The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Hunt

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old October 16, 2011, 02:33 AM   #1
huntinaz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 21, 2010
Location: az
Posts: 1,332
AZ Squirrel Hunt (I do not deny redneck status)

Well it's squirrel season in northern Arizona, and I finally had day off. Took the family out the other day for the afternoon, this was our first family squirrel hunt. We got a couple:


Hunting with my girls (notice the cammo):


My big hunter. She didn't see a single squirrel. She didn't see the herd of deer either. She's not much for watchin, but she likes to go too:


First hunt with the kids. The little one could care less. The big one was scared of the dead squirrels at first, but she came around:


Told ya!


Helping daddy with the skinning:


My old man started me young and I always appreciated it. Reckon I'd do the same for my kids. I hope they both end up hunting with me later in life but they'll know where meat comes from whether they like it or not, and that's more than I can say for most folks. My daughter is 2 1/2 years old and it was crystal clear to her that the bite of meat she was about to eat came from the squirrel she watched me skin a few hours prior. That is lost on most people these days:
__________________
"When there’s lead in the air, there’s hope in the heart”- Hunter’s Proverb
"Feed me, or feed me to something. I just want to be part of the food chain." -Al Bundy
huntinaz is offline  
Old October 16, 2011, 04:41 AM   #2
bswiv
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2006
Location: NE FL.......
Posts: 1,081
Exellent!!!

It'll be hard for the idiots of the world to undo the good learning when you start them out right.

As for the squirrels.......way big by Florida standards. What species?

Did you just fry them or...............??
bswiv is offline  
Old October 16, 2011, 02:35 PM   #3
Chris84
Member
 
Join Date: August 19, 2011
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 36
Just went on my frist squirrek of the year here in KY this morning. Well I guess that you ould call it hunting. Walked done an old logging road on my farm shot 4 in about 6 minutes with the old 10/22. I remember my first with my pap I was about 5, and those memorys will forever be with me even though he is not. Good to see some one getting the young ladies involved in huntin.
Chris84 is offline  
Old October 16, 2011, 02:46 PM   #4
jackmon
Member
 
Join Date: October 5, 2011
Location: Arizona
Posts: 25
Being a resident if Arizona i love going up north and getting squirrel. I use my little marlin model 60
jackmon is offline  
Old October 16, 2011, 03:08 PM   #5
Discern
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 30, 2011
Posts: 471
Good to hear that some kids are learning where meat comes animals and the meaning of hunting. You can also create some great memories for your family.

I grew up on a farm, and we did our own beef and chickens. I was too young to help butcher the chickens as my dad was tired of feeding the predators and we stopped having chickens. We also had the rule you kill it (hunting) or catch it (fishing) then you clean it and eat it.

I was at a museum in a large metro area some years back and went through the agricultural exhibit just for kicks. I saw kids around 8 or 9 years old asking what animal that was (picture of a cow with a calf). They had never heard of a cow, had no idea that cows produce milk which is processed and shipped to grocery stores and no idea that a hamburger comes from cattle.
Discern is offline  
Old October 16, 2011, 03:32 PM   #6
JACK308
Junior member
 
Join Date: July 10, 2011
Posts: 377
I wish I had better luck today!.(
JACK308 is offline  
Old October 16, 2011, 07:10 PM   #7
miykael
Member
 
Join Date: November 7, 2009
Posts: 84
Life Lessons

Great life lessons and thanks for the post! (I'm sometimes accused of being a "brown" "redneck" grew up in smalltown Alberta) I must admit though that I've never tried squirrel...what's it like and how best to prepare it? It's crazy how so many people have an opinion about hunting and firearms but they never realize where the meat on their plate came from.
miykael is offline  
Old October 16, 2011, 07:26 PM   #8
Eghad
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 28, 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 6,231
I remember going squirrel hunting back in 1978 I had been married for 2 months. I walked in the door with about 6 squirrels. My wife looked at them and said, "let me skin those for you and make you a pot of squirrel and dumplings.

Her dad raised her right
__________________
Have a nice day at the range

NRA Life Member
Eghad is offline  
Old October 17, 2011, 12:17 AM   #9
huntinaz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 21, 2010
Location: az
Posts: 1,332
Quote:
I must admit though that I've never tried squirrel...what's it like and how best to prepare it?
Different folks all do it different. My momma does it best (that I've had), she rolls them in flour/salt/paprika/pepper and then browns them in a skillet. Then she bakes them and makes gravy with the dripping and mashed potatoes. Homemade biscuits if we're lucky. I'm serious, done that way it is one of my very favorite meals. Rabbit, quail, and dove are good that way too but squirrel is the best in my opinion. Dove is a close second.

I'm lazy, I usually roll them in the flour/spics mixture and bake them. I just eat the runoff with spoon. It's still good, but not the same.


Quote:
My wife looked at them and said, "let me skin those for you and make you a pot of squirrel and dumplings.
Oh man, I miss the good old days. I should have been born 30 years ago. There were more folks like me around back then. My wife will go with me, sometimes she'll shoot one, but she won't eat them. She loves elk but squirrel she doesn't do. More for me I guess
__________________
"When there’s lead in the air, there’s hope in the heart”- Hunter’s Proverb
"Feed me, or feed me to something. I just want to be part of the food chain." -Al Bundy
huntinaz is offline  
Old October 17, 2011, 09:30 AM   #10
Daryl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 11, 2008
Posts: 2,350
Looks like quite a family you have there. Congrat's on spending some quality time with 'em.

Daryl
Daryl is offline  
Old October 17, 2011, 09:47 AM   #11
Tuzo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 14, 2007
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 797
Lovely family and lovely photos. Correct sentiment about understanding sources of food. Your daughters understand that there is no such thing as a hamburger tree. By the way, they are ripe when ketchup begins dripping.

When my son shot his first duck he made a mistake in identifying it. We do not kill anything unless we plan to eat it. Black ducks are mud feeders and not too tasty. However, instead of throwing it away he prepared the little beastie and tried to eat it. Black ducks smell and taste like the bottom of a bayou. After a bite or two he said never again will he shoot a game animal without correctly identifying it. He finished lunch by picking a ripe hamburger from the tree in our backyard.
Tuzo is offline  
Old October 17, 2011, 10:08 AM   #12
sc outdoorsman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 23, 2009
Location: Western SC
Posts: 208
Looks like a great family outing. My wife and daughter would never get out with me so me and my son had to get a little game in the pot.
Fried squirrel simmered in gravy is some fine eating. Around here we fry and simmer the doves in gravy and eat them over grits. Making my mouth water thinking about it.

Keep those girls outdoors and you will have fond memories for a lifetme.
sc outdoorsman is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:09 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.05716 seconds with 10 queries