find out it was just a squirrel. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A6A6 Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 hey doc. i was in sterling forest few weeks ago. there is a trail at the end of ironwood drive under the powerlines past the gate and uphill and on the right , just past the highest point in the immediate area. about 150-200 yards into the trail there is a pond on the right of the trail 30 yards . squirrel all over.. and bold ones may i add. just be careful. ticks tick ticks all over too.. had them crawling all over me. come fall season that should die down a bit but be careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted June 7, 2010 Author Share Posted June 7, 2010 So far over here in my chunk of Ontario County, we haven't had a lot of ticks on the squirrels. Maybe it's just a matter of time, because I have found ticks on deer. The squirrels are full of fleas though. Generally, I skin them right in the woods as soon as I get them and leave the hide behind. I carry a big zip-lock bag for the skinned carcasses. All the guts and skin stay behind for the critters to feed on. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A6A6 Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 i thought for some reason you were down here close to orange county doc. didnt know you were up in ontario . anyhow. thats a good idea with the ziplock bag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted June 8, 2010 Author Share Posted June 8, 2010 Yeah, one of the things that started me cleaning the squirrels right on the spot in the woods was when I discovered that they were full of fleas. I didn't want to be dragging a bunch of fleas home. The same thing would apply to ticks if they were a problem here. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCTheGC Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Is there an actual season for those squirrels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 Yes ........ check the syllabus for dates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clamp Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 I hunt squirrels every year.. i love them. They are easy to hunt, and great to eat. People turn thier noses up at squirrels, but the meat is great when prepared correctly. I par boil the hind quarters and back straps. This is a process that can take a few hour, but it makes the difference. Once the meat starts to fall off the bone, then debone it all and start your marinaide. From there it can be pan fried, baked, ground into burger, or anything else you want to do. Squirrel meat is wonderful.. I am going to try to can some this fall and preserve it through the winter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 I agree weshould beable to get like ten per day instead of 6 just not enough for dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkzfixme Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 http://www.shootingsquirrels.com/ funny website on the subject, great vids and reviews. They do however, seem to do it out of spite and not sportsmanship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasteddie Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 When I was a kid I would shoot squirrels and my mother would fry them up for me . Tasty ! When I was home on leave from the Marine Corps , my brother in law and I shot some rats at the dump with his 22 pistol . The next day I went squirrel hunting and shot a couple . I didn't snip their tails as I had done in the past . When I pulled the hide off , I pulled the furry tail off the tailbone and thought , my gosh , it's a rat . I havn't eaten one since . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burmjohn Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Hahah, they are the rats of the woods. They sure do annoy the crap out of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantail Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Ahh the good old days of Squirrel hunting. It takes me back, every great once in a while I pick up the 25mn and take a walk. After I took up archery though, small game hunting time has taken something of a back burner. Or just to clearing out the rats a bit around the stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasteddie Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 My buddy and I hunt the big ones ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karpteach Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 Fasteddie, that's good. Made my daughter and I do a double take. When I first started to hunt, we used to go upstate 2 days earlier than gun season. The owner would make us clean out all the squirrels we could find. The would make a pasta sauce with them, boy were they good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzy Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I use the early squirrel season for scouting. Hunt'n deer but shooting squirrels! With a .22 it's a real challenge 'cause a head shot is the only way to ensure not loosing a cripple. I use a crock pot and make a great stew. It's done when the meat falls of the bone! Had a lot of non-hunters interested and after getting up the courage to try it,all I've ever heard them say is,"Wow,that's good." Making converts one bowl at a time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowslinger Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 i hunt them my self i use my 22 mag some times i use my 12ga last few years i'v bin using my bow more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growalot Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 22...but I only skin out the back legs....when I have enough they hit the crock pot.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furman_ny Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Hunt them every year, great eating and sporting fun with .22 L.R. or a .410, usually from Sept. 1 til the bow season opens. Great way to start young hunters, learn many of the needed skills to become an accomplished hunter, most people think its a joke to hunt them cause they see them runnin around while sitting 20 feet up in a treestand, start shooting at them and they not so dumb, stalking them with a .22 and taking a limit of them often is quite challenging, especially on pressured state forests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzy Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Furman, you're right about it not being easy. They know when something out of the ordinary is in their living room! After years of hunting them I've only taken a limit once! If it where easy we wouldn't take the challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantail Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Toasty day to start this years season. And hurricaine "my name is Earl" should be cruising the coast for the weekend. Well, maybe take the Marlin for a walk Monday if I can catch a break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contender Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Since the geese havent arrive in my hunting area yet, my son and I are going to clean out some of the tree rats in a couple of our deer hunting spots tomorrow. Should be fun and hope to find some geese in our travels. Found a video on how to skin these critters. I tried this a couple years ago and it works great. http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-skin-squirrel-216908/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr VJP Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Hey, what else can you start hunting on Sept 1 other than crows and squirrels. I find hunting them tunes up my skills again after a long summer. They do taste good as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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