Are squirrels good eatin ? - Page 2

EJJR · December 23, 2007, 03:21 PM

It depends on how hungry you are.

Very good answer to a very subjective question Arub.

Then again, I'm much more likely to shoot a dog if I was that hungry.

Bigfatts · December 23, 2007, 03:48 PM

Quote:

the problem with squirrels is the meat-to-butchering/skinning-work ratio is rather low, since they're not real easy to butcher, esp.

squirrels are fairly easy to butcher out. Take a look here:

http://www.gutpilestyle.com/ForumSMF...p?topic=1968.0

if you're not a member over there, you should be.

hank327 · December 24, 2007, 12:36 AM

Squirrel and dumplings...yummmm!

Fried squirrel can give your jaws a real workout if you get an old one.

Sgt.Fathead · December 24, 2007, 01:05 AM

WOW! That recipe has my taste buds doing the mambo! That's something to try in the new year. Thanks!

remjeep75 · December 24, 2007, 08:45 AM

usually i will clean them and then cook them, the best way i have found by simply microwaving them for 10 minutes on high with a little butter.
Just kidding. Imo the best way to eat them is in brunswick stew

banditt007 · December 24, 2007, 09:06 AM

check out a guy called mr. squaks or something like that, his method works great for skinning them, then just gut out like a fish basically. may i suggest a few things.

when skinning, first get the whole thing soaking wet then skin, it helps keep the hair off the meat which it sticks to very easily, having a bucket of water available..or a stream/lake...really helps.

2) just use the legs and back strap near the spine... i cut it out like you would a deer the backstrap on top of its back. then cut off the legs and chuck the rest. there isnt anything on the inside near the spine. the 'rib meat' (not that there is any really) is pretty nasty its very elastic like ect, so i just chuck that away.

plus when people see it cooked if its just legs and back strap its much easier to 'deal with' than seeing what looks like a rat floating in some gravey =)

easy and simple recipe. coat in flour, put in one of those oven bags they have... dump in a 1/2 cup of h20 and your fav BBQ sauce. cook on low for an hour and a 1/2. tastes really good.

the meat is kind of like a pork-ish type meat.

banditt007 · December 24, 2007, 09:07 AM

btw i love that all you other guys eat these things! i feel like the outcast around here when i mention it.

CamoCop · December 25, 2007, 08:54 AM

yup

oldbillthundercheif · December 25, 2007, 03:06 PM

That's just the basic recipe, feel free to add whatever herbs and spices suit your taste. It can also be done at higher heat for less time or lower heat for more time, I do it a little different every time I cook up some squirrel.

If you cook the potatos for the full time, they can fall apart a little. If you like your spuds to maintain an oval shape, you can wait until the last few hours to put them in.

skeeter1 · December 25, 2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

I like the legs fried up like chicken wings. Fantastic.

That's my favorite way, too. Discard the middle part with all of the rib bones -- they just get in the way. Also good anywhere you'd use chicken parts, like in a slow cooker for gumbo, etc. Don't let anyone discourage you from using a pellet gun. With the right pellets (.22, heavy, and pointed), it will take out a squirrel as well as anything out to ~30yds.

max12 · December 25, 2007, 06:20 PM

[QUOTE]make sure you have enough gun. In my experience a .22 isn't enough unless you shoot them in the head. I have some wild stories about wounded one's. THey go farther than you expext.

I would have to say a 12 gauge 3 1/2 in slug is pushing it.

SavageSniper · December 25, 2007, 07:28 PM

Wow, I don't know what the squirrels are eating where you are at, but if a .22 has problems knocking them down I want a wack at them.

teeroux · December 26, 2007, 03:51 AM

Quote:

make sure you have enough gun. In my experience a .22 isn't enough unless you shoot them in the head. I have some wild stories about wounded one's. THey go farther than you expext.

Mabe ill start a thread on what caliber is best for killin squirrels but then again i dont want to stir up the 40 S&W fans.

seriously i like to use high velocity #6 in my 12 gauge with full choke

38splfan · December 26, 2007, 05:09 AM

Low velocity .38 wadcutters do a durn fine job on those little suckers.

I love stew, I like pan fired, but I also like them broiled stuffed with blackberries and wrapped in bacon. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm...tasty.

ZeroJunk · December 26, 2007, 08:03 AM

If you use a .22 use subsonic or short hollow points. Full speed hollow points tear them up and regular bullets may not kill them before they go in a hollow.

ShootingNut · December 26, 2007, 08:59 AM

Saw some Asian folk, had one over an open fire, stick shoved up it's rear end, burnin' the hair off while it cooked!

Wild Bill Bucks · December 26, 2007, 12:45 PM

Stumbled onto this Idea a couple years ago, but it is the best way I have found to keep them VERY tender. Fix them in Shake n Bake just like the recipe for doing chicken. The meat stays very moist and tender, and doesn't seem to matter how old the fuzzy tails are.

Bigfatts · December 26, 2007, 10:31 PM

You know, all this talk about squirrel got me hungry so I gathered up the family and went and got some yesterday morning. Got 8 of them, now I'm on the hunt for a good recipe. Time to try something new...

T. O'Heir · December 26, 2007, 10:39 PM

City slicker tree rats I wouldn't touch. You have no idea what they've been eating. They don't just eat nuts and such. You'll likely find shooting them in town is illegal too.

Wuchak · December 27, 2007, 12:47 AM

You also need to figure out where they are getting into the house and seal up the entrance. If you do this during the day there's a good chance they will all be outside and your problem is solved. If you do trap one inside I would use a Havahart trap to capture it and then release it outside. No risk of dead, rotten, unbelievable stench, in the house. The $30 for the trap is a much better deal than paying someone to cut into and then repair your walls. If you don't want to buy one some hardware stores rent them. If you have a local animal rescue organization, the type that takes in injured birds, rabbits, etc. they might rent or loan one too.

http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/cag...quickguide.asp

YukonKid · December 28, 2007, 01:36 AM

i agree with Arub. if your hungry you will eat anything, its human nature. if your not and the choice is a tree rat or steak i will be needing some A-1

mosinfanatic · January 5, 2008, 12:00 AM

we dont have squirells in NZ but from what you guys are saying im just gunna have to try it.

mesabi · January 6, 2008, 12:09 AM

The squirrels here in MN can take any house cat in a fight anyday... and Iv'e seen some big/mean house cats. We shoot them off our feeders cuz that stuff's for the birds. BB's do not work so well unless you can put it through the brain and we don't get headshots on running/jumping squirrels too often. One squirrel we pulled three pellets and 6 bb's out of muscle and the guts. We soaked ours overnight in salt water then boiled it. Then put it in soup of chicken broth, carrots, celery, and egg noodles.

theotherguy · January 7, 2008, 03:40 PM

Squirrels are tasty especially if you cook 'em in a slow cooking crock pot. That's the way my wife does it. Yum yum.

Jason_G · January 14, 2008, 11:05 PM

Squirrels taste great. Every bit as good as a rabbit IMO, just less meat. I like them battered and fried, or in stew, or just about any other way you can cook them. You just have to take some measures to keep them from getting dry while cooking or they'll get tough and stringy. My mom makes squirrel and dumplings sometimes, that's one of my favorite ways to eat them. Oldbill's way sounds pretty good, too. It's actually very similar to the way I do beef rump roast, I'll have to try it on some squirrels.

Jason

December 23, 2007, 03:21 PM	#26
EJJR Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2007 Posts: 153	It depends on how hungry you are. Very good answer to a very subjective question Arub. Then again, I'm much more likely to shoot a dog if I was that hungry. __________________ Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty. Thomas Jefferson Want to learn how to shoot well? http://appleseedinfo.org/

December 24, 2007, 01:05 AM	#29
Sgt.Fathead Junior member Join Date: March 3, 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1,637	Old Bill! WOW! That recipe has my taste buds doing the mambo! That's something to try in the new year. Thanks!

December 25, 2007, 07:28 PM	#37
SavageSniper Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2005 Location: Crawfordville, FL Posts: 494	Wow, I don't know what the squirrels are eating where you are at, but if a .22 has problems knocking them down I want a wack at them. __________________ This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights!

December 26, 2007, 05:09 AM	#39
38splfan Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2004 Location: Ft. Lewis/Tacoma, WA. Posts: 1,034	.38 Low velocity .38 wadcutters do a durn fine job on those little suckers. I love stew, I like pan fired, but I also like them broiled stuffed with blackberries and wrapped in bacon. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm...tasty. __________________ "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to others and I expect the same from them." - John Wayne

December 26, 2007, 08:59 AM	#41
ShootingNut Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,475	New Way To Cook Saw some Asian folk, had one over an open fire, stick shoved up it's rear end, burnin' the hair off while it cooked!

December 24, 2007, 12:36 AM	#28
hank327 Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 106	Squirrel and dumplings...yummmm! Fried squirrel can give your jaws a real workout if you get an old one.

December 24, 2007, 08:45 AM	#30
remjeep75 Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2006 Location: jersey Posts: 107	usually i will clean them and then cook them, the best way i have found by simply microwaving them for 10 minutes on high with a little butter. Just kidding. Imo the best way to eat them is in brunswick stew

December 24, 2007, 09:06 AM	#31
banditt007 Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2006 Posts: 694	check out a guy called mr. squaks or something like that, his method works great for skinning them, then just gut out like a fish basically. may i suggest a few things. when skinning, first get the whole thing soaking wet then skin, it helps keep the hair off the meat which it sticks to very easily, having a bucket of water available..or a stream/lake...really helps. 2) just use the legs and back strap near the spine... i cut it out like you would a deer the backstrap on top of its back. then cut off the legs and chuck the rest. there isnt anything on the inside near the spine. the 'rib meat' (not that there is any really) is pretty nasty its very elastic like ect, so i just chuck that away. plus when people see it cooked if its just legs and back strap its much easier to 'deal with' than seeing what looks like a rat floating in some gravey =) easy and simple recipe. coat in flour, put in one of those oven bags they have... dump in a 1/2 cup of h20 and your fav BBQ sauce. cook on low for an hour and a 1/2. tastes really good. the meat is kind of like a pork-ish type meat.

December 24, 2007, 09:07 AM	#32
banditt007 Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2006 Posts: 694	btw i love that all you other guys eat these things! i feel like the outcast around here when i mention it.

December 25, 2007, 08:54 AM	#33
CamoCop Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2006 Location: Central Florida Posts: 133	yup

December 25, 2007, 03:06 PM	#34
oldbillthundercheif Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2006 Location: New Orleans Posts: 2,450	That's just the basic recipe, feel free to add whatever herbs and spices suit your taste. It can also be done at higher heat for less time or lower heat for more time, I do it a little different every time I cook up some squirrel. If you cook the potatos for the full time, they can fall apart a little. If you like your spuds to maintain an oval shape, you can wait until the last few hours to put them in.

December 25, 2007, 06:20 PM	#36
max12 Member Join Date: December 21, 2007 Posts: 15	[QUOTE]make sure you have enough gun. In my experience a .22 isn't enough unless you shoot them in the head. I have some wild stories about wounded one's. THey go farther than you expext. I would have to say a 12 gauge 3 1/2 in slug is pushing it.

December 26, 2007, 08:03 AM	#40
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,589	If you use a .22 use subsonic or short hollow points. Full speed hollow points tear them up and regular bullets may not kill them before they go in a hollow.

December 26, 2007, 12:45 PM	#42
Wild Bill Bucks Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2005 Location: Southeastern Oklahoma, Next door to Sasquatch Posts: 1,266	Stumbled onto this Idea a couple years ago, but it is the best way I have found to keep them VERY tender. Fix them in Shake n Bake just like the recipe for doing chicken. The meat stays very moist and tender, and doesn't seem to matter how old the fuzzy tails are.

December 26, 2007, 10:31 PM	#43
Bigfatts Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2005 Location: Lutz Posts: 1,528	You know, all this talk about squirrel got me hungry so I gathered up the family and went and got some yesterday morning. Got 8 of them, now I'm on the hunt for a good recipe. Time to try something new...

December 26, 2007, 10:39 PM	#44
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	City slicker tree rats I wouldn't touch. You have no idea what they've been eating. They don't just eat nuts and such. You'll likely find shooting them in town is illegal too. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

December 27, 2007, 12:47 AM	#45
Wuchak Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2007 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 1,093	You also need to figure out where they are getting into the house and seal up the entrance. If you do this during the day there's a good chance they will all be outside and your problem is solved. If you do trap one inside I would use a Havahart trap to capture it and then release it outside. No risk of dead, rotten, unbelievable stench, in the house. The $30 for the trap is a much better deal than paying someone to cut into and then repair your walls. If you don't want to buy one some hardware stores rent them. If you have a local animal rescue organization, the type that takes in injured birds, rabbits, etc. they might rent or loan one too. http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/cag...quickguide.asp

December 28, 2007, 01:36 AM	#46
YukonKid Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: NW Posts: 744	i agree with Arub. if your hungry you will eat anything, its human nature. if your not and the choice is a tree rat or steak i will be needing some A-1 __________________ This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill Fifteen percent concentrated power of will Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

January 5, 2008, 12:00 AM	#47
mosinfanatic Member Join Date: January 4, 2008 Location: christchurch Posts: 16	no squirells we dont have squirells in NZ but from what you guys are saying im just gunna have to try it.

January 6, 2008, 12:09 AM	#48
mesabi Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2007 Posts: 373	The squirrels here in MN can take any house cat in a fight anyday... and Iv'e seen some big/mean house cats. We shoot them off our feeders cuz that stuff's for the birds. BB's do not work so well unless you can put it through the brain and we don't get headshots on running/jumping squirrels too often. One squirrel we pulled three pellets and 6 bb's out of muscle and the guts. We soaked ours overnight in salt water then boiled it. Then put it in soup of chicken broth, carrots, celery, and egg noodles.

January 7, 2008, 03:40 PM	#49
theotherguy Member Join Date: December 22, 2007 Location: Fresno California Posts: 33	Squirrels are tasty especially if you cook 'em in a slow cooking crock pot. That's the way my wife does it. Yum yum.

January 14, 2008, 11:05 PM	#50
Jason_G Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2006 Location: Louisiana Posts: 1,902	Squirrels taste great. Every bit as good as a rabbit IMO, just less meat. I like them battered and fried, or in stew, or just about any other way you can cook them. You just have to take some measures to keep them from getting dry while cooking or they'll get tough and stringy. My mom makes squirrel and dumplings sometimes, that's one of my favorite ways to eat them. Oldbill's way sounds pretty good, too. It's actually very similar to the way I do beef rump roast, I'll have to try it on some squirrels. Jason