Anyone doin squirrel hunting?

[Northcountryman]

3 hours ago, Liquidonyx said:

Distress call…

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08DXF4NVQ/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A330ARAKE34KVU&psc=1

And where’d you get that ? I want one !!

[Northcountryman]

24 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

Much of it had to do with cooking techniques and the way the fish is handled prior to cooking.  If you deep fry the fish in oil, then I agree that perch or walleye are better, because the meat contains very little “fish oil”, compared to bass. 
 

With the  healthier cooking methods, like grilling, baking, or broiling, then I like bass better because it has more fish oil in it, which keeps it moist thru those process, whereas perch and walleye tend to get too dry.

Eating bass is a win win deal because fish oil is actually good for you and deep frying in animal fat is bad for you.

Most folks have no clue how to handle bass meat though.  The fish should be kept as healthy as possible and the meat should still be twitching when it is removed.  Letting them die, full of guts, in a cooler is asking for trouble. It should also be vacuum sealed if frozen. 

 

Get it now ?

Oh, ok so you clean right away then? Do you do it in the boat as you catch them ?

[Paula]

5 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

And where’d you get that ? I want one !!

Amazon

[wolc123]

3 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

Oh, ok so you clean right away then? Do you do it in the boat as you catch them ?

No, I use a live well in my bigger boat in the summer at home, or a stringer in row boats at my in-laws up in the Adirondacks in the fall, when the water is cool.  I am only 30 minutes from the boat launch at home.  
 

I throw a couple bags of ice in the livewell, at the ramp, and the bass are usually still swimming upright when I get home, even on the hottest days of the summer.  As soon as I get home, I toss a running garden hose in the live well.  That keeps the bass fresh and healthy as they await their turn at the club and fillet knife. 
 

Years ago, I preferred to keep just the 12-15 inchers for eating, which sometimes made for a long day on the water.  Since the arrival of the round gobies, growth rates are way up, on the Upper Niagara (my home water), Lake Erie, and the St. Lawrence.  A 20 incher these days, is as just as young and just as tasty, as a 15 incher was, before their arrival.

That cuts down on my fishing and sorting time, because I usually quit after the first limit is onboard.  I only released one bass at home all last year (that was just over 20”).  
 

I am “guilty” of releasing lots of them in the summer up in the Adirondacks, because I don’t have a good way of keeping them fresh and healthy up there at that time of year.  

We had bass for dinner tonight and it was excellent.  My wife baked it in the oven (upper Niagara smallmouth for her and the kids and St Lawrence largemouth for me).  She dipped the fillets in egg and then Panko crumbs (similar to bread crumbs but gluten free).  

I lost most of my interest in fishing for perch and walleye, after I figured out how to care for and cook bass. 

 

[chrisw]

Bass are in no way better tasting than walleye or perch in any poll. Bass are easier to catch which I'm guessing is probably a factor in some people's situation (much like shooting fawns). I like eating fish and I haven't kept a bass in forever. If you like them then go for it, but I know a TON of fisherman and very few keep bass at all, yet most are willing to go out and sit on a block of ice when it's 5° to catch perch/walleyes. What's that tell ya?

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[chrisw]

Bass are in no way better tasting than walleye or perch in any poll. Bass are easier to catch which I'm guessing is probably a factor in some people's situation (much like shooting fawns). I like eating fish and I haven't kept a bass in forever. If you like them then go for it, but I know a TON of fisherman and very few keep bass at all, yet most are willing to go out and sit on a block of ice when it's 5° to catch perch/walleyes. What's that tell ya?

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[chrisw]

Bass are in no way better tasting than walleye or perch in any poll. Bass are easier to catch which I'm guessing is probably a factor in some people's situation (much like shooting fawns). I like eating fish and I haven't kept a bass in forever. If you like them then go for it, but I know a TON of fisherman and very few keep bass at all, yet most are willing to go out and sit on a block of ice when it's 5° to catch perch/walleyes. What's that tell ya?

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[ncountry]

Just now, chrisw said:

Bass are in no way better tasting than walleye or perch in any poll. Bass are easier to catch which I'm guessing is probably a factor in some people's situation (much like shooting fawns). I like eating fish and I haven't kept a bass in forever. If you like them then go for it, but I know a TON of fisherman and very few keep bass at all, yet most are willing to go out and sit on a block of ice when it's 5° to catch perch/walleyes. What's that tell ya?

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Boo!

[wolc123]

I find walleye easier to catch than bass.  They will actually strike a hook and worm,  in 5 ft of water, directly below the spinning prop of my gas outboard.  I need to sneak up to bass in shallow water, using the wind, oars, or an electric motor.  In addition to the better flavored flesh (if properly prepared), the bass must have the bigger brains.  
 

[wolc123]

13 minutes ago, chrisw said:

Bass are in no way better tasting than walleye or perch in any poll. Bass are easier to catch which I'm guessing is probably a factor in some people's situation (much like shooting fawns). I like eating fish and I haven't kept a bass in forever. If you like them then go for it, but I know a TON of fisherman and very few keep bass at all, yet most are willing to go out and sit on a block of ice when it's 5° to catch perch/walleyes. What's that tell ya?

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Back on topic, Do you like rabbit better than squirrel ?

[chrisw]

Back on topic, Do you like rabbit better than squirrel ?

Yes I prefer rabbit to squirrel, but I won't go out of my way to seek out either. Squirrels are a pain to clean and I don't have enough rabbits around to really bother with them.

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[The_Real_TCIII]

I don’t know if they taste any different, but I’m going to say their diet vastly differs. Squirrels around here chew holes in trash cans and eat garbage. I have a picture somewhere I’d a squirrel on my garage roof eating a blueberry bagel. 
 
i would be curious about rabbits, they eat our strawberry’s and veggies.

My neighborhood has so many acorns I worry about my kids driving over them lol, theyre like ball bearings in the road


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[wolc123]

3 minutes ago, chrisw said:

Yes I prefer rabbit to squirrel, but I won't go out of my way to seek out either. Squirrels are a pain to clean and I don't have enough rabbits around to really bother with them.

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They are a pain to clean, and it takes more of them to make a meal.  One rabbit is enough for me, but I could easily eat four squirrels.
 

We have eaten them together lots of times, and squirrel has always came out on top for my taste.  Even our kids think so. They fight over who gets the squirrel out of the crock pot.  I get stuck with the rabbit most of the time.  My wife prefers the rabbit.  She says the skinned squirrels look too much like rats.  

[Liquidonyx]

Anyone try red squirrels? Way less timid and much more plentiful then grays where I hunt.

[Paula]

14 minutes ago, Liquidonyx said:

Anyone try red squirrels? Way less timid and much more plentiful then grays where I hunt.

No limit on reds. They stink, I think because they eat pine needles? Easier to skin compared to grey's. I think they tasted fine, it's been a while since I had one of those

[WNYTRPR]

24 minutes ago, Liquidonyx said:

Anyone try red squirrels? Way less timid and much more plentiful then grays where I hunt.

Yes ,got a bucket full so far this year .They are fun .quick little things 

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

26 minutes ago, Liquidonyx said:

Anyone try red squirrels? Way less timid and much more plentiful then grays where I hunt.

Yup there fine to eat! My best day was 21 reds cleaned them all andade a squirrel stew. Delicious. My sister didn't like me lucky our dog got into the discards. Nothing like hearing a scream when my sis scene a head with eyes looking at her after the dog threw up. I couldn't stop laughing but the clean up sucked. 

[wolc123]

49 minutes ago, Liquidonyx said:

Anyone try red squirrels? Way less timid and much more plentiful then grays where I hunt.

I have killed a few, but never ate one.   They seem too small to mess with, almost like a chipmunk would be.  I only shot them because they seem to run off the greys, which I do like to eat.  

Edited January 22, 2022 by wolc123

[REDNECK4LIFE32]

58 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

I have killed a few, but never ate one.   They seem too small to mess with, almost like a chipmunk would be.  I only shot them because they seem to run off the greys, which I do like to eat.  

Nothing would probably surprise you cuz your set in your ways lol. But give them a try alittle work is worth the reward. I'm set in my ways too but it's a military thing.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I thought reds were egg and carrion eaters


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[Liquidonyx]

19 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I thought reds were egg and carrion eaters


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Reads like both grays and red are omnivores 

[Northcountryman]

2 hours ago, Liquidonyx said:

Anyone try red squirrels? Way less timid and much more plentiful then grays where I hunt.

They’re good , but less plentiful around here . Used to love to bag them when growin up in the north country . 

[airedale]

13 hours ago, Liquidonyx said:

Anyone try red squirrels? Way less timid and much more plentiful then grays where I hunt.

I have eaten the Reds and as far as I can tell they taste the same as Grays but they are much smaller so you have to knock off a bunch to make a good size meal. As for Rabbits I like domestic Rabbit the best, had it only a few times but can say the meat is not as dry as the wild variety and very tasty. Cottontails come in next for flavor with Hares bringing up the rear, I believe their diets are a big factor in how they taste.

Al

Edited January 22, 2022 by airedale

[wolc123]

5 minutes ago, airedale said:

I have eaten the Reds and as far as I can tell they taste the same as Grays but they are much smaller. As for Rabbits I like domestic Rabbit the best, had it only a few times but can say the meat is not as dry as the wild variety and very tasty. Cottontails come in next for flavor with Hares bringing up the rear, I believe their diets are a big factor in how they taste.

Al

I only tried hare once and it was horrible.  We had also killed a few grouse that day, up on Tug hill, and they were great as always. I would not shoot another hare.  All off the other rabbits I have eaten were cottontails, which taste a hair better than chicken to me, but no where near as good as grey squirrel.  I have never tried domestic rabbit.

I might give red squirrels a try, especially if I can ever get more than one in a sitting.   They are super jumpy and much harder for me to hit with my .22.  That is what I usually carry squirrel hunting, when the leaves are down.   Maybe I will use my .410 a little more, to increase my odds with the reds.  
 

It seems to me that a red squirrel is closer in size to a chipmunk than a grey squirrel.  Do any of you red-eaters eat those and if so how do they taste ?  I think they may also be killed in unlimited quantity and year round.  
 

I wouldn’t bother with chipmunks, with the current cost and availability of .22 ammo, but a pellet gun might do the trick, if they are tasty and times get tough. 
 

Our kids had pet guinea pigs for a while and I always wondered how they would taste.  I hear they are a delicacy, down in South America.  After I retire, I think I will look into going down there, on a wild guinea pig hunt, and find out.  It seems like that  would be more of a challenge than big game.  

[crappyice]

Saw three squirrels but couldn’t get a bead on them.
Then a Funny looking squirrel jumped out of a blowdown pile today ..hope he eats good!



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