Squirrel

[Pygmy]

Jennifer... An old guy (long since departed) who lived near my boyhood home told me that he ate red squirrels on a regular basis and they were as good as greys, only smaller..

Surprisingly, I never ate one, although I've eaten woodchuck, beaver, coon, snapping turtle, barn pigeon and some other weird stuff...

[waltny]

I eat reds all the time. They can have a slight pine odor because that's where they like to live and they chow on pine a lot, but they don't taste like it. They are smaller though.

I may have to revisit my stance then and give them a try.

[Skillet]

Jennifer... An old guy (long since departed) who lived near my boyhood home told me that he ate red squirrels on a regular basis and they were as good as greys, only smaller..

Surprisingly, I never ate one, although I've eaten woodchuck, beaver, coon, snapping turtle, barn pigeon and some other weird stuff...

Barn pigeon is good stuff. Never tried a red, but I think I will now.

[Deerslayer2388]

I live near Syracuse and I can't find any where to see squirrels except for in the city and of course if u have a air rifle u can shoot them of u rent or own the property

[RPIBuckHunter]

I went out after squirrel last Friday, only saw one and could not get a shot off...still lots of time left in the season though!

I do it with the shotgun instead of the .22, little bit safer to shoot at the ones in trees.

[ny hunter]

I have reds all over this year for some reason.They make more noise when they scream at each other.And when a gray comes around they go nuts.I am gonna bring my cousin to the property with his hawk.Hopefully this week.

[Paula]

I went out yesterday and didn't

see a thing

[RPIBuckHunter]

About to head out with my dad for a little afternoon squirrel/rabbit hunting. Hopefully we can get it done.

[bkln]

Oh yeah like that's gonna work. You can't trust the honor system to accurate measurements.

Skillets girlfriend told me that what he calls 10" is probably closer to 3",,lol.

LOL, you guys are hilarious...:-)

[Skillet]

Went out today. Crappy. Got one red and missed a rabbit 2X.

[Paula]

i didn't even see a rabbit

[Paula]

think i am going to warsaw to state land tomorrow

[Skillet]

Good luck Paula! Send me a PM if you want to go out in Churchville this week in the AM. I have 2 new spots to try, 10-12 acres each.

[waltny]

Anyone seen any greys out in the woods in Saratoga County? Im looking at Middle Grove and Daketown as new spots. Albany Pine Bush, Ushers Road and Parcell 45 (next to Wilton Mall) all seem to be Reds at this point. I may try Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Capital District MWA in the next few weeks also.

I was talking to an old timer in the woods the other day and he told me to hang a bird feeder out there if I really wanted to fill my limit. While the idea seemed over the top to me, it appears via the DEC website that offering the weary late season squirrels some black oil sunflower or the like in a handful on log isnt illegal per their exclusion on the list.

[Skillet]

Never hunted out that way Walt. In some of my spots, there are areas with many reds, and few greys. A lot of times, In the late season, the greys are really localized around a single food source. I killed a limit a few weeks ago, all 6 of them were within 40Yds of the same black walnut tree. I limited out in less than 40 minutes, and when I left, they were still running around. I went out the next day to a different area on the same hill, and there was not a squirrel to be found anywhere but the same spot as the day before. Good idea with the bird feeder.

[shawnhu]

I live near Syracuse and I can't find any where to see squirrels except for in the city and of course if u have a air rifle u can shoot them of u rent or own the property

I don't think you can shoot one in the city, even if you are doing it with an airgun and own your own property. You need to be 500' away from another dwelling or have permission from said dwelling/s

[bkln]

Airgun with the speed greater than 600 fps is considered a firearm by DEC hence all rules applies. I think they changed that couple years ago. With the new air rifles going with speeds of 1200 fps it ain't a joke anymore.....

[zeroskin76]

its a shame too, i have so many huge greys in my backyard here in utica and so many air rifles ... but alas they have to go uneaten

Edited December 30, 2011 by zeroskin76

[Elmo]

I don't know about Utica but I wouldn't eat city squirrel or pigeons. You are what you eat and in their case, it's trash.

[Guides ForHire]

@ Walt

parcel 45 is very good, and the private lands on both sides of the road too, I remove squirrels from many sugarbushes under federal permit all year and can show you a few things we do to make it a one day affair, drop me a line if interested.

I've never seen all that many on daketown or middle grove, desolation , etc, but there are some.

I follow a recipe for reds ( $1 a peice for the fur) that a friend gave me for bat, there is ALOT more meat on a red than a bat., believe that.

[waltny]

Airgun with the speed greater than 600 fps is considered a firearm by DEC hence all rules applies. I think they changed that couple years ago. With the new air rifles going with speeds of 1200 fps it ain't a joke anymore.....

So a sweet little shooter like number like this that would be MAX 600fps and would rarely hit 600 with maybe PBA would be legal per the letter of the law? FPE would be under 10ish with mid grain pellets and with a smooth shooting cycle you wouldnt have much noise. Out to 15 yards should do it...

[waltny]

@ Walt

parcel 45 is very good, and the private lands on both sides of the road too, I remove squirrels from many sugarbushes under federal permit all year and can show you a few things we do to make it a one day affair, drop me a line if interested.

I've never seen all that many on daketown or middle grove, desolation , etc, but there are some.

I follow a recipe for reds ( $1 a peice for the fur) that a friend gave me for bat, there is ALOT more meat on a red than a bat., believe that.

Sounds great to me, him me up with particulars via email or PM. I actually walked the loop and didnt see anything out there a few weeks back. I did figure with all the dreys in the trees and so close to the mall that the greys should be thriving in there, at least along the edge.

[waltny]

I don't know about Utica but I wouldn't eat city squirrel or pigeons. You are what you eat and in their case, it's trash.

Id say the ones in the suburbs would be the ones to nab, they eat like kings around here...

[13BVET]

@ Walt

parcel 45 is very good, and the private lands on both sides of the road too, I remove squirrels from many sugarbushes under federal permit all year and can show you a few things we do to make it a one day affair, drop me a line if interested.

I've never seen all that many on daketown or middle grove, desolation , etc, but there are some.

I follow a recipe for reds ( $1 a peice for the fur) that a friend gave me for bat, there is ALOT more meat on a red than a bat., believe that.

Who actually buys the fur? I found a treasure trove of reds on state land this morning, and I'm going to hunt them with the air rifle tomorrow.

[Deerslayer2388]

Well I rent of a landlord m there r plenty of squirrels in flicking a cigarette but at n I just gave away my daisy powerline 880 to my little brother who's 19 n all my bbs and pellets